Gears of War studio Epic Games has expanded its development operations to Seattle, opening up a new studio that will initially be focused on the Unreal Engine 4.

　　Fortnite will be the first Epic game to use Unreal Engine 4.

　　According to Epic, the new Seattle-based studio will also recruit new developers, including senior-level programmers and support staff to collaborate with its engineering group.

　　"Epic is especially looking to hire senior-level talent specializing in online game services and the infrastructure to support them," Epic Games president Dr. Michael Capps said. "The proximity to key partners, the density of world-class talent and all the factors that make Seattle an attractive place to live convinced us that it is the perfect locale for Epic's West Coast operation."

　　According to Epic, Unreal Engine 3 currently operates on nine platforms and has been licensed to develop more than 300 games since 2006. Unreal Engine 4 was revealed earlier this year, with Epic announcing its upcoming cooperative survival game Fortnite will be the first game to use the latest iteration of the engine.

　　The Unreal Engine 4 framework includes tools intended to shorten production cycles and lower development costs. In terms of technical specifics, the new engine includes a new dynamic lighting system, which operates based on calculations of objects' inherent properties, as opposed to being dictated by preprogrammed effects. This technology will supposedly allow for more realistic lighting, where colors mix, translucent materials glow, and objects viewed through water refract.

　　Job listings for Epic's new Seattle studio can be found here.