How to Connect Claude Code to Unreal Engine With Epic's Official Plugin

Epic's plugin that lets Claude Code drive the Unreal Editor went viral on X on October 18, with many posts calling it a fresh release. It isn't. Epic put the plugin on GitHub in June; Anthropic's official Claude Code plugin marketplace listed it on June 27 (Beijing time), and its last update was in September. What's below follows Epic's README and documentation. We haven't run the setup ourselves.

The plugin connects Claude Code to Unreal MCP, a server that runs inside the Unreal Editor. According to Epic, it exposes hundreds of editor tools across more than 30 toolsets, covering actors, Blueprints, materials, Niagara, Sequencer, State Trees, UMG widgets, the Gameplay Ability System and automation tests. Epic's documentation labels Unreal MCP as an experimental feature and warns that many parts are incomplete and may change.

Step 1: Install the plugin in Claude Code

The plugin is in the claude-plugins-official marketplace, which Claude Code loads automatically. In Claude Code, run "/plugin install unreal-engine-skills-for-claude-code@claude-plugins-official". If the official marketplace doesn't show up, add it first with "/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-official" and then run the install command again. You can also find the plugin in the Discover tab of the /plugin panel.

For a team, Epic suggests adding the plugin to the enabledPlugins list in the project's .claude/settings.json file. Anyone who trusts the project folder gets asked to install it.

Step 2: Turn on Unreal MCP in the editor

In the Unreal Editor, open Edit, then Plugins, and enable both Unreal MCP and All Toolsets, then restart the editor when asked. You need both. Unreal MCP is the server, and All Toolsets supplies the actual tools, so without it the server offers nothing.

Step 3: Start the server

Open the editor console, which the backtick key opens by default, and enter "ModelContextProtocol.StartServer". The server listens on port 8000 at the path /mcp on your own machine. If that port is taken, add a different port number after the command. To have it start every time, turn on Auto Start Server under Editor Preferences, General, Model Context Protocol.

Step 4: Create the connection file

The plugin doesn't ship its own MCP config. In the editor console, enter "ModelContextProtocol.GenerateClientConfig ClaudeCode". This writes a .mcp.json file into the project root that points to the running server. Run it again whenever you change the port or path.

Step 5: Launch Claude Code from the project root and check the connection

Start Claude Code from the same folder where .mcp.json was written, after the editor and its server are already running. Epic suggests checking three things. First, the Output Log in the editor should show the MCP server starting. Second, the Installed tab of /plugin in Claude Code should list the plugin as enabled. Third, /mcp should show unreal-mcp. Then try a simple request such as "List all actors in the current level".

If Claude Code can't find the server, Epic's docs say to check that you launched it from the folder with .mcp.json, and to try starting Claude Code after the editor or reconnecting the MCP server.

On Windows, you need Git Bash or WSL

The plugin includes a startup hook, a bash script that tells Claude to treat the folder as an Unreal project and follow Unreal's conventions. On macOS and Linux it works as is. On Windows, you need Git for Windows, which includes Git Bash, or you need to run Claude Code inside WSL. Under plain PowerShell the hook won't run. According to the README, the editor tools still work in that case. You only lose that short project note at the start of each session.

Be careful with what Claude can touch

Epic's README is blunt about the risks. Installing the plugin gives Claude broad, live access to the running editor, and one of the tools runs any Python script inside the editor with full access to the project. Epic recommends against using Claude Code's --dangerously-skip-permissions flag while the plugin is loaded, and suggests saving and committing your work before any long session so you can roll back unexpected changes. The server only accepts connections from the same machine, but Epic notes it has no login of its own, so any program running under your account can connect. Don't run it on shared or untrusted computers.