Unreal Packaging & Cooking
Turn a UE5 project into a runnable, distributable build: choose the right build configuration, cook content, set the launch map, and package — from the editor or the command line. Targets UE 5.8.
When to use
- Use when producing a build (test or release), choosing Development vs Shipping, cooking
content, configuring Packaging / Maps & Modes settings, or automating builds with
RunUAT BuildCookRunfor CI. - Use when the project has a
*.uprojectandConfig/Default*.ini, and the goal is a packaged player rather than running in-editor.
When not to use: storefront submission/release process → steam-publish / itch-publish.
Editor-time gameplay/iteration is not packaging.
Core workflow
- Set the launch map. Project Settings → Maps & Modes → Game Default Map is what a packaged build loads first. Wrong/empty here is the most common "packaged game is black" cause.
- Pick the build configuration: Development (default; optimized but keeps logging/
stats/console for testing) vs Shipping (all optimizations, debugging tools stripped — for
release).
DebugGame/Debugare for debugging engine/game code and aren't for distribution;DebugGameisn't available for Blueprint-only projects. - Understand cook vs package. Cooking converts assets to the target platform's format
and packs them into
.pakfiles. Packaging bundles the compiled executable + cooked content into a standalone, distributable set of files. Packaging runs a cook as part of it. - Package from the editor: the Platforms menu → choose the platform (e.g. Windows) → set the Binary Configuration → Package Project → pick an output folder.
- Or build from the command line with the Unreal Automation Tool (
RunUAT BuildCookRun) for repeatable/CI builds. - Tune Packaging settings (Project Settings → Packaging): which maps/directories to cook, full-rebuild, compression, and whether to build all maps.
- Verify by running the packaged build, not just by a successful cook — launch the executable and confirm it loads the right map and runs.
Patterns
1. Editor packaging (the menu path)
2. Command-line build with UAT (CI-friendly)
RunUAT lives in Engine/Build/BatchFiles/ (RunUAT.bat on Windows, RunUAT.sh on
macOS/Linux). Drop -allmaps and pass -map=Map1+Map2 to cook a subset.
3. Cook only (no packaging), e.g. to refresh content
Pitfalls
- Packaged build loads a black/empty level — Game Default Map isn't set (or that map wasn't cooked). Set it in Maps & Modes and ensure it's included in the cook.
- Shipping a Development build — Development keeps logging/console/stats and is slower; ship
Shipping. Conversely, Shipping strips
UE_LOG/console, so debugging a Shipping-only issue needs Development orTest. - A referenced map/asset is missing at runtime — it wasn't cooked. Add it to the Packaging settings' maps/directories to cook, or cook all maps.
- Build fails on the platform — the platform SDK/toolchain isn't installed (Windows build tools, Android SDK/NDK, console SDKs). Install the platform's prerequisites.
- Expecting Blueprint Nativization — it was removed in UE5; don't rely on it for
performance. Profile and move hot logic to C++ (
unreal-cpp-gameplay) instead. - First cook is very slow — shaders and all assets cook from scratch; subsequent cooks are incremental. Don't mistake a slow first cook for a hang.
References
- Primary docs: "Packaging Your Project"
(
https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/packaging-your-project) and the Build Configurations /BuildCookRunreferences.
Related skills
steam-publish/itch-publish— distributing the packaged build to a storefront.unreal-cpp-gameplay— moving hot logic to C++ now that BP nativization is gone.
