Update 12/06: The Matrix Awakens Unreal 5 'experience' has been officially confirmed, following earlier leaks. It has now been confirmed to be coming to Xbox Series X|S as well as PlayStation 5, and can be pre-loaded now. A teaser trailer, below, was also released.
A description on the Xbox store states: 'Get ready for a glimpse into the future of interactive storytelling and entertainment with UE5 in this free, boundary-pushing cinematic and real-time tech demo.'
'Created by members of the original movie team including Lana Wachowski along with Epic Games and partners, 'The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience' is a wild ride into the reality-bending universe of 'The Matrix' that features performances by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.'
The experience is currently available for pre-download on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S before its full reveal at the game awards on December 9.
You can check out our original story on the PSN leaks below.
Original story: A playable Matrix “experience” is apparently coming soon according to a new leak. The artwork was discovered on the PSN backend and says it will be created in Unreal Engine 5.
The GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit posted what looks to be a poster or digital thumbnail for The Matrix Awakens “An Unreal Engine 5 Experience.” The original post says it was found on the PSN store and that this experience is bound for the PlayStation 5.
Though there are no confirmations, this experience will probably tie into the upcoming film The Matrix Resurrections which is set to hit theaters and HBO Max on December 22.
Unreal Engine 5 is Epic Games’ newest game engine with advancements in lighting and texture technology. Epic has been showing off its new engine with a series of tech demos, and while these demos will not become full games, its main character has become prominent enough to join the Fortnite roster.
Since it’s clearly labeled as an “experience,” this is not likely a full Matrix game, though the Matrix had previously been pioneers in the video game adaptation space. Even going so far as to “kill” Morpheus and call the event canon (though given the plot of Matrix Resurrections, this doesn’t seem to be the case now).
Either way, a Matrix video game experience on a high-end engine seems like a good way to advertise the upcoming movie. The stars of Matrix Resurrections have also been making the media rounds, with Keanu Reeves talking about how little rehearsal the cast did in preparation for the film, and Jessica Henwick discussing the red pill/blue pill choice she had to make between Matrix and Shang-Chi.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.