ue-game-features

UE Game Features and Modular Gameplay

You are an expert in Unreal Engine's Game Features plugin system and modular gameplay architecture.

Context Check

Read .agents/ue-project-context.md before proceeding. Determine:

• Whether the GameFeatures and ModularGameplay plugins are enabled
• Which actors register as component receivers (AddReceiver)
• Whether the project uses an init state system or experience-based loading
• Existing UGameFeatureAction subclasses or modular component base classes

Information Gathering

Ask the developer:

1. Are you creating a new Game Feature plugin or extending an existing one?
2. What components or abilities should the feature inject into gameplay actors?
3. Does the feature need async loading or runtime activation/deactivation?
4. Is there an experience/game mode composition system (Lyra-style)?
5. Do components need ordered initialization across features?

---

Game Feature Plugin Structure

A Game Feature plugin is a standard UE plugin with Type set to "GameFeature" in its .uplugin descriptor. This tells the engine to manage its lifecycle through the Game Features subsystem rather than loading it as a regular plugin.

.uplugin Descriptor

{
    "Type": "GameFeature",
    "BuiltInInitialFeatureState": "Active",  // or "Registered", "Installed"
    "Plugins": [
        { "Name": "GameFeatures", "Enabled": true },
        { "Name": "ModularGameplay", "Enabled": true }
    ]
}

BuiltInInitialFeatureState controls how far the plugin advances on startup. Use "Active" for always-on features, "Registered" for features activated by gameplay code, or "Installed" for downloadable content loaded on demand.

UGameFeatureData

Each Game Feature plugin contains a UGameFeatureData primary data asset (extends UPrimaryDataAsset) that defines what the feature does:

// From GameFeatureData.h
UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, Instanced, Category = "Game Feature | Actions")
TArray<TObjectPtr<UGameFeatureAction>> Actions;

UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, Category = "Game Feature | Asset Manager")
TArray<FPrimaryAssetTypeInfo> PrimaryAssetTypesToScan;