Digimon Beatbreak: Toei Animation Pioneers Virtual World Creation with Unreal Engine
Toei Animation’s latest installment in the long-running Digimon franchise, DIGIMON BEATBREAK, which began airing in October 2025, introduces a new setting: the “Mirror World.” The production team is leveraging the power of Unreal Engine to build this unique digital landscape, and a three-part series details the process from concept art to final production. This article, a reprint of the March 2026 issue of CGWORLD + digital video, provides an in-depth look at the techniques employed.
A Gimmick That Enlivens the Creation of Diverse Mirror Worlds
The Mirror World’s assets are created in Maya and imported into Unreal Engine (UE) via FBX, where animators handle layout and rendering. According to the team, UE’s ability to quickly visualize scenes was crucial for checking depth, color, and lighting during meetings. Successfully utilizing UE requires a strong understanding of its mechanisms and materials, and the ability to creatively combine them to achieve the desired visual expression.
While the initial plan was to reuse shaders, the diversity of the Mirror World necessitated extensive research into new patterns, including resources from overseas. Shohei Tamura, the technical director, developed the operational infrastructure for shotwork within UE. This involved creating a system to use shotwork for backgrounds, addressing the unique challenges of converting real-time rendering into images. To improve efficiency, Tamura created an in-house tool called “SequenceMaker.”
Mirror World Becomes a Vast Battlefield
The Mirror World is designed as a vast, expansive environment to accommodate dynamic battles and camera movements. The team prioritized creating a wide stage to avoid unnatural interruptions when characters jump or attacks are launched from below. Once the stage is approved, it’s handed off to animators for adjustments to object placement and size on a per-cut basis. Problems and requests for additions are addressed iteratively, sometimes involving adjustments to sequencer data on the background side, such as reconfiguring models, shaders, and levels.
How the Color of the Distant View Changes
A key visual element of the Mirror World is a color grading technique where colors become redder with distance. This effect enhances the sense of depth and atmosphere.
Representation of Holes Using Parallax Maps
To create the illusion of holes and depth without modeling each one individually, the team employed decals with built-in parallax maps. This technique allowed them to place holes in any position and achieve a convincing concave effect.
Expression of Digimon Diving into the Sand
To depict Digimon diving into the sand, the team used a layered approach with textures and shaders. They created a system where the texture changes based on the distance from the ground, blending the Digimon seamlessly into the sandy environment.
Niagara’s Exploding Cube Representation
The team utilized Unreal Engine’s Niagara system to create the effect of exploding cubes. The effect was broken down into three stages: cube expansion, initial explosion, and scattering, each triggered at different timings.
Exporting a Book Using the Rendering Tool “SequenceMaker”
To streamline the rendering process, Toei Animation developed an in-house tool called “SequenceMaker.” This tool simplifies rendering operations and allows animators to focus on creating images. It addresses the limitations of UE for video rendering by providing a countermeasure for outputting sequential numbers efficiently.
Utilizing “nameless motion”
The animation of background characters in DIGIMON BEATBREAK utilizes motion capture data from “nameless motion,” a motion library created by Toei Zukun Institute. This library provides a range of motions captured using an optical capture system, offering a valuable resource for animation production. The library is available for purchase on BOOTH.
▲An example of a cut where “nameless motion” was used in the work
CGWORLD March 2026 issue vol.331
Special Feature: Digital Fashion Production Handbook 2026
Format: A4 wide
Total number of pages: 112
Release date: February 10, 2026
Price: 1,540 yen (tax included)
TEXT＿Ishii Yuuo（Green onion) / Isao Ishii
PHOTO＿Hiroda Mitsuru / Mitsuru Hirota
EDIT_Akari Ebihara (CGWORLD), Momoko Yamada