Fortnite Maker Epic Games Hits Back at Pirates of the Caribbean Director Who Blamed Unreal Engine for Bad CGI in Modern Movies

Epic Games has fired back at comments from Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski, who blamed Unreal Engine for what he sees as a decline in modern film CGI quality.

Verbinski, who directed the first three Pirates films and hasn't released a movie since 2016, made his views clear during a recent interview with But Why Tho? whilst promoting his upcoming film Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die.

"I think the simplest answer is you've seen the Unreal gaming engine enter the visual effects landscape," Verbinski stated. He went further, calling the shift from Maya to Unreal Engine "the greatest slip backwards."

The director's main gripe? Lighting. He claims Unreal doesn't handle light the same way traditional VFX software does, leading to an "uncanny valley" effect in creature animation. According to Verbinski, the tool prioritises speed over craft, with automated in-betweening replacing painstaking hand animation.

"So you have this sort of gaming aesthetic entering the world of cinema," he explained. Verbinski suggested the approach works for Marvel films where audiences expect "heightened, unrealistic reality," but fails when strict photorealism matters.

Epic Games Fights Back

Pat Tubach, Epic Games' VFX supervisor, wasn't having any of this. In statements to multiple outlets, Tubach dismantled Verbinski's argument piece by piece.

"It's inaccurate for anyone in the industry to claim that one tool is to blame for some erroneously perceived issues with the state of VFX and CGI," Tubach said. "Aesthetic and craft comes from artists, not software."

Here's the kicker: Tubach worked on Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. For over two decades at Industrial Light & Magic before joining Epic in 2022, he knows exactly what he's talking about. Four Oscar nominations for visual effects back up his credentials.

"I can guarantee that the artists working on big blockbuster VFX films like Pirates of the Caribbean 10-15 years ago could only dream about having a tool as powerful as Unreal Engine on their desks to help them get the job done," Tubach continued. "And I should know—I was one of them!"

The Reality of Modern VFX

Tubach's response highlights something Verbinski seems to miss. More people than ever are creating computer graphics now. With that scale comes both successes and failures.

Unreal Engine serves three primary purposes in film production: pre-visualisation, virtual production, and occasionally final pixels. Productions openly discuss using it for shot planning. The Harkonnen arena fight in Dune: Part Two? Pre-planned with Unreal. The Fallout TV series? Built virtual sets using the engine.

The tool empowers artists. Poor results typically trace back to tight budgets, impossible deadlines, or studio interference, not the software itself.

Verbinski's Timing Is... Interesting

Verbinski's criticism arrives whilst promoting Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, an anti-AI film releasing 30th January 2026. The movie's premise involves a time traveller warning about rogue artificial intelligence.

Reviews have been mixed. Some praise its satirical edge. Others call it "boomerish" and "out of touch" with its technology commentary.

His previous film, A Cure for Wellness (2016), received a 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Before that, The Lone Ranger (2013) bombed spectacularly at the box office.

Meanwhile, films using Unreal Engine continue pushing visual boundaries. The technology isn't replacing traditional VFX pipelines—it's expanding them.

Who's Right?

Both have valid perspectives, to some extent. Modern blockbusters do sometimes look worse than older films despite advances in technology. Marvel's recent output has drawn criticism for rushed, subpar effects work.

But blaming software misses the point entirely. Studios cramming effects houses with impossible timelines, inadequate budgets, and endless revisions create poor results. Artists need time and resources, not different tools.

Verbinski's original Pirates films looked stunning because they had proper schedules, appropriate budgets, and talented artists given space to work. Those same artists now have more powerful tools at their disposal.

The problem isn't Unreal Engine. The problem is an industry that treats VFX artists like disposable resources whilst demanding miracles on shortened timelines.

Epic Games' rebuttal lands harder because Tubach lived through both eras. He worked under Verbinski's direction and now champions modern tools. His experience carries weight Verbinski's nostalgic critiques cannot match.

The debate will continue. But when a four-time Oscar nominee who helped create the visuals you're using as your gold standard tells you you're wrong about the tools? Perhaps listen.