Integrating MetaMask with Unreal Engine: A Basic Guide

Rasim Sen/Blockchain Architect-zero2hero founder

4 min readJun 22, 2023

Introduction

In recent years, the use of blockchain technology in game development has surged, largely due to the popularity of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrency. One of the most common tools for interacting with the Ethereum blockchain is MetaMask, a web-based wallet. However, integrating MetaMask directly with game engines like Unreal Engine can be tricky. Here’s a high-level guide on how you might approach it.

Prerequisites

A good understanding of Ethereum and blockchain technology
Familiarity with MetaMask and how it works
Proficiency in Unreal Engine and C++
Basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Experience with backend development or server technologies

Step 1: Create a Web Interface for MetaMask

Since MetaMask is a web-based tool, the first step is to create a web interface that can interact with MetaMask. This interface can be a simple HTML page with JavaScript that uses the MetaMask API to interact with the Ethereum blockchain. It might include functionality like connecting to a MetaMask wallet, sending transactions, and fetching wallet balance.

Example

You’ll need to create a web page that interacts with MetaMask. For this, you’ll need to use the Ethereum JavaScript API (web3.js) or the ethers.js library. Here’s an example using web3.js:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
    <button id="connectButton">Connect MetaMask</button>
    <script>
        const connectButton = document.getElementById('connectButton');
        connectButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
            if (window.ethereum) {
                window.ethereum.request({ method: 'eth_requestAccounts' });
            }
        });
    </script>
</body>
</html>

This is a basic HTML file with a button that, when clicked, prompts MetaMask to connect. Note that it assumes that the user has MetaMask installed and that they’re accessing this web page through a browser that supports MetaMask (like Chrome).

Resource: MetaMask Documentation

Step 2: Use a Server or Backend Solution

You will need to set up a server that can serve the HTML page created in Step 1. This server should be capable of handling HTTP requests from your Unreal Engine game. You might use Node.js, Express.js, or another similar technology for this.

For example with Node.js

To serve your HTML page, you’ll need a server. A simple way to create a server is by using Express.js, a web framework for Node.js. Here’s a basic Express server that serves static files:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const port = 3000;
app.use(express.static('public'))
app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server listening at http://localhost:${port}`);
});

This code will serve any files located in a directory named ‘public’. Put your HTML file from Step 1 in this directory.

Resource: Express.js Documentation

Step 3: Use Web Browser Widget in Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine has a built-in Web Browser Widget that allows you to display web content in your game. You can use this widget to display the HTML page created in Step 1. The player can then interact with this page to connect their MetaMask wallet and perform Ethereum transactions.

To display your web page in Unreal Engine, you can use the Web Browser widget. In the Unreal Editor, you can create a widget blueprint and add a Web Browser to it. Set the initial URL of the Web Browser to be the URL where your server is hosting your web page.

Unreal Engine Resource: https://unrealcommunity.wiki/web-browser-widget-13f406

Step 4: Communicate Between Unreal Engine and the Server

You’ll need to establish a communication system between Unreal Engine and your server to send data back and forth. Unreal Engine provides functionality for making HTTP requests, which you can use to interact with your server.

Example

To communicate between your Unreal Engine game and your server, you can use Unreal Engine’s HTTP module to make HTTP requests. Here’s an example of making a GET request:

FHttpModule* Http = &FHttpModule::Get();
TSharedRef<IHttpRequest, ESPMode::ThreadSafe> Request = Http->CreateRequest();
Request->SetVerb("GET");
Request->SetURL("http://localhost:3000"); // Replace with your server's URL
Request->OnProcessRequestComplete().BindUObject(this, &YourClass::OnResponseReceived);
Request->ProcessRequest();

In this example, YourClass::OnResponseReceived would be a function you define to handle the response from the server.

Resource:

Conclusion

While this approach provides a way to utilize MetaMask within Unreal Engine, it’s far from perfect. It requires a server, which adds complexity and potential security risks. Additionally, the user experience of using a web-based interface within a game is not ideal. Nonetheless, as blockchain technology continues to evolve, we can hope for more streamlined methods to integrate it into game development.

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This article was created by

Rasim Sen, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/senrasim/