Faster HPath Queries and the Test Assistant for Unreal Engine

GameDriver 2026.08 is a big release for Unreal Engine teams. Object queries are much faster, the standalone Test Assistant now fully supports Unreal, and the precompiled plugin finally works on Android and iOS.

HPath queries, 60-85% faster

HierarchyPath (HPath) is how GameDriver tests find objects in your game. We reworked the query engine for Unreal, and queries now run 60-85% faster and use about 99.6% less memory per query. Every existing query feature is supported, so your current tests keep working as written and simply run faster.

The in-editor HPath Debugger now supports true step-by-step execution, which makes it easier to see why a query does or doesn't match.

One thing to check. If your Unreal agent config contains any <resolver> settings, even ones unrelated to the query engine, earlier builds could quietly keep you on the old engine. That is fixed, and the newengine option is documented in GameDriver Agent Configuration Options.

The Test Assistant, now for Unreal

The standalone Test Assistant lets testers inspect a running game and build tests without opening the engine editor. With 2026.08 it fully supports Unreal Engine:

• Object Explorer. Expand properties and methods, drill into structs, and refresh without losing your place in the tree.
• Recording and replay. Capture mouse, keyboard and touch input against an Unreal game, then replay it.
• Debugger. Breakpoints, visual breakpoint-hit indicators and automatic window focus (Windows only).
• Autoplay and logging. Run scripts automatically and see the connected game's log alongside your tests.

The GameDriver MCP Server also supports Unreal in this release, so an AI assistant can browse a live Unreal hierarchy, resolve HPath queries, and write and run tests against a connected game.

Mobile and platform support

• Unreal Engine 5.8 is fully supported.
• Android and iOS. The precompiled plugin previously shipped without a usable binary for either platform, so builds against it failed. The binaries now live in the plugin's Source/ThirdParty/ folder, which survives an Unreal "build clean", and we verified them on real iPhone and Android hardware.
• Windows and Mac. You no longer need to copy the plugin's Binaries and Intermediate folders back into your project after a "build clean".
• Math in Unreal's conventions. Math and transform utilities now use Unreal's Z-up axes, and you can set an object's absolute rotation directly.

More reliable input

This release fixes a set of input issues that could make tests flaky: UMG clicks landing in the wrong place or not registering, the first mouse move or drag of a session starting from the wrong position, unreliable input when Play-in-Editor runs inside the Editor viewport, and VR grab actions not firing in newer Editor versions. The Unreal and Unity network layers are now unified, which fixes missed disconnects on level loads.

Before you upgrade

Two query behaviors were corrected: descendant:: no longer matches the starting object itself, and component()/components() now match by class name rather than instance name. If your tests use either, check them against your test scenes.

Android on Unreal Engine 5.4 has a known launch crash that traces to an engine default in 5.4 itself, not to GameDriver. It doesn't happen on 5.7 or 5.8, so for now Android is supported on those versions. The full list is in the 2026.08 Unreal Engine Changelog, and setup starts with Getting Started with GameDriver and Unreal Engine.

Download 2026.08 from the Client Portal, or talk to a QA lead about automating your Unreal test plan.