Fix "The following modules are missing or built with a different engine version" / project could not be compiled

All fixes

You download an Unreal Engine project, double-click the .uproject file, and instead of the editor you get a message that modules are missing or were built with a different engine version, then that the project could not be compiled and you should try rebuilding it from source manually.

Why it happens

The project contains C++ classes. To open it, the editor needs compiled binaries for those classes. If the project came without pre-built binaries, or they were built for a different engine version, the editor has to compile them first, and when it can’t do that automatically, it stops with this error.

The fix: build the project yourself

1. Install Visual Studio with the Game development with C++ workload, if you don’t already have it.

2. Match the engine version. Right-click the .uproject file, choose Switch Unreal Engine version, and pick the engine version you have installed.

3. Generate project files. Right-click the .uproject file again and choose Generate Visual Studio project files. A .sln file appears next to it.

4. Build. Open the .sln in Visual Studio, set the configuration to Development Editor and the platform to Win64, then choose Build → Build Solution.

5. Open the project. When the build succeeds, double-click the .uproject file again. The editor opens normally.

If the build fails

The Error List and Output windows in Visual Studio show which file and line failed. Build errors after switching engine versions usually mean the code uses an API that changed between versions.

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