Unreal Engine DerivedDataCache Folder (DDC)

Bottom Line: It is 100% safe to delete the Unreal Engine DerivedDataCache (DDC) folder. Deleting DDC will NOT corrupt your game project files (.uproject), 3D assets, C++ code, or Blueprints.

What is the Unreal Engine DerivedDataCache Folder?

Located at %LocalAppData%\UnrealEngine\Common\DerivedDataCache on Windows (or inside your project’s DerivedDataCache subfolder), DDC is the derived asset cache used by Unreal Engine 4 and Unreal Engine 5.

Unreal Engine stores assets in internal formats, but when loading game projects, it converts 3D models, textures, animations, and Nanite/Lumen shaders into engine-specific formats saved in DDC. Over months of game development or playing UE5 games, DDC easily grows to 20 GB to 100 GB+.

Can You Delete DerivedDataCache?

✅ Yes, it is completely safe to delete.

• No project data lost: All original source assets (.uasset, .png, .fbx, .cpp) stay safe in your project Content/ folder.
• Auto-regenerated: When you reopen your project in Unreal Editor, the engine will simply re-derive necessary shaders in the background.

How to Safely Clean Up Unreal Engine DDC

Method 1: Manual File Deletion (Recommended)

1. Close Unreal Editor and Epic Games Launcher.
2. Press Win + R, type %LocalAppData%\UnrealEngine\Common, and press Enter.
3. Delete the DerivedDataCache folder.
4. Empty your Recycle Bin to immediately reclaim tens of gigabytes.

Related Guides

• Learn about deleting Unity AssetCache.
• How to clean up DirectX Shader Cache.
• Check if you can clean Epic Games VaultCache.