How to Create an Expandable Inventory System in Unreal Engine 5

📺 Watch the Full Video Tutorial on YouTube

In this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a fully functional, clean, and expandable inventory system in Unreal Engine 5 using Blueprints, Blueprint Interfaces, and UMG Widgets.

This system is suitable for a wide variety of games — from third-person RPGs to survival and top-down simulations. Whether you’re a beginner or intermediate developer, this guide will give you a robust base to expand upon.

🎮 What You’ll Build

• An inventory system built with modular Actor Components and Blueprint Structs
• Auto-pickup logic that integrates seamlessly into the Third Person Character
• A clean and responsive UI Inventory Panel using UMG
• Dynamic item widgets that display item icons and names
• Full add, remove, and drop functionality
• Inventory toggle key with cursor support and screen logic

📁 Project Setup

We start with the Third Person Template in UE5.

Step 1: Create the Inventory Structure

• Name: InventoryItemStruct
• Fields:
  • ItemName (Text)
  • ItemID (Integer)
  • ItemIcon (Texture2D)
  • Quantity (Integer)

This struct defines how we represent items in our system.

Step 2: Build the Inventory Component

Create a new Actor Component called InventoryComponent.
Add a variable called InventoryItems as an array of InventoryItemStruct.

This component will handle all item storage and logic.

Step 3: Add Item Functionality

Create a function called AddItem that:

• Checks for existing items by ItemID
• If found, stacks the item quantities
• If not found, adds it to the inventory array

This logic is clean, optimized, and ready for expansion with stacking, rarity, or weight systems.

Step 4: Remove Item Functionality

The RemoveItem function allows removing items by ItemID.

• Iterates the inventory
• If match is found, removes it by index

🔗 Creating Modular Item Interaction

Step 5: Create the Blueprint Interface

Name it BPI_InventoryInteract.
Add two functions:

• Get Item Data — returns the item’s struct
• On Collected — triggers cleanup logic like Destroy Actor

Step 6: Create Pickup Items

Create a new actor blueprint called BP_PickUpItem.

• Add a static mesh and a sphere collider
• Assign the BPI_InventoryInteract interface
• Set up editable exposed variable ItemData
• Implements both interface functions

Step 7: Player Auto Pickup

Inside your BP_ThirdPersonCharacter:

• Add the InventoryComponent
• On ActorBeginOverlap, check for interface implementation
• If valid:
  • Get item data
  • Add to inventory
  • Call On Collected

🖼️ Designing the UI

Step 8: Create Item Widget WBP_InventoryItem

• Canvas root
• Item Icon (Image)
• Drop Button
• On click, remove item from inventory

Step 9: Create Inventory Panel WBP_InventoryPanel

• Canvas with inner panel and uniform grid
• Close button
• Dynamic logic to populate items from InventoryComponent
• Supports refresh with custom event UpdateInventoryList

Step 10: Inventory Toggle with “I” Key

• Use FlipFlop node for opening and closing
• Show/hide widget, toggle cursor, and input mode
• Store widget in variable InventoryWidget for reuse

Step 11: Drop Logic & Final Polish

• Add drop logic inside item widget
• Refresh inventory panel after drop
• Set horizontal and vertical alignment to Fill
• Set background ZOrder to -5

📦 Test Items and Final Touches

• Download item icons from game-icons.net
• Add pickup actors in the level and assign:
  • Mushroom
  • Canned Fish
  • Backpack

Run the game, collect items, open inventory, and test drop functionality.

🧠 What’s Next?

This system gives you a scalable foundation. You can now add:

• Equipment slots
• Stack limits
• Drag-and-drop
• Item effects
• Saving/loading inventory state

⏱️ Video Chapters

00:00 Intro — Expandable Inventory System with Blueprints and UMG
00:34 Creating the Inventory Item Struct
01:32 Setting Up the Inventory Component
02:55 Writing the Add Item Function (Stack Logic Included)
06:10 Creating the Remove Item Function
07:49 Making the Inventory Interface Modular
09:08 Building the Pick-Up Item Actor
10:39 Auto-Pickup Setup in the Player Blueprint
12:15 Creating the Inventory Item UI Widget
15:01 Main Inventory Panel UI — Design & Logic
20:32 Finalizing the Item Icon and UI Cleanup
21:03 Toggle Inventory with I Key — Full Setup
24:26 Drop Button Logic + UI Polish
25:31 Placing and Configuring Test Items in the Level
26:13 Final Test and Expansion Ideas

📺 Watch the Full Tutorial

▶️ How to Create Inventory System in Unreal Engine

Written by Rumbod
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