Blender 4.3 released with EEVEE enhancements, improved rendering, and Vulkan backend

Blender has released version 4.3 of its open-source 3D creation software, introducing several new features and improvements. The real-time renderer EEVEE now includes Light Linking and Shadow Linking, previously exclusive to Cycles. A Metallic BSDF node has been added to the shader editor, along with a new texture node for generating procedural Gabor noise. EEVEE passes support interactive compositing, and a new method simplifies unwrapping organic shapes. Blender 4.3 also enhances studio integration with portable installation, new environment variables, and custom extension bundling.

The update also includes significant advancements in geometry nodes and a complete rewrite of the Grease Pencil engine for better performance. The new brush workflow offers over a hundred default brushes and an improved interface for easier management and customization. User interface improvements feature area docking, enhanced tooltips, and improved accessibility. Blender 4.3 now runs natively on Windows on ARM, thanks to Qualcomm's integration, and brings performance enhancements to the Video Sequencer. Additionally, experimental Vulkan rendering for the user interface is available on Windows and Linux.