What It Means & How to Fix It in UE5

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🧠 Why You’re Seeing This Error

This error shows up when Unreal Engine 5 hits a Type = ...; line in your module’s .Build.cs file, but the module type you’ve used doesn’t exist or isn’t valid.

It’s usually one of the first build errors you’ll see if something’s off in your module setup — and it’s often as simple as a typo, an outdated module type, or using the wrong type in the wrong context (like trying to use an editor-only type in a runtime module).

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💥 Example Error Message

Unrecognized module type was specified in MyPlugin.Build.cs

Or:

UnrealBuildTool: ERROR: Invalid ModuleType: ModuleType.Gameplay

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🛠️ What Usually Causes This

❌ You Used an Invalid Module Type

Type = ModuleType.Gameplay; // ❌ Not a real module type in UE5

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❌ There’s a Typo in the Module Type

Type = ModuleTyp.Runtime; // ❌ Missing "e" in "ModuleType"

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❌ You’re Using a Valid Module Type… But in the Wrong Place

Some module types like Editor or Program only make sense in specific contexts — like tools or editor-only plugins.

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✅ How to Fix It – Step-by-Step

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✔️ 1. Use a Valid ModuleType in Your .Build.cs File

Here are the most common valid types you can use:

Type = ModuleType.Runtime;
Type = ModuleType.Editor;
Type = ModuleType.Developer;
Type = ModuleType.Program;
Type = ModuleType.ServerOnly;
Type = ModuleType.ClientOnly;
Type = ModuleType.UncookedOnly;
Type = ModuleType.External;

Choose the one that matches what your module is actually doing. For most gameplay or plugin modules, Runtime is what you want.

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✔️ 2. Make Sure the Format Is Correct

Here’s a clean example of what your .Build.cs file should look like:

public class MyGameModule : ModuleRules
{
    public MyGameModule(ReadOnlyTargetRules Target) : base(Target)
    {
        PCHUsage = PCHUsageMode.UseExplicitOrSharedPCHs;

        Type = ModuleType.Runtime;

        PublicDependencyModuleNames.AddRange(new string[]
        {
            "Core",
            "CoreUObject",
            "Engine",
            "InputCore"
        });
    }
}

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✔️ 3. Double-Check for Typos

Simple typo? Easy fix.

ModuleType.Runtme → ModuleType.Runtime // ✅
ModuleTyp.Editor → ModuleType.Editor   // ✅

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✔️ 4. Clean Up & Regenerate

After correcting the module type:

• Delete your project’s Binaries and Intermediate folders
• Right-click your .uproject file and choose “Generate Visual Studio project files”
• Reopen your IDE and rebuild

This ensures Unreal sees the updated module info properly.

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✅ Summary: How to Fix “Unrecognized Module Type Was Specified” in UE5

Cause	Fix
Invalid or made-up module type	Use a real type like Runtime, Editor, or External
Typo in module declaration	Double-check your spelling and casing
Wrong module context	Make sure the module type fits the plugin or target platform
Stale project files	Clean, regenerate, and rebuild the project