Maxon releases Red Giant 2025.2 and Universe 2025.1
Universe 2025.1 adds five new dithering plugins to the online library of effects and transitions.
Maxon has released Red Giant 2025.2, the latest update to its suite of effects plugins for After Effects and other compositing and video editing software, improving workflow in Maxon Studio.
The firm has also released Universe 2025.1, adding five new plugins for adding dithering effects to motion graphics and VFX projects to the online library of effects and transitions.
Red Giant 2025.2: workflow improvements to Maxon Studio
Red Giant 2025.2 is a small update, adding the option to drag and drop footage directly into Capsules within Maxon Studio, its new After Effects template engine.
The other components of the Red Giant toolset – Trapcode, Magic Bullet and VFX – have not been updated.
Since the original Red Giant 2025 release, Maxon has also begun packaging all of the components into a single installer.
Universe 2025.1: new plugins for creating dithering effects
Universe 2025.1 is a more substantial update, adding five new dithering plugins for applying stylized retro and pixel art looks to motion graphics projects.
They include Halftone Dither, for mimicking print effects, and Threshold Dither, for turning footage into high-contrast black-and-white or posterized RGB color visuals.
In contrast, Error-Diffuse Dither minimizes artefacts in footage, creating smooth gradients.
The update also adds a new Palettes feature for importing and managing color swatches.
Price and system requirements
Red Giant is compatible with After Effects 2024+ on Windows 10+ and macOS 12.0+. Some individual tools are compatible with other host applications, including DaVinci Resolve.
Complete Red Giant subscriptions, which include Universe, cost $85/month or $639/year. Individual Universe subscriptions cost $32/month or $214/year.
Read more about the Red Giant plugins on Maxon’s website
Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.