diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8e453c7a7..a2c88d0d1 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ endif()
 
 if (MSVC)
     add_compile_options(
+		/utf-8
         /W3 # warning level 3
         /MP # multi-processor compilation
         /EHsc- # exceptions disabled
diff --git a/Editor/Editor_Windows.vcxproj b/Editor/Editor_Windows.vcxproj
index fb74a123f..2a06da7d2 100644
--- a/Editor/Editor_Windows.vcxproj
+++ b/Editor/Editor_Windows.vcxproj
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <Project DefaultTargets="Build" ToolsVersion="14.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <ItemGroup Label="ProjectConfigurations">
     <ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|ARM64">
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>AdvancedVectorExtensions</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>NotSet</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>AdvancedVectorExtensions</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <BufferSecurityCheck>false</BufferSecurityCheck>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>NotSet</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <BufferSecurityCheck>false</BufferSecurityCheck>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
@@ -284,4 +284,4 @@
   <Target Name="BeforeClean">
     <RemoveDir Directories="$(ProjectDir)shaders" />
   </Target>
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>
diff --git a/Samples/Example_ImGui/Example_ImGui.vcxproj b/Samples/Example_ImGui/Example_ImGui.vcxproj
index e4fa95f24..558d0ed5e 100644
--- a/Samples/Example_ImGui/Example_ImGui.vcxproj
+++ b/Samples/Example_ImGui/Example_ImGui.vcxproj
@@ -270,4 +270,4 @@
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
   </ImportGroup>
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>
diff --git a/Samples/Example_ImGui_Docking/Example_ImGui_Docking.vcxproj b/Samples/Example_ImGui_Docking/Example_ImGui_Docking.vcxproj
index 1e8b3ebc9..193ace819 100644
--- a/Samples/Example_ImGui_Docking/Example_ImGui_Docking.vcxproj
+++ b/Samples/Example_ImGui_Docking/Example_ImGui_Docking.vcxproj
@@ -274,4 +274,4 @@
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
   </ImportGroup>
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>
diff --git a/Samples/Template_Windows/Template_Windows.vcxproj b/Samples/Template_Windows/Template_Windows.vcxproj
index 6fc926d89..4b380775a 100644
--- a/Samples/Template_Windows/Template_Windows.vcxproj
+++ b/Samples/Template_Windows/Template_Windows.vcxproj
@@ -229,4 +229,4 @@
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
   </ImportGroup>
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>
diff --git a/Samples/Tests/Tests.vcxproj b/Samples/Tests/Tests.vcxproj
index 08eab5020..3ae3e7404 100644
--- a/Samples/Tests/Tests.vcxproj
+++ b/Samples/Tests/Tests.vcxproj
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>AdvancedVectorExtensions</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <BufferSecurityCheck>false</BufferSecurityCheck>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>NotSet</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <BufferSecurityCheck>false</BufferSecurityCheck>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>AdvancedVectorExtensions</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>NotSet</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -259,4 +259,4 @@
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
   </ImportGroup>
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>
diff --git a/WickedEngine/OfflineShaderCompiler.vcxproj b/WickedEngine/OfflineShaderCompiler.vcxproj
index a1ab14683..2003a1362 100644
--- a/WickedEngine/OfflineShaderCompiler.vcxproj
+++ b/WickedEngine/OfflineShaderCompiler.vcxproj
@@ -204,4 +204,4 @@
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
   </ImportGroup>
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>
diff --git a/WickedEngine/WickedEngine_Windows.vcxproj b/WickedEngine/WickedEngine_Windows.vcxproj
index 748824f12..ac6079016 100644
--- a/WickedEngine/WickedEngine_Windows.vcxproj
+++ b/WickedEngine/WickedEngine_Windows.vcxproj
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <Project DefaultTargets="Build" ToolsVersion="14.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <ItemGroup Label="ProjectConfigurations">
     <ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|ARM64">
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>AdvancedVectorExtensions</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>NotSet</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>AdvancedVectorExtensions</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <BufferSecurityCheck>false</BufferSecurityCheck>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@
       <ConformanceMode>true</ConformanceMode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp17</LanguageStandard>
       <EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>NotSet</EnableEnhancedInstructionSet>
-      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <AdditionalOptions>/bigobj /utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <BufferSecurityCheck>false</BufferSecurityCheck>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <ExceptionHandling>false</ExceptionHandling>
@@ -264,4 +264,4 @@
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
   </ImportGroup>
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>