Quick answer: Tune the per-LOD Screen Size in the static mesh editor so pops happen at appropriate distances, enable Dithered LOD Transition on the material, and avoid huge poly drops between consecutive LODs.
A statue’s LOD pop is glaringly obvious at mid-distance — one frame it’s detailed, next it’s blocky. Screen Size thresholds and LOD authoring need tuning.
Tune Screen Size Per LOD
Open the mesh asset → LOD Picker. Each LOD has a Screen Size that controls when it kicks in. Pop becomes obvious when LOD N drops too much detail before the eye stops noticing it — ease the thresholds.
Author Gradual LODs
Going from 100k tris to 1k tris in one step is always going to pop. A chain like 100k → 30k → 8k → 1.5k transitions gracefully. Auto LOD generation handles this if you configure it; hand-authored LODs are even better for hero meshes.
Dithered Transitions
Enable Dithered LOD Transition on the material. During the transition window, both LODs render with stippled dither — perceptually a smooth swap instead of a snap. Modest GPU cost; large quality win.
Forced LOD for Cinematics
For cutscenes / hero shots, force LOD0 with ForcedLodModel on the component — no pop, full detail.
Verifying
Walk away from the statue. LOD transitions happen at appropriate distances with no harsh pop. Dithering visible only on close inspection; gone on the final LOD.
“Pops come from bad thresholds or huge detail drops. Tune Screen Sizes, gradient your LODs, dither the transitions.”
For Nanite-eligible meshes, just use Nanite — LOD pops disappear by construction. Save LOD authoring for the meshes that can’t be Nanite.