What Game Engine Do AAA Video Game Studios Use?

In video game development, particularly in AAA (Triple A) studios, game engine selection is a game maker or breaker. AAA refers to a studio’s capability to develop games with high budgets and complex mechanics, worlds, and graphics; the game engine of choice usually comes down to unity vs unreal engine, with both having slightly better performance in different areas. 

To achieve these impressive goals, the game engine needs to be robust, highly flexible, and sophisticated enough to meet the standards of large-scale production; it involves using only the best game engines. This article will dive deeper into AAA game studios’ most commonly used game engines.

Unreal Engine

The second most popular engine out there is the Unreal Engine by Epic Games, especially with their massive marketing. It is used by lots of AAA developers owing to its stunning graphics, advanced technology, and powerful features. 

Developers who build ambitious, large, and beautiful games prefer Unreal Engine. The latest version, Unreal Engine 5, features state of the art technology such as virtualized geometry (Nanite) and real time global illumination (Lumen) which gives developers the ability to construct complex environments and worlds with unmatched detail and realism on the go. 

Unity 

Unity is often more synonymous with the indie game scene, although some AAA studios use the platform, primarily for mobile and 2D or more experimental games. It is known for being user friendly and offering a wide range of integration options. While lacking the more extreme graphical fidelity of the Unreal Engine, it is still appealing to mid-tier developers because the freedom offered is quite vast. 

Examples of these would be Pokémon Go, Heartstone, or Monument Valley II, all of which are AAA games completely developed in Unity. Additionally, Unity is becoming more widely accepted in the AR/VR circles given the boom this technologies are experiencing within the gaming world.

Custom Engines

A number of AAA studios develop games using custom or proprietary game engines. Studios with greater resources are more willing to build custom engines because they are more flexible in the provided features, like performance optimization or tool integration, and may define their own rules for a particular game.

A while ago, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, known as DICE, developed the Frostbite engine, which was featured in the hits Battlefield, FIFA, as well as Star Wars: Battlefront.

CryEngine

Another strong contender among AAA studios, especially for big houses, is Crytek. Known for its excellent graphics and true-to-life environmental rendering, it’s easy to see why titles like Crysis and Hunt: Showdown have used it. However, it is less known than Unreal or Unity, but CryEngine is a standard in the industry. Regardless of this drawback, it is visually stunning, a more significant advantage than the more widely known alternatives that need more work to achieve outstanding visuals.

Conclusion

In the context above, Unreal Game Engine is the best choice for high-end visuals and flexibility. At the same time, Unity is better suited for other genres and platforms that do not require high-quality Unity engines. Custom engines also provide a tailored solution for many developers. CryEngine is still a good choice for studios that want real-time rendering capabilities. With all of this information, it is crucial for AAA studios to carefully consider their requirements before making this decision.