An increasing number of game development studios are adopting AI to enhance their workflows, as highlighted in a recent industry report from Unity.
The report reveals that 62 percent of studios are using AI tools at various points in the development process. The most common applications include enhancing character animations, providing assistance with code writing, generating art and levels, designing narratives, and conducting automated playtesting:
Sixty-eight percent of studios are using AI specifically to speed up prototyping, while 56 percent of AI users apply it for world-building. Additionally, nearly two-thirds of these studios are utilizing AI to create non-player characters (NPCs) for their game environments. This trend aligns with a separate report from Inworld, which partnered with Xbox last year, showing that three out of four developers are enthusiastic about AI-driven NPCs.
“I am experimenting with AI. There are many disciplines involved in game development, and I’m exploring how each can benefit from it, including tools that assist with prototyping, content generation, level design, and narrative,” explains Fabio Franconeri, Head of Games Engineering at SYBO.
“There’s a vast universe of workflows and data analysis, which means AI has the potential to enhance productivity at every level.”
Despite the increased complexity and costs, more studios are investing in multiplatform and multiplayer development to expand their reach and improve player engagement. The number of multiplatform games has risen by 40 percent since 2021, with even smaller studios adopting this strategy to increase accessibility.
Multiplayer experiences continue to thrive; multiplayer gaming revenue increased by $2.3 billion in 2023, marking a 10 percent growth. A related trend is the rise of games with live operations—regularly updated content and events designed to boost engagement and encourage “battle pass” subscriptions.
“The community is the lifeblood of evergreen games, and it’s essential to nurture and support it,” says Murari Vasudevan, Technical Director at SYBO. “Part of this involves providing regular new content. For Subway Surfers, our three-week content update cycle works very effectively.”
Studios are maintaining revenue through various monetization strategies, including in-app advertising, which rose by 26.7 percent year-over-year. Games that use rewarded videos and offer walls have seen significant improvements in retention rates at Day 7 and Day 30, highlighting the effectiveness of diverse ad strategies in enhancing monetization and player retention.
Although the average time to launch has increased from 218 days in 2022 to 304 days now, 71 percent of Unity’s respondents reported that AI has improved delivery and operations, potentially shortening these timelines. However, challenges persist: 43 percent of cautious developers mentioned a lack of time, while 24 percent felt they lacked the necessary skills.
As technology advances and tools become more widely available, the adoption of AI in the gaming industry is expected to continue growing, even with ongoing concerns about increased costs, complexity, and ethical issues.