Cross-industry game engine adoption surges, led by Unreal, Unity and Godot
| Date | Type | Companies Involved | Key Datapoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2025 | report | Perforce |
- 14% of leaders now use game engines for visualisation and 3D art, while 12% apply them in film and TV.
- Generative AI has shifted from experimental to business essential, with 70% of respondents using it in workflows.
- 26% use generative AI for content creation and 28% for coding, reviews, and testing.
- ChatGPT leads AI tool adoption at 46%, but Gemini, Claude, and DeepSeek are gaining traction.
Cross-industry adoption continues to grow in games as 18% of leaders use game engines for VR/AR, up from 4% last year.
That's according to Perforce's 2025 State of Game Technology report in collaboration with JetBrains, which showed that 14% utilise game engine for visualisation, simulation and 3D art creation, while 12% apply it in film and television.
Unreal Engine continues to lead game engine innovation, with 65% of respondents using it in 2025, up slightly from 63% last year, while Unity has grown to 53% from 47%, making it the second most popular engine.
Moreover, Godot’s adoption continues to surge across industries. In 2025, usage reached 15% in education, 19% in architecture, engineering and construction, and 21% in automotive and manufacturing, compared to just 9% overall in 2024.
Perforce said its growth is driven by several factors, such as a free license, ease of use, and an active community, making it an increasingly attractive alternative to other engines.
Generative AI growth
The report also found that generative AI has shifted from experimental to business essential in under a year, as 70% of respondents have integrated generative AI into their workflows, up from 65% the previous year.
Up to 26% of respondents use generative AI for content creation, and 28% for coding tasks such as generation, reviews, and testing.
ChatGPT remains the most widely used generative AI tool at 46%, but adoption is diversifying with Google Gemini (15%), Anthropic Claude (11%), and DeepSeek (10%) gaining traction as organisations seek specialised solutions.
The business case for adoption is strong as well. An IDC report showed a $3.70 return for every $1 invested, and a Thomson Reuters 2025 survey noted that 95% of professionals expect AI to be central to their workflows within five years.
You can access the full report here.
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