Game Engine Use and Sales Statistics
Unreal Engine Cements Its Place in the Gaming Industry
New statistics from Video Game Insights have revealed the significant presence of Unreal Engine in the game development industry. The report analyzed over 13,000 games that sold at least 1,000 units on Steam in 2024 and found that Unreal Engine-powered games accounted for a larger share of sales than Unity games.
Engine Usage Statistics
The report revealed that:
- Unity was the most widely used game engine, used for 51% of the analyzed games.
- Unreal Engine was the second most widely used game engine, used for 28% of the analyzed games.
- Godot Engine, GameMaker, and Ren’Py accounted for 5%, 4%, and 2% of the analyzed games, respectively.
- Proprietary engines, including Bethesda’s Creation Engine, Rockstar’s RAGE, and EA’s Frostbite, accounted for only 10% of the analyzed games.
Sales Statistics
When it comes to sales, the report found that:
- Unreal Engine games represented 31% of units sold, making it the biggest single game engine for sales.
- Unity games accounted for 26% of units sold.
- Proprietary engines combined for 42% of sales, a decline from 50% in previous years.
Industry Trends and Predictions
The report also highlighted trends and predictions in the game engine market. For example, Epic Games expects Unreal Engine to account for 40% of annual sales by 2030. Godot and GameMaker will continue to attract indie developers, while Unity will maintain its level of sales by capturing market share from custom engines.
Genre-Specific Trends
The report also analyzed the use of game engines by genre. For example:
- Unreal Engine is more popular for action RPGs, soulslikes, and FPS games.
- Unity is used more for roguelikes and turn-based strategies.
- Custom engines are used more for JRPGs.
Conclusion
The statistics from Video Game Insights demonstrate the growing presence of Unreal Engine in the game development industry. As the market continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how game engines adapt and change to meet the needs of developers and players.
FAQs
Q: What is the most widely used game engine?
A: Unity is the most widely used game engine, used for 51% of the analyzed games.
Q: What is the second most widely used game engine?
A: Unreal Engine is the second most widely used game engine, used for 28% of the analyzed games.
Q: What is the biggest single game engine for sales?
A: Unreal Engine is the biggest single game engine for sales, representing 31% of units sold.
Q: What is the future of game engine use?
A: The report predicts that Unreal Engine will account for 40% of annual sales by 2030, while Godot and GameMaker will continue to attract indie developers, and Unity will maintain its level of sales by capturing market share from custom engines.
