How's PC Game Engine Usage Changing?

This analysis examines shifting trends in PC game engine adoption by leveraging file structure scanning across more than 33,000 Steam titles. The primary objective is to quantify the market presence of major engines—Unity, Unreal, and Godot—while identifying broader industry shifts away from proprietary, in-house development. The data encompasses games released between 2017 and 2025, with a specific focus on titles generating over $500,000 in lifetime revenue.

Key findings indicate that while Unity remains the dominant engine, maintaining approximately 50% of the total market share for released games, Unreal Engine has seen steady growth, rising from 15% in 2020 to roughly 20% by 2025. Godot has emerged as a significant, high-growth contender, increasing its share from 0.9% to 7.1% over the same period. Notably, the decline in "no obvious game engine" usage—dropping from 27% in 2017 to 13% in 2025—suggests that developers are increasingly favoring established, accessible engines over custom solutions.

The analysis further highlights a divergence in usage patterns based on project scale and revenue. Unity continues to serve as a versatile "Swiss Army Knife" for a wide range of developers, including smaller teams achieving breakout success. Conversely, Unreal Engine is more frequently utilized by larger teams for high-end, higher-revenue projects, as evidenced by the top 50 new Unreal titles grossing approximately $1.8 billion compared to $930 million for the top 50 Unity titles. While Godot is gaining traction in game jams and among smaller indie developers, it has yet to significantly displace the market share of the two industry leaders.