Developer(s) | |
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Written in | C++ |
Platform | |
License | Proprietary |
Website |
www |
Snowdrop is a proprietary game engine created by Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft for use on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, and Luna. It was revealed at E3 2013 with Tom Clancy's The Division, the first game using the engine. [1] [2] Snowdrop is one of the primary game engines used by Ubisoft along with Disrupt, Dunia, and Ubisoft Anvil. [3]
The engine is coded mainly in C++. [4] Rodrigo Cortes, former brand art director at Massive Entertainment, said that development on the Snowdrop engine started in 2009. [5] Initially it was an engine built for PC and next-gen development to "do things better not bigger". [6] The core of the game engine is powered by a "node-based system" and the engine is a dynamic, interconnected and flexible system where developers can create their assets quickly and interact with them in ways that have never been done before. [7] [8] Massive created a lighting and destruction system inspired by film production techniques. [9] [10] Features of Snowdrop include advanced physically based rendering (PBR) and a dynamic global illumination system. [11]
According to the developers, the engine was designed with three pillars: Empowerment, which allows animators, artists and designers to get their work done quicker, Real Time, which allows developers to implement and iterate quickly and Fun, a concept that applies not only to the final product, but to using the engine during development. [12] [13] An improved version of the engine was used for Tom Clancy's The Division 2. [14] [15]
In February 2016, Massive confirmed that the engine can be used for other Ubisoft games. [16] [17] According to Martin Hultberg, head of IP at Ubisoft Massive, Snowdrop became available to all Ubisoft studios and not just those working on the Tom Clancy's IP. [18] [19] These games include South Park: The Fractured but Whole, [20] Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, [21] and Starlink: Battle for Atlas. [22] In June 2021, Ubisoft confirmed that the engine will be upgraded for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. [23] [24] According to senior technical artist Kunal Luthra, thousands of assets can be propagated inside of each frame to create more highly detailed environments. The engine would also support real-time ray tracing as well as improved AI behavior for NPCs. [25] [26] Snowdrop will also be used for Star Wars Outlaws, [27] [28] and the remake of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. [29] [30] Ubisoft announced they will continue to upscale and develop the engine. [31]
Features of Snowdrop include: [32]
Developer(s) | |
---|---|
Written in | C++ |
Platform | |
License | Proprietary |
Website |
www |
Snowdrop is a proprietary game engine created by Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft for use on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, and Luna. It was revealed at E3 2013 with Tom Clancy's The Division, the first game using the engine. [1] [2] Snowdrop is one of the primary game engines used by Ubisoft along with Disrupt, Dunia, and Ubisoft Anvil. [3]
The engine is coded mainly in C++. [4] Rodrigo Cortes, former brand art director at Massive Entertainment, said that development on the Snowdrop engine started in 2009. [5] Initially it was an engine built for PC and next-gen development to "do things better not bigger". [6] The core of the game engine is powered by a "node-based system" and the engine is a dynamic, interconnected and flexible system where developers can create their assets quickly and interact with them in ways that have never been done before. [7] [8] Massive created a lighting and destruction system inspired by film production techniques. [9] [10] Features of Snowdrop include advanced physically based rendering (PBR) and a dynamic global illumination system. [11]
According to the developers, the engine was designed with three pillars: Empowerment, which allows animators, artists and designers to get their work done quicker, Real Time, which allows developers to implement and iterate quickly and Fun, a concept that applies not only to the final product, but to using the engine during development. [12] [13] An improved version of the engine was used for Tom Clancy's The Division 2. [14] [15]
In February 2016, Massive confirmed that the engine can be used for other Ubisoft games. [16] [17] According to Martin Hultberg, head of IP at Ubisoft Massive, Snowdrop became available to all Ubisoft studios and not just those working on the Tom Clancy's IP. [18] [19] These games include South Park: The Fractured but Whole, [20] Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, [21] and Starlink: Battle for Atlas. [22] In June 2021, Ubisoft confirmed that the engine will be upgraded for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. [23] [24] According to senior technical artist Kunal Luthra, thousands of assets can be propagated inside of each frame to create more highly detailed environments. The engine would also support real-time ray tracing as well as improved AI behavior for NPCs. [25] [26] Snowdrop will also be used for Star Wars Outlaws, [27] [28] and the remake of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. [29] [30] Ubisoft announced they will continue to upscale and develop the engine. [31]
Features of Snowdrop include: [32]