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A recent report from consultancy firm Vivrato reveals that 97% of studio leaders in Europe and North America have incorporated AI into their development processes. This data, gathered from 101 interviews conducted between April and September 2026, highlights that 94% of these studios apply AI across at least one of nine distinct production stages.
Studios employ six specific AI categories, including generative models, rules-based automation, and agentic systems. The most frequent application is within code and engineering at 86%, followed by general productivity tasks at 83% and concept pre-production at 79%. Conversely, analytics, player data, LiveOps, and monetization currently see the lowest adoption rates.
Despite widespread usage, integration remains in early stages. Over half of the respondents rated their pipeline integration at three or lower out of ten. European studios report slightly deeper integration, averaging 4.2 out of 10 compared to 3.5 in North America, and lead in applying AI to design, art, and analytics.
Vivrato CEO Adam Boyes noted that while public discourse often centers on generative tools like chatbots, studios utilize a broader spectrum of technologies. The firm aims to establish a clear baseline for how these diverse systems, such as machine learning for churn prediction, impact development pipelines and address ongoing industry challenges.
