Vivrato Study Shows 97% of Studio Leaders Use AI in Development

AI Adoption Hits 97 Percent in Game Studios Across North America and Europe

A new consultancy report shows that 97% of video game studio leaders have used artificial intelligence in some capacity during development, with 94% deploying AI in at least one of nine distinct production stages.

The data stems from the Vivrato AI Adoption Report 2026, compiled by consultancy firm Vivrato through 101 confidential interviews with senior studio leaders across Europe and North America between April and September 2026. Six specific types of artificial intelligence—namely generative AI, rules-based automation, fine-tuned or custom-trained models, classical machine learning, retrieval-augmented systems, and agentic systems—were looked at by the research.

Production Stages Reveal Where Studios Deploy Artificial Intelligence

Studio leaders report the heaviest reliance on artificial intelligence within code and engineering tasks, where 86% of respondents utilize the technology for engines, tools, and gameplay code. General productivity tasks such as documentation, email, meetings, and planning follow closely at 83%, according to the report.

Reported — 97% of studio leaders have used AI, but over half say it isn't deeply built in.✅ 94% use it in at least one of 9 production stages✅ 52% rate that depth 3/10 or lower✅ Art, assets & animation: Europe 70%, North America 53%Per the Vivrato VAIA Report, via VGC pic.twitter.com/bwMMoIe65m

— https://x.com/echosofspace/status/2112666418856743291

Concept and pre-production ideation and brainstorming register a 79% adoption rate among the surveyed studios. Design and prototyping for mechanics, systems, and features sits at 68%, while art, assets, and animation—including characters, environments, and motion capture—stand at 60%.

More than half of the interviewed studios apply artificial intelligence to quality assurance, testing, narrative design, and world-building. Conversely, analytics, player data, LiveOps, and monetization record the lowest adoption rates across the surveyed pipelines.

Pipeline Integration Depth Differs Between European and North American Studios

Despite widespread use, over half of the respondents rate the integration of artificial intelligence into their full production pipelines at three or lower out of ten. Vivrato noted that this shallow integration level contrasts sharply with public statements made by many industry executives.

Geographic variations also emerge in the report, with European studios—including the UK—reporting deeper integration with an average self-rated depth of 4.2 out of 10. North American studios trail behind at an average of 3.5 out of 10.

European developers also outpace North American counterparts in specific operational categories, including code and engineering, design and prototyping, art assets, animation, analytics, and player data.

Industry Leaders Address Public Discourse and Pipeline Challenges

The interesting question isn’t around which game studios are using AI anymore, said Adam Boyes, noting that most interviewed leaders confirmed adoption within their development pipelines. The focus is now where they’re using it, what is changing, what’s actually helping, and where teams are still running into challenges.

Boyes pointed out that public conversations typically default to generative chatbots, image generators, and synthetic voices. However, studios implement diverse systems, ranging from predictive player-churn machine learning to rules-based testing automation.

Reticence among development teams remains a hurdle, driven by rapidly changing models, internal staff resistance, conflicting pressures between leadership and developers, and shifting player sentiment.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Vivrato AI Adoption Report

How many studio leaders participated in the Vivrato research?

The report is based on 101 confidential interviews conducted with senior studio leaders and decision-makers in Europe and North America between April and September 2026.

What six categories of artificial intelligence did the study examine?

Within its evaluation, the poll covered rules-based automation, generative AI, classical machine learning, fine-tuned or custom-trained models, agentic systems, and retrieval-augmented systems.

Where can studio executives access the complete Vivrato report data?

The full Vivrato AI Adoption Report 2026 is available in two distinct editions, offering either studio benchmarking or enterprise-level data annexes and bespoke research sessions.