Snowdrop (game engine)

Last updated
Snowdrop
Developer(s)
Written in C++
Operating system Windows
Platform
License Proprietary
Website www.massive.se/project/snowdrop-engine/

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]

Contents

History

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

Features of Snowdrop include: [32]

Games using Snowdrop

YearTitle
2016 Tom Clancy's The Division
2017 Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
South Park: The Fractured but Whole
2018 Starlink: Battle for Atlas
2019 Tom Clancy's The Division 2
2022 Rabbids: Party of Legends
Rocksmith+
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
2023 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
The Settlers: New Allies
2024 Star Wars Outlaws
XDefiant
TBA Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Remake
Tom Clancy's The Division Heartland

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References

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  11. "The Division Graphics Tech Detailed: PBR, Dynamic GI With Real-Time Bounce Lighting". GamingBolt. 13 January 2016.
  12. "The Division's Snowdrop engine makes game development fun". Polygon. 9 December 2013.
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  14. "The Division 2 announced, will be powered by Snowdrop Engine and will be present at E3 2018". DSOGaming. 8 March 2018.
  15. "The Division 2 is currently in the works at Massive Entertainment, more to come at E3 2018". VG247. 8 March 2018.
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  27. "Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws Open-World Game Debuts At Xbox Showcase". GameSpot. 12 June 2023.
  28. "First 'Star Wars Outlaws' gameplay trailer offers 10 minutes of scoundrel wish fulfillment". Engadget. 13 June 2023.
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  32. "Snowdrop Game Engine: What You Need To Know About Ubisoft's Secret Weapon". gamedesigning.org. 4 July 2023.