An overwhelming majority of game developers believe that artificial intelligence will play a “critical role” in the future of quality assurance. That’s according to the new The State of Games QA report from AI startup Modl.ai, which spoke to over 300 game developers, including former staff from Netflix, Microsoft, Jagex, and Reliance.
Insights from Industry Leaders
“Game development budgets are climbing to thrilling new heights, which is great news for the industry, but that means more opportunities for bugs. AI offers a solution to that,” stated Modl.ai CEO Christoffer Holmgård. He emphasized that while the industry recognizes the transformative potential of AI in QA, many developers are still searching for practical ways to adopt it. “At Modl.ai, we’re committed to bridging that gap by offering AI-powered tools that make testing smarter, faster, and more accessible, empowering studios to release games with confidence.”
Currently, 94 percent of developers report using non-AI automation in their workflow, with 39 percent describing their departments as either “highly automated” or “entirely automated.” This shift towards automation reflects a growing recognition of the complexities involved in modern game development.
One pressing concern among developers is the prevalence of major bugs in high-profile releases, with the infamous Cyberpunk 2077 serving as a cautionary tale. Modl.ai’s research reveals that only 29.7 percent of respondents have worked on a project released without bugs, highlighting the widespread nature of this issue.
The increasing complexity of major games is a significant factor contributing to this challenge. As game releases grow in scale, they entail more intricate code and assets, leading to a higher likelihood of errors. Notably, 50 percent of developers express concern that QA budgets are not rising fast enough to keep pace with this growing complexity.
Dajana Dimovska, CEO of Indium Play, noted, “You’re never going to catch every bug, but AI can get you closer. It can take on early testing responsibilities, reducing the need for large QA teams throughout the production phase. As the game reaches a more playable and polished state, manual QA testers step in—working alongside AI to identify and address quality issues. This collaboration between experienced testers and AI ensures a better final product.”
Despite these advancements, 77 percent of developers admit they did not complete all necessary quality assurance for their most recent release. While 57 percent managed to conduct “most necessary QA,” only 23 percent reported fulfilling all requirements.
Looking ahead, 94 percent of developers agree that artificial intelligence will play a role in video game quality assurance in the future. Among them, 41 percent deem this involvement “very important,” while another 30 percent consider it “extremely important.” A significant 87 percent believe their studios are prepared to integrate AI technology in some capacity, although only 18 percent feel their companies are “fully ready.” This indicates that while the journey toward full AI adoption is still underway, the groundwork has been established for its integration into QA workflows.
Henry Golding, a senior test engineer at Netflix, commented, “I think it will be the bigger studios that end up leading AI adoption. They have large teams of technical staff and the capability to introduce new tools into their existing suites. The budget is there to try things. I expect that in the coming years, we’ll find out what works and what doesn’t, and I look forward to hearing from those folks who end up doing some very cool things.”
Modl.ai is an artificial intelligence startup focused on revolutionizing game development through innovative technology. Beyond enhancing game testing, the company is also utilizing AI to model player behavior and improve overall game development processes.
Our partner newsletter, AI Gamechangers, recently interviewed Christoffer Holmgård, who also spoke at PG Connects London last month.
