The four best trends in game development are all growth opportunities in the industry:

AR / VR

The renaissance of AR/VR will continue in 2022 and beyond.

61% of professionals we surveyed believe that AR/VR will shape the future of game development. And many industry experts like Gamasutra predict big things for AR/VR in 2022 (and beyond).

In particular, AR/VR will no longer be a separate category. This will be the expectation in the next matches. Game developers will strive for realism. Players will pursue the ability to live in the game.

Photo-realism in particular will be important for game developers. Tools like Unreal Engine 4 (and the upcoming Unreal Engine 5 in particular) will be essential in providing the photorealism needed for AR/VR.

Many of us who have studied believe that AR/VR will truly dominate in the 2020s. Here's what one of our participants in the 2022 AR/VR survey had to say:

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electronic sports

The popularity of esports continues to increase, especially in the COVID-19 era. Real-life sporting events have been canceled due to the COVID-19 coronavirus. And fans around the world are still looking for alternatives.

In addition, game studios are constantly evolving. Esport's professionalism has grown. There will be almost no difference between a real sport and an eSport equivalent. For example, the football league (English Premier League) announced that it is partnering with EA Sports to provide a simulation of singing and voices from spectators instead of live audiences.

To be successful with esports, the studio uses the game-as-a-service (GaaS) method. This will help the industry to develop technologically.

61% of respondents believe that esports will influence the development of games in the future.

And esports and online competitive gaming are expected to become a $1.8 million industry by 2022.

5G

The emergence of 5G is expected to bring technological breakthroughs and drive innovation in the game development process.

5G will be essential to support streaming platforms and reduce latency. This will enable console-quality game streaming to mobile devices. And platforms like Steam and Stadia are growing fast.

Gamers will always be able to play because 5G stimulates mobility. Phones are getting more and more capable of handling games. 5G will take this experience to the next level. There are significant options, especially with geolocation games.

53% of respondents believe that 5G will affect mobile game development. The power and speed of 5G will radically change the evolution of mobile gaming and match the quality of console gaming.

Inclusivity

The future of game development will also include expanded inclusion.

Our survey participants provided a wealth of insight into how they think game development can be more inclusive. You cite work-life balance, accessibility, and increased representation.

The studio realized that games had to be developed by this demographic if they were to reach a certain demographic of gamers. Nintendo in particular has been very vocal about the importance of female developers for games like Animal Crossing.