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Snowdrop (game engine)

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Snowdrop
Developers
Written inC++
Platform
LicenseProprietary
Websitewww.massive.se/project/snowdrop-engine/

Snowdrop (also known as Ubisoft 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, Nintendo Switch 2, Stadia, and Luna. It was revealed at E3 2013 with Tom Clancy's The Division, the first game using the engine.[1][2][3][4] Snowdrop is one of the primary game engines used by Ubisoft along with Disrupt, Dunia, and Ubisoft Anvil.[5]

History

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The engine is coded mainly in C++.[6] Rodrigo Cortes, former brand art director at Massive Entertainment, said that development on the Snowdrop engine started in 2009.[7] Initially it was an engine built for PC and next-gen development to "do things better not bigger".[8][9] 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.[10][11] Massive created a lighting and destruction system inspired by film production techniques.[12][13][14] Features of Snowdrop include advanced physically based rendering (PBR), procedural destruction, and a dynamic global illumination system.[15][16][17]

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.[18][19] An improved version of the engine was used for Tom Clancy's The Division 2.[20]

In February 2016, Massive confirmed that the engine can be used for other Ubisoft games.[21] 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.[22][23] These games include South Park: The Fractured but Whole,[24] Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle,[25] and Starlink: Battle for Atlas.[26]

In May 2021, Ubisoft announced Tom Clancy's The Division Heartland which was developed on Snowdrop.[27] However, three years later on 15 May 2024 Ubisoft announced that it had cancelled the game.[28][29][30][31] In June 2021, Ubisoft confirmed that the engine will be upgraded for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.[32][33] According to senior technical artist Kunal Luthra, thousands of assets can be propagated inside of each frame to create more highly detailed environments.[34][35] The engine would also support real-time ray tracing, unified volumetric rendering, as well as improved AI behavior for NPCs.[36][37]

Snowdrop was used for Star Wars Outlaws,[38][39] which features RTX Direct Illumination and DLSS Ray Reconstruction.[40][41] Massive developed its own digital "camera lens" in Snowdrop, which was used to give the game a more cinematic presentation as an option.[42][43]

The remake of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell will also use Snowdrop.[44][45][46] The game will be a ground-up remake and development is headed by Ubisoft Toronto which had previously worked on Far Cry 6.[47][48][49][50] Ubisoft announced they will continue to upscale and develop the engine.[51]

Games using Snowdrop

[edit]
Year Title Platform(s) Developer(s) Ref.
2016 Tom Clancy's The Division PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One Massive Entertainment [7]
2017 Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Nintendo Switch Ubisoft Milan [25]
South Park: The Fractured but Whole Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One Ubisoft San Francisco [24]
2018 Starlink: Battle for Atlas Ubisoft Toronto [26]
2019 Tom Clancy's The Division 2 PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One Massive Entertainment [20]
2022 Rabbids: Party of Legends Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One Ubisoft Chengdu [52]
Rocksmith+ Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows Ubisoft San Francisco [53]
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Nintendo Switch Ubisoft Milan [54]
2023 The Settlers: New Allies Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S Ubisoft Düsseldorf [55]
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S Massive Entertainment [32]
2024 XDefiant Ubisoft San Francisco [56]
Star Wars Outlaws PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 Massive Entertainment [57]
2026 Rayman Legends Retold Ubisoft Montpellier [58]
TBA Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Remake N/a Ubisoft Toronto [59]

Cancelled

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "The Division: Ubisoft discusses next-gen Snowdrop engine & more". VG247. 12 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Ubisoft Talks The Division: Snowdrop Engine, Next-Gen and More". Gameranx. 12 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "'The Division' Trailer Highlights Snowdrop Engine". Game Rant. 7 December 2013. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Division's VGX trailer shows off Snowdrop engine". Polygon. 8 December 2013. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  5. ↑ "Why Ubisoft Ditched Unreal in Favor of Its Own Proprietary Tech". IGN. 16 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  6. ↑ "Ubisoft's Open-World Star Wars: Snowdrop Engine Details and Past Games". Game Rant. 8 May 2022. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  7. 1 2 "The Division's Snowdrop Engine has been in development for 5 years". VideoGamer. 1 April 2014.
  8. ↑ "Ubisoft: Snowdrop engine allows us to work better, not bigger". MCV/Develop. 19 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "The Division: Snowdrop engine designed "to do things better, not bigger," Ubisoft details tech in new blog". VG247. 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "Here's The Division's amazing game engine in action". Polygon. 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "The Division's Snowdrop Engine "Capable of Creating Large Range of Varied Universes"". GamingBolt. 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "The Division video shows procedural destruction and lighting in the Snowdrop Engine". PCGamesN. 8 December 2013. Archived from the original on 19 July 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  13. ↑ "The Division's Snowdrop engine allows for "smarter", "bigger" development, says devs". VG247. 9 December 2013.
  14. ↑ "Ubisoft shows off Snowdrop engine with help from Tom Clancy's 'The Division'". Engadget. 9 December 2013.
  15. ↑ "Tech Analysis: Tom Clancy's The Division". Eurogamer. 29 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  16. ↑ "The Division Graphics Tech Detailed: PBR, Dynamic GI With Real-Time Bounce Lighting". GamingBolt. 13 January 2016. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Star Wars Outlaws' Snowdrop Engine Explained". Game Rant. 14 September 2023.
  18. ↑ "The Division's Snowdrop engine makes game development fun". Polygon. 9 December 2013.
  19. ↑ "The Division's Snowdrop Engine Allows for Dynamic Destruction, Designed for Next-Gen". GamingBolt. 9 December 2013.
  20. 1 2 "The Division 2 is currently in the works at Massive Entertainment, more to come at E3 2018". VG247. 8 March 2018. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  21. ↑ "The Division's Snowdrop engine could be used in other Ubisoft games like Assassin's Creed". PCGamesN. 20 February 2016. Archived from the original on 21 February 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  22. ↑ "Ubisoft's next-gen Snowdrop engine powers The Division, and now more". TweakTown. 21 February 2016. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  23. ↑ "The Division's Snowdrop engine and Dark Zone design could be used in other Ubi games". VG247. 22 February 2016. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  24. 1 2 "Art Design Deep Dive: Getting official South Park art into The Fractured But Whole". Game Developer. 14 December 2017. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  25. 1 2 "Mario + Rabbids is Switch's unlikeliest tech showcase". Eurogamer. 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  26. ↑ "Ubisoft announces The Division free-to-play spin-off Heartland". Eurogamer. 6 May 2021.
  27. ↑ "Ubisoft's free-to-play shooter The Division Heartland cancelled three years after being announced". Eurogamer. 15 May 2024.
  28. ↑ "Ubisoft Cancels The Division Heartland, But The Division 3 Is Still Coming". GameSpot. 15 May 2024.
  29. ↑ "Ubisoft has cancelled The Division Heartland". Video Games Chronicle. 15 May 2024.
  30. ↑ "The Division Heartland Has Been Canceled". Game Informer. 15 May 2024. Archived from the original on 30 April 2026. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  31. 1 2 "New Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora trailer details upgrades to Snowdrop engine". Digital Trends. 24 June 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  32. ↑ "Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora tech showcase details improvements made to Snowdrop engine". VG247. 25 June 2021. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  33. ↑ "Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora Looks Beautifully Alien In New Snowdrop Engine Tech Showcase". GameSpot. 24 June 2021. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  34. ↑ "Ubisoft showcases improvements made to The Division's engine for its next-gen Avatar game". Video Games Chronicle. 25 June 2021.
  35. ↑ "Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is one of the most technologically impressive games of the year". Eurogamer. 8 December 2023. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  36. ↑ "Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - the big developer tech interview". Eurogamer. 17 December 2023. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  37. ↑ "Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws Open-World Game Debuts At Xbox Showcase". GameSpot. 12 June 2023. Archived from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  38. ↑ "First 'Star Wars Outlaws' gameplay trailer offers 10 minutes of scoundrel wish fulfillment". Engadget. 13 June 2023. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  39. ↑ "Star Wars Outlaws performance analysis: Ray traced galaxies far, far away really, really demand upscaling and frame generation". PC Gamer. 26 August 2024. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  40. ↑ "Star Wars Outlaws pushes the latest PC technologies hard - and the results are stunning". Eurogamer. 31 August 2024. Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  41. ↑ "Star Wars Outlaws Cinematic Mode Makes It Look Like The Original Trilogy". GameSpot. 26 August 2024. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  42. ↑ "Star Wars Outlaws is beautifully realised on PS5 and Series X/S, bar a few rogue issues". Eurogamer. 27 August 2024.
  43. ↑ "A Splinter Cell remake has officially been announced". Video Games Chronicle. 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  44. ↑ "Ubisoft announces Splinter Cell remake". Eurogamer. 15 December 2021.
  45. ↑ "Splinter Cell Remake Announced by Ubisoft". Game Rant. 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  46. ↑ "A Splinter Cell remake is in development at Ubisoft Toronto". Polygon. 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  47. ↑ "Splinter Cell Remake Officially In Development At Ubisoft Toronto". GameSpot. 15 December 2021.
  48. ↑ "Splinter Cell Remake in Development at Ubisoft Toronto". MP1st. 15 December 2021.
  49. ↑ "Ubisoft announces Splinter Cell remake from Far Cry 6 studio". VG247. 15 December 2021.
  50. ↑ "Ubisoft scaling Anvil, Snowdrop engines to flex next-gen consoles". TweakTown. 31 March 2021. Archived from the original on 31 March 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  51. ↑ "《疯狂兔子：奇遇派对》新宣传片 游戏玩法及特色介绍". Sohu (in Chinese). August 6, 2020. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  52. ↑ "Snowdrop — Rocksmith+". Ubisoft. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  53. ↑ Behan, Daire (June 12, 2021). "Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Revealed for 2022 Release". Game Rant. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  54. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (August 21, 2018). "Ubisoft Announces New Settlers Game". IGN. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  55. ↑ Goroff, Michael (July 19, 2021). "Tom Clancy's XDefiant is new free-to-play, class-based shooter from Ubisoft". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  56. ↑ "How the Snowdrop Engine Makes Star Wars Outlaws a Galactic Adventure". Game Rant. 6 September 2024.
  57. ↑ Higham, Michael (June 3, 2026). "Rayman Legends Retold First Preview: A Remake With 3D Art and 2D Action". IGN. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  58. ↑ "Splinter Cell Remake Announced By Ubisoft". Game Informer. 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 30 April 2026. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  59. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (May 15, 2024). "Ubisoft cancels The Division Heartland, the latest AAA free-to-play game casualty". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  60. ↑ Valentine, Rebekah (May 15, 2024). "Ubisoft Cancels The Division Heartland". IGN. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  61. ↑ Velocci, Carli (May 15, 2024). "Ubisoft cancels The Division Heartland to focus on 'bigger opportunities'". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
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