70% of devs admit that they have never released bug-free game

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As a game developer, I’m finding that fewer than one out of four of us are content with the quality control of our recent projects.

As reported by Insider Gaming, a study conducted by modl.ai among game developers revealed some insights about the effectiveness of Quality Assurance (QA) departments in the gaming industry. Considering the recurring player complaints about the state of newly released games, it’s probably not shocking to learn that nearly 3 out of 4 surveyed developers believe their studios don’t test their games thoroughly enough.

Additionally, about half of those surveyed feel that QA department budgets aren’t expanding rapidly enough to match the growing intricacy of contemporary games. Notably, fewer than 30% of the developers involved in the survey claim they’ve never launched a game with bugs.

Too big games full of bugs

The sentence ‘Good, but bugged’ could be used to describe various popular games from recent years that, despite being good overall, still have a lot of bugs or issues at launch, similar to what early access games often have. For instance, Cyberpunk 2077, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (which currently has mixed reviews on Steam in the last 30 days), and Baldur’s Gate 3 are examples of such games. However, Larian Studios’ game didn’t experience as many problems due to this.”

In a more casual context: “Some great games from recent years have been released with plenty of bugs or issues, just like early access games usually do. Cyberpunk 2077, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and Baldur’s Gate 3 are a few examples. But Larian Studios’ game wasn’t affected too badly by these problems.

The core issue lies in the intricacy of contemporary video games: bursting with detailed systems, vast environments, numerous characters, monsters, items, and choices. Remarkably, even basic 2D platformers from past decades, developed by only a handful of individuals, often contain glitches.

In this scenario, assembling an all-inclusive playground teeming with tools for creation, vehicles, characters, survival aspects, role-playing, simulation, and strategy elements, all functioning smoothly without significant glitches, could almost be seen as a remarkable feat.

AI to the rescue – in the distant future?

It appears that numerous developers consider the integration of artificial intelligence as a promising solution or an essential component. By doing so, it might facilitate the detection of significant glitches during the early stages of game development. Following this, human testers could then take over, ensuring a smoother and more refined final product.

Approximately 94 out of every 100 developers concur with this statement, however, just 16% feel that their workplaces are prepared to leverage AI in quality assurance (QA) roles. This reluctance can be attributed partly to the constraints and high cost associated with the technology, as well as potential worries about job redundancies.

It’s well-known that quality assurance teams often find themselves on the receiving end of organizational changes within their field. Integrating artificial intelligence testing could potentially lead to further reductions in workforce.

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2025-02-08 03:32