The State of Games QA

The State of Game QA: How AI Is Transforming Game Testing

Game development is evolving faster than ever, but quality assurance (QA) teams are struggling to keep up. According to The State of Games QA report by modl.ai, 77% of developers admit they conducted less QA than they should have for their most recent release, and half say QA budgets aren’t growing fast enough to match rising game complexity.

Despite these challenges, the industry is optimistic about the role of artificial intelligence. 94% of developers believe AI will play an important role in the future of game QA, viewing it as a solution to limited resources, tight timelines, and increasingly complex live-service models.

Automation and AI Are Changing the QA Landscape

Automation is already widespread—94% of studios use some form of non-AI automation such as test scripts or automated bug reporting. AI is now taking this further by handling repetitive and data-heavy tasks, freeing testers to focus on creative, exploratory testing.

Developers see the top benefits of AI in faster bug detection, automated bug reporting, and 24/7 testing. In fact, 88% believe AI is as good or better than traditional methods at finding bugs, and 86% expect AI to speed up testing and iteration cycles.

Experts quoted in the report emphasize that AI should complement human expertise, not replace it. As Christoffer Holmgård, CEO and Co-founder of modl.ai, notes, “AI complements human expertise; it doesn’t replace it. QA processes are an integral part of game development, so as you start using AI, the tools will have to focus on human-AI collaboration.”

Adoption Is Growing, but Challenges Remain

While 87% of developers say their studios are at least somewhat ready to implement AI in QA, only 18% feel fully prepared. The most common obstacles include setup complexity, high costs, and resistance to change. Still, confidence is high—90% of developers trust AI-generated results to some degree, and 89% believe AI can be cost-effective when integrated properly.

AI adoption is also becoming a talent attraction factor: 51% of developers say they’d be more interested in working at a studio that uses AI for QA, reflecting a growing perception that AI-driven development is the future of the industry.

The Road Ahead

The report concludes that studios embracing AI-driven QA will gain a competitive edge—able to deliver higher-quality releases faster and with greater stability. The key will be balancing automation with human insight to ensure that innovation and creativity remain at the heart of game development.

As Benedikte Mikkelsen, CPO and Co-founder of modl.ai, summarizes: “We think that the majority of developers are realizing that AI tools will be an integral part of development in the future—working for a studio that uses such tools means that you are participating in forward-thinking activities in the industry.”

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The State of Games QA - modl.ai

Download the report to read more.

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