AI in Games Blog What is Modern Game Testing? Tools, Terms, and Best Practices

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How today’s developers pursue flawless gameplay: Insights, tools, and strategies for the next generation of game quality assurance.

Modern game development is a high-stakes industry, with revenues projected to exceed $455 billion in 2024​. As games become increasingly complex and engaging, the production operations that power them can often become strained under the demand: 50% of game developers believe QA budgets aren’t increasing quickly enough to meet the growing demands of modern game development. There’s been ample evidence to support this, with AAA titles shipping with major defects, leading to costly patches, negative reviews, and damaged reputations​.

The consequences of insufficient QA go far beyond financial losses — they erode player trust, tarnish brand reputation, and reduce a game’s long-term success. To meet these challenges, developers need modern strategies, tools, and insights to ensure their games meet today’s high standards. Here, we’ll explore the fundamentals of QA, share lessons from industry leaders, and highlight cutting-edge solutions to transform your testing process.

What is QA in modern game development?

Today, QA in game development is more than bug squashing; it is the backbone of ensuring functionality, reliability, and player satisfaction. As games have become more sophisticated, encompassing everything from massive open worlds to real-time multiplayer experiences the scope of QA has expanded exponentially. Ensuring every facet of these experiences run smoothly necessitates a few key types of game testing:

  • Functional Testing: Ensures core mechanics operate as intended.
  • Performance Testing: Evaluates how well a game performs across various hardware.
  • Compliance Testing: Verifies adherence to platform-specific requirements.
  • Usability and Playability Testing: Focuses on user interface intuitiveness and gameplay satisfaction.
  • Regression Testing: Confirms that new updates don’t introduce old bugs​.

Integrating QA early in the development lifecycle — also known as the “shift-left” approach — has emerged as a critical strategy. Experts agree that by integrating QA earlier in production, studios can catch bugs when they are cheaper to fix and maintain a high standard of quality from the outset.

Rob Sandberg, a three-decade veteran of the games industry and Senior Director of Production at Product Madness, emphasizes the importance of integrating QA early in the development process. He notes that “smart developers are the ones who shift left — the ones who have the QA team in the development phase.” By embedding QA members within development teams, studios can identify issues earlier, improve agility, and prevent QA from becoming a bottleneck.

Effective QA tooling is essential in today’s game development landscape, where production cycles are tighter and player expectations are higher than ever. The right tools can streamline complex processes, enabling teams to identify and address issues quickly and efficiently. By automating repetitive tasks and integrating seamlessly with development workflows, modern QA solutions allow developers to focus on innovation and quality rather than being bogged down by manual testing or recurring problems.

This focus on efficiency is echoed by Ben Wibberley, Founder of Digital Age Quality Assurance:
“In the relentless cycle of live game services and frequent content drops, the one thing studios cannot typically buy is time. Tools that make QA processes more efficient allow studios to focus on delivering quality enhancements rather than revisiting past fixes.”

QA in game development is no longer just a safety net — it’s a strategic advantage that drives efficiency, innovation, and player satisfaction. By combining early integration with powerful tools, studios can overcome modern development challenges and deliver polished, engaging games that meet and exceed player expectations.

Games QA stats you need to know

77%More than three-quarters of developers admit they didn’t conduct enough QA for their latest game release. Tight schedules and limited resources often force studios to cut corners, revealing an urgent need for more comprehensive testing strategies in today’s fast-paced industry.
94%Almost all game developers believe AI will play a critical role in the future of QA. AI-driven solutions are emerging as the key to tackling the growing complexity of modern games and the increasing pressure for faster development cycles.
50%Half of all developers feel QA budgets aren’t keeping up with the industry’s rising technical demands. This funding gap underscores the importance of finding scalable, cost-effective testing tools to maintain quality without overspending.

To learn more, read “What is QA in Game Development?

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Modern game testing best practices

Rare‘s 2018 release, “Sea of Thieves,” offers a blueprint for leveraging automation in QA to tackle modern gaming challenges. During a compelling talk at GDC, Rare software engineer Robert Masella shared insights into the automated testing strategies the team used to ensure the game’s success. His presentation provided invaluable guidance for QA professionals, showcasing how innovative methods can help studios achieve higher efficiency and better outcomes with fewer resources. Below, we break down five key lessons from Rare’s approach to automated game testing.

1. Automated playtesting

Rare deployed bots to simulate complex player interactions, uncovering edge-case bugs human testers might miss. These bots explored every gameplay corner, from combat mechanics to environmental interactions​.

2. Continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD)

To maintain build stability, developers implemented pre-commit automated tests. This ensured only bug-free builds moved forward, streamlining workflows for both manual and automated testers​.

3. Performance and load testing

Rare’s automated tests simulated network interactions across server and client environments, identifying and resolving bottlenecks well before launch​.

4. Automated regression testing

By continuously re-running tests on updated code, Rare prevented recurring bugs from slipping back into the game. This was critical for a title with a constantly evolving codebase​.

5. Assisted visual testing

Using automated screenshots and AI-driven analysis, Rare maintained graphical fidelity across various scenes, catching subtle errors in rendering and asset placement​.

These strategies helped Sea of Thieves deliver a polished and immersive experience, showcasing the transformative potential of automation in game testing.

For a deeper dive, check out “5 Winning Automated Game Testing Tactics From Sea of Thieves

Game testing tools and services to improve your processes

From automating repetitive tasks to ensuring cross-platform compatibility, modern QA tools empower studios to identify and resolve issues faster, optimize performance, and focus more energy on delivering unforgettable player experiences. Whether you’re working on a sprawling AAA title or a streamlined indie project, leveraging cutting-edge services can elevate your QA process, reduce costs, and enhance game quality. Below, we spotlight some of the most impactful tools and services available to game developers today.

1. modl:test

Powered by modl.ai’s behavioral AI engine for games, modl:test automates QA by deploying bots to explore game environments and detect bugs. Its seamless integration with Unity and Unreal Engine enables comprehensive and efficient game testing​.

2. GameBench

This performance testing tool provides real-time insights into frame rates, memory usage, and resource optimization, ensuring smooth gameplay on various devices​.

3. LambaTest

For compatibility testing, LambdaTest offers access to over 3,000 device and browser configurations, ensuring games run flawlessly across platforms​.

4. Lionbridge Games

Specializing in localization testing, Lionbridge ensures linguistic accuracy and cultural relevance for global audiences​.

5. QAwerk

A leader in mobile game testing, QAwerk delivers tailored solutions to ensure performance and functionality across a wide range of devices​.

These tools highlight the industry’s shift toward automation and specialized services, helping developers achieve quality at scale.

To access the complete database of tools and services, read “The Big List of Game Testing Tools and Services

Why today’s game development studios choose modl.ai for game testing

In today’s competitive gaming landscape, meeting player expectations requires innovative solutions. Modl.ai’s solution, modl:test, powered by our behavioral AI engine for games, redefines QA and gameplay testing.

  • Efficiency at Scale: modl:test automates labor-intensive tasks, from regression testing to exploratory playtesting, significantly reducing manual QA time​​.
  • Deep Integration: With seamless plugins for Unity and Unreal, modl:test fits effortlessly into existing workflows​​.
  • Cost Savings: Early bug detection through automated testing reduces costly last-minute fixes and accelerates production timelines​​.

With a proven track record of delivering value across AAA and indie studios alike, modl.ai is the partner developers need to stay ahead. Contact us today to level up your game testing workflow.

How today’s developers pursue flawless gameplay: Insights, tools, and strategies for the next generation of game quality assurance.

Modern game development is a high-stakes industry, with revenues projected to exceed $455 billion in 2024​. As games become increasingly complex and engaging, the production operations that power them can often become strained under the demand: 50% of game developers believe QA budgets aren’t increasing quickly enough to meet the growing demands of modern game development. There’s been ample evidence to support this, with AAA titles shipping with major defects, leading to costly patches, negative reviews, and damaged reputations​.

The consequences of insufficient QA go far beyond financial losses — they erode player trust, tarnish brand reputation, and reduce a game’s long-term success. To meet these challenges, developers need modern strategies, tools, and insights to ensure their games meet today’s high standards. Here, we’ll explore the fundamentals of QA, share lessons from industry leaders, and highlight cutting-edge solutions to transform your testing process.

What is QA in modern game development?

Today, QA in game development is more than bug squashing; it is the backbone of ensuring functionality, reliability, and player satisfaction. As games have become more sophisticated, encompassing everything from massive open worlds to real-time multiplayer experiences the scope of QA has expanded exponentially. Ensuring every facet of these experiences run smoothly necessitates a few key types of game testing:

  • Functional Testing: Ensures core mechanics operate as intended.
  • Performance Testing: Evaluates how well a game performs across various hardware.
  • Compliance Testing: Verifies adherence to platform-specific requirements.
  • Usability and Playability Testing: Focuses on user interface intuitiveness and gameplay satisfaction.
  • Regression Testing: Confirms that new updates don’t introduce old bugs​.

Integrating QA early in the development lifecycle — also known as the “shift-left” approach — has emerged as a critical strategy. Experts agree that by integrating QA earlier in production, studios can catch bugs when they are cheaper to fix and maintain a high standard of quality from the outset.

Rob Sandberg, a three-decade veteran of the games industry and Senior Director of Production at Product Madness, emphasizes the importance of integrating QA early in the development process. He notes that “smart developers are the ones who shift left — the ones who have the QA team in the development phase.” By embedding QA members within development teams, studios can identify issues earlier, improve agility, and prevent QA from becoming a bottleneck.

Effective QA tooling is essential in today’s game development landscape, where production cycles are tighter and player expectations are higher than ever. The right tools can streamline complex processes, enabling teams to identify and address issues quickly and efficiently. By automating repetitive tasks and integrating seamlessly with development workflows, modern QA solutions allow developers to focus on innovation and quality rather than being bogged down by manual testing or recurring problems.

This focus on efficiency is echoed by Ben Wibberley, Founder of Digital Age Quality Assurance:
“In the relentless cycle of live game services and frequent content drops, the one thing studios cannot typically buy is time. Tools that make QA processes more efficient allow studios to focus on delivering quality enhancements rather than revisiting past fixes.”

QA in game development is no longer just a safety net — it’s a strategic advantage that drives efficiency, innovation, and player satisfaction. By combining early integration with powerful tools, studios can overcome modern development challenges and deliver polished, engaging games that meet and exceed player expectations.

Games QA stats you need to know

77%More than three-quarters of developers admit they didn’t conduct enough QA for their latest game release. Tight schedules and limited resources often force studios to cut corners, revealing an urgent need for more comprehensive testing strategies in today’s fast-paced industry.
94%Almost all game developers believe AI will play a critical role in the future of QA. AI-driven solutions are emerging as the key to tackling the growing complexity of modern games and the increasing pressure for faster development cycles.
50%Half of all developers feel QA budgets aren’t keeping up with the industry’s rising technical demands. This funding gap underscores the importance of finding scalable, cost-effective testing tools to maintain quality without overspending.

To learn more, read “What is QA in Game Development?

New call-to-action

Modern game testing best practices

Rare‘s 2018 release, “Sea of Thieves,” offers a blueprint for leveraging automation in QA to tackle modern gaming challenges. During a compelling talk at GDC, Rare software engineer Robert Masella shared insights into the automated testing strategies the team used to ensure the game’s success. His presentation provided invaluable guidance for QA professionals, showcasing how innovative methods can help studios achieve higher efficiency and better outcomes with fewer resources. Below, we break down five key lessons from Rare’s approach to automated game testing.

1. Automated playtesting

Rare deployed bots to simulate complex player interactions, uncovering edge-case bugs human testers might miss. These bots explored every gameplay corner, from combat mechanics to environmental interactions​.

2. Continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD)

To maintain build stability, developers implemented pre-commit automated tests. This ensured only bug-free builds moved forward, streamlining workflows for both manual and automated testers​.

3. Performance and load testing

Rare’s automated tests simulated network interactions across server and client environments, identifying and resolving bottlenecks well before launch​.

4. Automated regression testing

By continuously re-running tests on updated code, Rare prevented recurring bugs from slipping back into the game. This was critical for a title with a constantly evolving codebase​.

5. Assisted visual testing

Using automated screenshots and AI-driven analysis, Rare maintained graphical fidelity across various scenes, catching subtle errors in rendering and asset placement​.

These strategies helped Sea of Thieves deliver a polished and immersive experience, showcasing the transformative potential of automation in game testing.

For a deeper dive, check out “5 Winning Automated Game Testing Tactics From Sea of Thieves

Game testing tools and services to improve your processes

From automating repetitive tasks to ensuring cross-platform compatibility, modern QA tools empower studios to identify and resolve issues faster, optimize performance, and focus more energy on delivering unforgettable player experiences. Whether you’re working on a sprawling AAA title or a streamlined indie project, leveraging cutting-edge services can elevate your QA process, reduce costs, and enhance game quality. Below, we spotlight some of the most impactful tools and services available to game developers today.

1. modl:test

Powered by modl.ai’s behavioral AI engine for games, modl:test automates QA by deploying bots to explore game environments and detect bugs. Its seamless integration with Unity and Unreal Engine enables comprehensive and efficient game testing​.

2. GameBench

This performance testing tool provides real-time insights into frame rates, memory usage, and resource optimization, ensuring smooth gameplay on various devices​.

3. LambaTest

For compatibility testing, LambdaTest offers access to over 3,000 device and browser configurations, ensuring games run flawlessly across platforms​.

4. Lionbridge Games

Specializing in localization testing, Lionbridge ensures linguistic accuracy and cultural relevance for global audiences​.

5. QAwerk

A leader in mobile game testing, QAwerk delivers tailored solutions to ensure performance and functionality across a wide range of devices​.

These tools highlight the industry’s shift toward automation and specialized services, helping developers achieve quality at scale.

To access the complete database of tools and services, read “The Big List of Game Testing Tools and Services

Why today’s game development studios choose modl.ai for game testing

In today’s competitive gaming landscape, meeting player expectations requires innovative solutions. Modl.ai’s solution, modl:test, powered by our behavioral AI engine for games, redefines QA and gameplay testing.

  • Efficiency at Scale: modl:test automates labor-intensive tasks, from regression testing to exploratory playtesting, significantly reducing manual QA time​​.
  • Deep Integration: With seamless plugins for Unity and Unreal, modl:test fits effortlessly into existing workflows​​.
  • Cost Savings: Early bug detection through automated testing reduces costly last-minute fixes and accelerates production timelines​​.

With a proven track record of delivering value across AAA and indie studios alike, modl.ai is the partner developers need to stay ahead. Contact us today to level up your game testing workflow.

Published by Team modl.ai

modl.ai's team of experts writing about things they love!

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