Meta-backed AI startup Runway, valued at around USD 3 billion and best known for its generative AI video tools used in film and content creation, is now setting its sights on a new industry: video games.
The company has announced a generative AI platform aimed specifically at AI developers, marking its most significant expansion beyond film and video production to date.
The new toolset will allow game developers to generate visual assets like characters, environments, and objects using text prompts. Developers will also be able to edit, remix and fine-tune these assets.
According to Runway, the goal is to bring the same speed and creative flexibility it offered filmmakers to game studios. CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela believes the efficiencies seen in film production, where AI significantly shortened timelines for editing and visual effects, can now be replicated in gaming.
“If we can help a studio make a movie 40 per cent faster, then we’re probably gonna be able to help developers of games make games faster,” Valenzuela told The Verge.
However, gaming presents unique challenges compared to films. Unlike linear video, games are interactive and require tightly integrated logic, physics, and performance optimisation.
Runway’s move into this space suggests confidence in their ability to bridge the gap between artistic experimentation and the technical demands of game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine.
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The timing also reflects a broader trend of AI sweeping creative industries. For instance, Activision Blizzard, developer of the mega popular game franchise Call of Duty, disclosed their usage of AI to create visuals for the latest instalment in the franchise, Black Ops 6.
As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, gaming studios – particularly indie developers – are increasingly exploring AI tools to cut costs and increase the speed of testing phases without sacrificing creativity or quality. Runway’s early access program for developers hints at a long-term play to become a foundational creative partner for game developer studios.
While Runway hasn’t yet revealed how its tools will integrate with popular game engines or software, the company says it is already working with select partners in the gaming industry. Developers can sign up now to try the tools in beta.
(This article has been curated by Arfan Jeelany, who is an intern with The Indian Express)
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