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The Future of Version Control: What Game Devs & Creators Told Us

Version control is the backbone of collaboration. Yet, for game developers, VFX artists, and interactive content creators, the reality is different: existing tools are slowing teams down.

We surveyed 100+ professionals across gaming, animation, VFX, architecture, and virtual production to understand their workflows, frustrations, and what they need from version control. TL;DR? Current tools aren’t cutting it.

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The Big Problem: Version Control Isn’t Built for Creators

🔹 78% of respondents face version control issues weekly.

🔹 36% encounter problems more than twice a week.

🔹 45% spend over an hour a week troubleshooting version control issues.

That’s valuable production time lost, whether you’re pushing game builds, refining 3D assets, or managing real-time collaboration in virtual production.

But it gets worse:

• 30% of artists don’t use version control at all. Many rely on Dropbox or Google Drive, creating workflow silos that cause significant friction when merging assets.
• 45% of developers say their version control system isn’t suitable for artists.
• 60% of developers and artists find their version control too complex.
• 40% say their version control is too slow - especially when handling large files.
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What Creators Want in a Version Control

When asked what would make version control actually work, creators were clear:

✅ Ease of Use – No steep learning curves, no unnecessary complexity.

✅ Seamless Integration – A version control that works inside Unreal, Unity, and other creative tools.

✅ Better Large File Handling – Fast syncing for 3D assets, video files, and textures.

✅ Affordable Pricing – Many teams feel locked out of Perforce due to cost.

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Diversion: The Version Control Built for Game Devs & Creators

We’ve taken these findings to heart. Diversion is designed from the ground up for the unique needs of game developers, artists, and visualization pros.

💡 One Version Control for Both Devs & Artists – No more silos or tool mismatches.

🚀 Handles Large Files Seamlessly – Optimized for 3D assets, textures, and massive scenes without slow sync times.

🎮 Deep Integration with Unreal – Work inside your engine without extra setup.

💰 Flexible Pricing – Scales from indie teams to AAA studios without breaking the bank.

⏳ No IT Headaches – Simple onboarding with a clean UI and zero command-line requirements.

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Ready to Experience Version Control That Works?

🔹 Tired of battling GitHub or Perforce? See how Diversion makes version control effortless.

🔹 Sign up for a free demo and reclaim your production time.

💬 What’s the biggest version control headache in your studio? Drop your thoughts in our Discord Server.

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Want more insights? Here’s the full survey breakdown:

Who Took the Survey?

• We had responses from a broad mix of software developers, artists, and designers - ensuring the data isn’t skewed just toward programming workflows.

• A significant portion of respondents work in professional studios, ranging from small indie teams (of less than 10 employees) to larger AAA companies (with over +1K employees)
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• Our participant base spans leading industry segments - gaming, media, education, and more - confirming that version control challenges affect a wide range of creative professionals.

Why is this important?

Because version control isn’t just for software engineering. Today’s digital production pipelines span fields like film, virtual reality, simulations, and interactive media - often blending art, design, programming, and technical direction. By hearing from a diverse audience, we capture where current tools excel and where they need to adapt for broader creative workflows.

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One Version Control for Technical and Creative Roles

As with our previous year’s findings, we found that more than 30% of the artists either don’t use version control at all - relying on Dropbox, Google Drive, or other cloud storage solutions - or they use a separate version control from the coding team. This can create silos, misalignment, and friction when merging assets into a build.

• Developers tend to use Git, Perforce, or other well-known developer-centric tools.
• Artists frequently cite that typical version control tools aren’t intuitive for non-coders. The user interface, branching strategies, and merge workflows can feel too technical or intimidating.
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Key takeaway:

Whether you’re building a game, a VR experience, or a virtual production pipeline, there is a clear need for a single version control solution that serves both technical and non-technical roles without compromising on the features important to each and their experience . This means handling large files, offering visual diffing of assets, and streamlining workflows in a way that’s intuitive for non-coders.
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Current Pains with Existing Version Control

When asked about the challenges teams face with version control, these were the top pain points:

1. Encountering problems on Version Control:

• 78% of respondents reported they encounter problems while working with with their current version control tool on a weekly basis!
• 36% encounter problem over 2 times per week or even more! huge precious time that is getting wasted and make the employee feel frustrated and distracted.

• More than 45% of respondents reported they spend more than 1 hour a week handling version control issue!
• Almost 10% of respondents reported spending more than 4 hours a week handling version control issues, meaning that around 10% of their valuable time is lost due to these challenges.

• 55% of respondents reported that they either interrupt or are interrupted by a colleague more than once a week due to issues with their current version control, indicating that it affects teams, not just individuals.
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Based on the feedback, it’s clear that a lot of time goes down the drain trying to get a tool to do what it’s supposed to do - something that should really be easy to use. This hassle pulls people away from their actual work and can also distract others, which slows everything down. In the end, tasks take longer and everyone feels more frustrated. Your version control system is supposed to empower collaboration, not hinder your team's productivity.

Let’s get a deeper look about the challenges that have been reported from developers and artists

2. Challenges that developers are facing using version control:

• Not surprisingly, nearly 45% of developers recognize that their current version control is simply not the right tool for their artist peers.
• Perhaps more surprisingly, over 30% believe their version control is too complex to use, with a similar percentage complaining about poor branching support.

Breaking Down Developers' Usage Complexity

• More than 60% of developers report that their version control is based on confusing concepts, negatively impacting their day-to-day experience.
• Dealing with conflicts is cited by nearly 50% of developers as another major source of complexity.
• The next two findings are quite astonishing: while almost 40% of developers report that the desktop interface has too many features, a similar percentage state that they still need to rely on the command-line interface.

3. Challenges that  artists are facing using version control:

• Not surprisingly, nearly 50% of artists responded that their current version control support for graphical and audio assets is poor. Related to this, almost 40% reported that their current version control is slow, likely due to the number and size of digital assets.
• Similar to developers, close to 40% of artists stated that their version control is too complex for non-developers to use.

Breaking Down Artists’ Usage Complexity

• Similar to developers, more than 60% of artists report that their version control is based on confusing concepts, negatively impacting their day-to-day experience.
• Dealing with conflicts, the need for a command-line interface, and unused features are cited by nearly 40% of artists as major sources of complexity.

Bottom line: We can see that developers and artists have different experiences with version control and prioritize the main challenges they face differently. Nevertheless, when it comes to breaking down usage complexity, both groups ranked Confusing Concepts and Conflict Handling as the top two reasons for complexity.

For VR studios working with large 3D assets or virtual production teams integrating real-time renders, these challenges mean lower productivity and delayed deliverables.

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Version Control & Game Engine Workflows

Respondents stressed the importance of smooth workflows between their primary software environment - be it a game engine like Unity or Unreal, a virtual production suite, or professional 3D design tools, and their version control system:

• 40% said they currently use a version control plugin or integration directly inside their main content creation software.

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In the creative industries, Unity remains the most popular engine, but there has been a noticeable increase in the use of Unreal and Godot over the past year.

When asking about the important features of version control plugin for Unreal Engine:

• On the first place, 60% of respondents ranked Unreal Game Sync (UGS) as an important feature
• Nearly 50% ranked  branch management and 40% the basic functionality of commit/update

Implication:

Whether it’s a plugin for Unreal Engine, an integration with a virtual production pipeline, or tight synergy with a design tool, built-in workflows can drastically reduce the learning curve- especially for artists who prefer to stay in familiar editing environments.

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What People Are Looking For in a Version Control

When asked about must-have features in a version control system, respondents repeatedly highlighted for both developers and artists:

• Ease of use: Many cited intuitive interfaces and straightforward workflows as essential - creatives don’t want to wrestle with complicated commands just to manage their projects.
• Easy setup: Quick installation and minimal configuration are key; teams want to start collaborating ASAP without investing hours (or days) into tool setup.
• Affordable pricing: Cost often determines tool adoption, especially for smaller studios - respondents want a version control that delivers robust features without breaking the bank.
• Integrations into the engine: Whether it’s Unreal, Unity, or other creative software, seamless in-editor plugins or integrations save time and reduce friction - letting creators stay in their primary workspace.

Developers also highly rank Code Review Visualization and CI/CD Integration, which are key parts of the developer workflow.

Artists, on the other hand, rank Art Assets Preview highly, as it is an essential part of their workflow.

When it comes to their ideal version control, we can see a lot of common ground between developers and artists. Both groups need a tool that is easy to use, well-integrated into their workflow, and affordable. However, to truly support both developers and artists, the ideal version control must also address the specific needs of each group.

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Where Do We Go from Here: Diversion’s Role

At Diversion, we’ve taken these findings to heart as we build the best version control solution for the creative industries. Our version control can be both powerful and easy to use for every user - from software engineers to 3D artists to instructional designers. Here’s how we’re addressing these needs:

• Unified Approach: A single tool that coders, artists, designers, and other creatives can use comfortably.
• Artist-Friendly Features: Visual diffing, intuitive UI, large file support, and specialized workflows for binary assets common to virtual production, VR, and media pipelines.
• Integration with Unreal Engine: Our Unreal Engine plugin ensures creators can check files in and out, track changes, and manage locks directly within the Unreal editor - dramatically cutting down context switching and setup time. We are showing up as well in the Epic Games Documentation, you can take a look here.
• Scalable Pricing Solutions: Equally suited for small indie teams, production studios, and larger enterprises.
• Easy set up: With Diversion onboarding process you can get started in minutes! you don’t need any special IT team, there is a clear documentation, an intuitive dashboard, and direct in-tool guidance help ensure you can focus on creating - not wrestling with configurations.

We thank everyone who participated in this year’s survey - you help us innovate faster and deliver tools that truly make a difference in day-to-day creative production. If you’re curious to see how Diversion can help your team overcome the hurdles we’ve highlighted above, feel free to get in touch or request a demo.

Until next year - happy creating!

Interested in more insights or an in-depth look at the data?

You can compare this year’s results with our previous survey here. Stay tuned for more updates, webinars, and deep dives into how version control is evolving to support the next generation of digital productions.

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