What Game Developers Are Buying Right Now: Trends in 3D Asset Demand

TL;DR:

• We analyzed 3D model orders from game developers and game studios to discover the current aesthetic trends.
• Urban, city, and general-purpose assets remain consistently popular.
• Fantasy, vintage, stylized, post-apocalyptic, and futuristic environments are gradually gaining traction.
• Nature and environmental assets are experiencing significant growth.
• Military-themed assets are seeing less traction.
• Designers should aim for modular, reusable, and quality packs.
• May consistently records the highest sales in game assets, making it the ideal month for releasing new models

If you're a 3D model designer creating assets for games, understanding market trends can greatly enhance your sales and simply make your modeling-life easier. We looked into our internal sales data - exclusively reviewing purchases made by game developers and game studios - to identify current aesthetic trends. By grouping purchased models according to keywords into aesthetic categories, we discovered which visual styles are thriving and where you might want to invest your creative efforts. Enjoy the read and leave your ideas or questions in the comments!

Stable Demand: Urban, City and Generic themes

The two largest categories of assets - 1) props, objects, weapons, and vehicles, and 2) city, urban, and modern locations - continue to show consistent demand. That's because they are extremely flexible and can be used within a variety of distinct projects. For example, props and cars are highly adaptable building blocks that can be easily used in both real and fantasy contexts. Urban and city environments are fundamental for many games these days, too, no matter their theme or style.

Designers should consider crafting modular and highly adaptable assets within these stable genres. By assets being modular we mean that they are made from parts and can be reused, rearranged, or combined in many ways, allowing them to work across different scenes and project types. Assets developed with such flexibility and overall utility are particularly valuable, because they can be applied across a wide range of projects without being tied up in too-narrow or complicated storylines. For example, specific asset objects to model could be common interior items like furniture and decorative props, modular street furniture like sidewalks and benches and traffic lights, utilitarian city cars like city buses and delivery trucks, and generic multi-use weapons like realistic handguns or abstract melee weapons. Such assets seem to remain attractive to independent developers and larger studios alike, leading to steady and reliable returns.

A Quiet Climb: Subtle Gains Across Fantasy, Futurism, and Forgotten Eras

Game studios are showing a steady interest in apocalyptic, fantasy, vintage, sci-fi, and stylized assets. Photorealism may still be in the lead, but these design categories offer their own advantages. Stylized and cartoon-look assets are light, scaleable, and don't age quickly - ideal for mobile, VR, or long-lasting titles. Apocalyptic and horror themes work well in immersive, story-based games, whereas fantasy and medieval assets support deep world-building. Antique and vintage assets are sought after by studios developing simulation or historical games where detail matters. Sci-fi and cyberpunk aesthetics are also seeing a rise in use, often chosen for futuristic settings or imaginative worlds. Seems like in all the analysed aesthetics, buyers are prioritizing uniqueness, modularity, and reuse, making these asset classes quietly but significantly more valuable in an oversaturated market.

To get into these growing niches, designers should focus on creating high-quality asset packs that are both technically versatile and visually striking. Fantasy, historical, and stylized themes are always needed, especially if assets are reusable as well as platform-independent. A great example would be making a Post-Apocalyptic Survival Kit with modular ruins, scavenged props, and dark environmental details, or a Vintage Study Room Set with rotary telephones, typewriters, and mid-century furnishings - all perfect for horror, mystery, or historical games.

Rising star: Nature and Environmental assets

Drumroll please - the high growth section! Nature-based assets are experiencing exponential growth. Studios increasingly search for immersive, open-world environments where the atmosphere is the central focus of gameplay and narrative. Recent successes like Horizons, Death Stranding, and Firewatch show that the industry remains hungry for lush, natural worlds.

In order to capitalize on this trend, focus should be put into creating modular, reusable elements like rocks, trees, water features, and seasonal changes. These products not only integrate into various genres but also optimize your potential clientele base. But keep in mind that the market can get saturated, therefore creativity and uniqueness can play off well, too.

Easing off the Frontline: A Soft Decline in Military-Themed Demand

War and military-themed 3D assets are seeing a small drop in orders from game studios and developers. These themes continue to be well-liked in games, but purchasing is gradually slowing down. This could be an indication that studios are completing these environments quicker or switching over to newer, less predictable themes.

To stay relevant, designers should keep their eye on current trends in technology, such as new types of drones, or looking at what's popular in films and video games. Of course, it is important to be original and not copy copyrighted material. One of the smart strategies could be focusing on flexibility by creating modular assets - units that are easily reusable, reconfigurable, or recombining in different ways. Think of them as building blocks that can be put into many scenes or environments. For example, a modular military set can be applied to different time periods, factions, or environments, and therefore be more valuable to developers. As the demand is shifting, one thing will not shift: quality. Because fewer studios are buying military assets, it is only the best-made, most advanced models that will become top sellers and get chosen.

Insights and opportunities

Most notably, May remains the strongest month for selling 3D game assets, a two-year consistent trend. Plan your releases to take advantage of this high-buying season.

We also discovered buyers ranging from independent developers to big studios. Being flexible with price and licensing can attract more customers.

Designers' Takeaways:

• Slight growth: Post-apocalyptic, Stylized, Fantasy, Vintage, Futuristic.
• High growth: Nature and Environmental assets.
• Slight decrease: Military and War.

Staying in tune with aesthetic trends gives creators a clear edge in a competitive 3D asset marketplace. Our analysis shows that while timeless themes like urban environments continue to deliver consistent returns, there's growing demand in high-quality fantasy, retro, and story-rich environmental assets. On the other hand, modest drop in military demand shows that it's time to redesign static themes and align with current trends. In every category, the recipe for victory is the same: emphasized reusability, modularity, and uniqueness - and foremost, supported by first-rate technical quality. Timing is important as well, so schedule your strongest releases during peak purchasing seasons like May to achieve optimal visibility and sales.