Software:Dawn Engine

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Dawn Engine
File:Dawn Engine logo.png
File:Dawn Engine screenshot collage.png
Developer(s)Eidos-Montréal
IO Interactive
Initial release23 August 2016; 7 years ago (2016-08-23)
Written inC++, C#
MiddlewareUmbra, PhysX, APEX, Bink, Scaleform, FMOD, Nav Power
PlatformPC, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch Cloud, Nvidia GeForce NOW
PredecessorGlacier 2
LicenseProprietary

Dawn Engine is a proprietary game engine developed by Eidos-Montréal.

The game engine was originally built to be employed in future Deus Ex video game projects[1][2], but could only find its way into Software:Deus Ex: Mankind Divided[3] due to the cancellation of its sequel[4]. The engine was later used for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy[5] before its abandonment in favor of Unreal Engine 5[6].

History

Dawn Engine is based on a heavily modified version of IO Interactive's Glacier 2, which has its roots in Software:Hitman: Absolution[1][7]. The engine was created after developers at Eidos-Montréal "found that [their] creative vision was somehow limited" by relying on existing engines[8][9]. The graphics engine has been "almost completely" rewritten. This was done to "fully leverage the power offered by the PC and [eighth-gen] consoles". The creation of Dawn was challenging even for Eidos-Montréal's most experiencing staff[10].

In 2017, Eidos-Montréal revealed that they were shifting focus to online gaming and this required them to add online features to the engine[11][12][13].

In 2022, it was announced that Eidos-Montréal had several projects in development, none of them being on Dawn Engine. This decision was made by studio management to "focus on content" rather than technical hurdles of developing a game and its engine simultaneously[14][15].

Technical details

Dawn features improved conversation system and cutscenes compared to Glacier 2. It is built on an "entity system", which allows designers to create new behaviours without the assistance of programmers.[10] Hair technology is an improved version of AMD's TressFX[16], which has been developed by the in-house research and development team Labs. Dawn features systems for volumetric lighting and air density, as well as support for dense indoor and outdoor areas, and many dynamic objects. Not all objects are rendered at the same time, the engine makes use of Umbra occlusion culling[17]. With Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, ray tracing and DLSS support was added.[18]

Games using Dawn Engine

Title Earliest release Developer Platforms
Win macOS Linux PS4 PS5 XOne XSeries NS(cloud) GFN
Software:Deus Ex: Mankind Divided 2016 Eidos-Montréal Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy 2021 Eidos-Montréal Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Eidos Montreal shows off the Dawn Engine, the “cornerstone” of Deus Ex Universe" (in en-GB). https://www.pcgamesn.com/eidos-montreal-shows-off-the-dawn-engine-the-cornerstone-of-deus-ex-universe. 
  2. O'Connor, Alice (2014-12-04). "Not-Deus Ex: First Look At New Game's Engine" (in en). Rock, Paper, Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/deus-ex-dawn-engine. 
  3. "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided's Biggest Level's Size and Tech Revealed; Temporal AA, Improved TressFX and More" (in en). 2016-03-20. https://www.dualshockers.com/deus-ex-mankind-divideds-biggest-levels-size-and-tech-revealed-temporal-aa-improved-tressfx-and-more/. 
  4. Frank, Allegra (2017-01-30). "Report: Deus Ex series put on hold as Eidos Montreal moves on to Marvel project" (in en-US). https://www.polygon.com/2017/1/30/14439080/deus-ex-mankind-divided-sequel-square-enix-marvel-guardians-of-the-galaxy. 
  5. "Eidos Confirms Guardians Of The Galaxy And Avengers Use Different Engines" (in en-US). 2021-09-27. https://www.thegamer.com/eidos-confirms-guardians-of-the-galaxy-avengers-different-engines/. 
  6. Palumbo, Alessio (2022-05-02). "Eidos Montréal Has Adopted Unreal Engine 5 Over In-House Tools" (in en-US). https://wccftech.com/eidos-montreal-has-adopted-unreal-engine-5-over-in-house-tools/. 
  7. "Dawn Engine : le nouveau moteur graphique d'Eidos Montréal" (in fr-FR). 2014-12-05. https://www.begeek.fr/dawn-engine-le-nouveau-moteur-graphique-deidos-montreal-154884. 
  8. "Eidos announces its next-gen game engine: the Dawn Engine". 2014-12-05. https://hexus.net/tech/news/software/78053-eidos-announces-next-gen-game-engine-dawn-engine/. 
  9. OXM Staff (2015-04-21). "Designing Deus Ex's futuristic Dawn Engine" (in en). https://www.gamesradar.com/deus-ex-mankind-divided-engine-interview/. 
  10. 10.0 10.1 "How the Dawn Engine is powering the next wave of Deus Ex games" (in en). MCV. 2015-02-11. ISSN 1469-4832. https://www.mcvuk.com/development-news/how-the-dawn-engine-is-powering-the-next-wave-of-deus-ex-games/. 
  11. "Eidos-Montréal dedicates itself to producing online games" (in en-US). https://www.techspot.com/news/72368-eidos-montral-dedicates-itself-producing-online-games-now.html. 
  12. "Deus Ex Developer Looking to Add Multiplayer to Game's Engine" (in en). 2017-07-09. https://www.dualshockers.com/deus-ex-developer-looking-add-multiplayer-games-engine/. 
  13. Palumbo, Alessio (2017-12-16). "Eidos Montréal To Place Added Emphasis on Online Experiences Going Forward" (in en-US). https://wccftech.com/eidos-montreal-emphasis-online/. 
  14. "Unreal Engine 5 will feature the following games by the creators of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Deus Ex. - Tech Artica" (in en-US). 2022-05-04. https://techartica.com/unreal-engine-5-will-feature-the-following-games-by-the-creators-of-marvels-guardians-of-the-galaxy-and-deus-ex/. 
  15. (in en) Embracer Group enters into an agreement to acquire Eidos, Crystal Dynamics, and Square Enix Montréal, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TiG0Adh-fM, retrieved 2022-05-18 
  16. Paras, Archie (2015-03-17). "Dawn Engine – First Slide Showcasing AMD’s TressFX 3.0" (in en-US). https://wccftech.com/dawn-engine-slide-showcasing-amds-tressfx-30/. 
  17. "Improving Geometry Culling for 'Deus Ex: Mankind Divided' (presented by Umbra)". https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1023678/Improving-Geometry-Culling-for-Deus. 
  18. "Guardians of the Galaxy's RT upgrade adds extra shine to a brilliant game" (in en-gb). Eurogamer.net. 2021-12-18. https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2021-guardians-of-the-galaxys-ray-tracing-upgrade-adds-extra-shine-to-a-brilliant-game.