Open 3D Engine
Open 3D Engine (O3DE) is a Linux Foundation-hosted, Apache 2.0 open-source real-time 3D engine serving game developers, robotics simulation users, educators, and metaverse creators with modular Gems, a PBR renderer, and cross-platform support, funded via foundation membership dues and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Open 3D Engine does
Open 3D Engine (O3DE) is an open-source, real-time 3D engine stewarded by the Open 3D Foundation under the Linux Foundation, headquartered in San Francisco with 51-100 employees. The engine is written in C++ and distributed under Apache 2.0 with no licensing fees; it originated as Amazon Lumberyard (itself derived from CryEngine) and was contributed by Amazon to the Linux Foundation in 2020, with O3DE branded and governed by the Open 3D Foundation from 2021 onward. The current release is O3DE 26.05, shipped on a semver biannual cadence.
Architecturally, O3DE is organized as a platform-plus-modular-Gems system. The core provides the Atom multi-threaded PBR renderer (DirectX 12, Vulkan, Metal), an Entity Component System, asset pipeline tools, the Project Manager, and scripting layers (Lua and visual Script Canvas). Functionality is extended through plug-in Gems contributed by member organizations: NVIDIA PhysX and Cloth, AMD TressFX, AWS Core/Client Auth/GameLift/Metrics, Kythera AI, Recast Navigation, EMotionFX, ROS2 and other robotics Gems from Robotec.ai, Wwise and MiniAudio audio, networking via AzNetworking, terrain (up to 64x64 km), In-App Purchases, and cross-platform support covering Linux, Windows, experimental macOS, Android, iOS, and AR/VR/XR.
The commercial model is non-commercial by design. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the entity does not pursue traditional ARR or seat licensing. Operating funding flows from foundation membership dues paid by corporate members (AWS, NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Robotec.ai, Kythera AI, Imagination Technologies, Carbonated, CAICT, NIPA) and from individual donations (tiered $5-$500 plus recurring). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: Special Interest Groups, Discord, GitHub Discussions, YouTube tutorials, a podcast (hosted by Royal O'Brien), industry events, and showcases distributed via the o3de.org site. Target segments are Gaming (primary), Robotics (primary), Metaverse, and Education, with showcase end-users including DigiBL Studio, AWS (Paper Kid), Robotec.ai, Imagination Technologies, Kythera AI, and individual developers.
Open 3D Engine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open 3D Engine
- Legal name
- Open 3D Engine
- Website
- https://o3de.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Open 3D Engine (O3DE) is a Linux Foundation-hosted, Apache 2.0 open-source real-time 3D engine serving game developers, robotics simulation users, educators, and metaverse creators with modular Gems, a PBR renderer, and cross-platform support, funded via foundation membership dues and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open 3D Engine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Real-time 3D Game Engine Software
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Game Engines (General-Purpose & Real-Time 3D) (MPAFAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- XR/AR/VR/MR Development Frameworks & Toolchains (MPAFAFAF), Digital Labs, Simulations & Virtual Practicals (Non-XR) (EDAFACAF)
Keywords
Where Open 3D Engine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Open 3D Engine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Open Source Distribution: O3DE is freely available as open source software with no fees or commercial obligations. The source code is hosted on GitHub and can be used without any licensing costs.
- Donations: Individual supporters can make donations to help drive innovation, expand capabilities, and ensure the continued development of O3DE.
- Foundation Membership: Organizations can become members of the Open 3D Foundation to shape the future of O3DE, collaborate with industry leaders, and gain access to exclusive benefits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Open Source - No licensing fees |
| Other | Monthly | Individual Donations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels14 records
Open 3D Engine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open 3D Engine (O3DE) is a free, open-source, real-time 3D engine licensed under Apache 2.0 that provides game studios, simulation developers, and 3D content creators with a modular, cross-platform development environment for building high-fidelity games, robotics simulations, digital twins, and metaverse-style experiences. It bundles a C++ toolchain, the Atom physically-based renderer, physics (PhysX 5), navigation (Recast & Detour), animation (EMotionFX), networking, visual scripting (Script Canvas), AWS cloud integrations, and a Gem-based extensibility system distributed at no cost with no royalties.
Product overview
Open 3D Engine (O3DE) is a comprehensive, open-source, real-time 3D engine organized as a platform-plus-modular-Gems architecture. The core engine provides essential systems including the Atom Renderer (multi-threaded PBR renderer supporting DirectX 12, Vulkan, Metal), Asset Pipeline Tools, and Entity Component System. Functionality is extended through a modular Gem system — individual plug-in packages like ROS 2 Gem (robotics simulation), PhysX (physics), EMotionFX (animation), Script Canvas (visual scripting), Multiplayer Gem (networking), AWS Gems (cloud services), and Recast Navigation (AI pathfinding). The engine targets gaming, robotics simulation, and immersive 3D experiences across Windows, Linux, and experimental macOS/Android platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Open 3D Engine (O3DE) A free, open-source, real-time, cross-platform 3D engine licensed under Apache 2.0, distributed at no cost with no royalties. It is used by game studios, robotics and simulation teams, metaverse/3D experience developers, and educators to build high-fidelity interactive 3D content with integrated rendering (Atom), physics (PhysX 5), navigation (Recast & Detour), animation (EMotionFX), visual scripting (Script Canvas), networking, and AWS cloud integrations.
- Open 3D Foundation Corporate Membership A tiered corporate membership program (Premier and General levels) through which organizations gain governance participation, brand association, and contribution rights to the O3DE project in exchange for annual membership fees that fund the foundation.
Companies that use Open 3D Engine
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Open 3D Engine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
Feature13 records
Open 3D Engine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Linux Foundation (Open 3D Foundation)coreO3DE is hosted by the Linux Foundation under the Open 3D Foundation. The foundation provides governance, infrastructure, and support for the open source project. The project operates under Apache 2.0 license.
- Robotec.aicoreRobotec.ai developed the ROS2 Gem for O3DE, enabling robotics systems simulation through deep integration with the Robot Operating System (ROS). They also created robotic simulation examples and contribute to O3DE's robotics capabilities.
- NVIDIAcoreNVIDIA provides the PhysX Gem for realistic physical effects including collision detection and rigid body dynamics, as well as NVIDIA Cloth simulation. They are a member organization of the Open 3D Foundation supporting the engine's development.
- Kythera AIcoreKythera AI provides advanced AI navigation and behavior tree solutions integrated as a Gem in O3DE. Featured in the O3DE showcase for AI-powered game development.
- AWScoreAWS provides multiple gems including AWS Core, Client Auth, GameLift, and Metrics for cloud gaming infrastructure, authentication, and telemetry. AWS contributed the Paper Kid sample project and is a member organization of the Open 3D Foundation.
- AMDcoreAMD provides the Atom TressFX Gem for hair and cloth simulation. AMD is a member organization of the Open 3D Foundation supporting the engine's graphics capabilities.
- IntelcoreIntel is a member organization of the Open 3D Foundation contributing to O3DE's cross-platform development and performance optimization.
- CAICT (China Academy of Information and Communications Technology)minorMember organization of the Open 3D Foundation supporting the development and adoption of O3DE.
- NIPA (National IT Industry Promotion Agency, South Korea)minorMember organization supporting O3DE development and open source 3D engine adoption.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Open 3D Engine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- CoppeliaSim (Coppelia Robotics): CoppeliaSim (formerly V-REP) is a robotics simulator with integrated development environment for robot simulations. Directly comparable to O3DE's ROS 2 Gem and robotics simulation use cases, though CoppeliaSim is more specialized/niche and proprietary, while O3DE offers broader 3D engine capabilities.
- Blender Foundation (Blender): Blender is a free, open source 3D creation suite used for modeling, animation, rendering, and video editing. Adjacent to O3DE in open source 3D tooling philosophy and overlapping contributor/community audiences, though Blender is primarily an authoring tool rather than a real-time runtime engine like O3DE.
Direct peers
- Crytek (CryEngine): Crytek's CryEngine is the original engine lineage from which O3DE derives (via Amazon Lumberyard). Comparable real-time 3D rendering capability and AAA heritage, though Crytek now operates commercially as a smaller studio-focused engine versus O3DE's open source foundation model.
- NVIDIA (Isaac Sim): Isaac Sim is NVIDIA's robotics simulation environment built on Omniverse, directly competing with O3DE's ROS 2 Gem and robotics simulation capabilities. Comparable in target use case (robotic system simulation), but Isaac Sim is proprietary and tightly coupled to NVIDIA hardware and Omniverse platform.
- Open Robotics (Gazebo): Gazebo is the de facto open source standard for ROS-based robotics simulation. Directly comparable to O3DE's ROS 2 Gem and robotic warehouse simulation use cases (e.g., Robotec.ai's work), but Gazebo focuses exclusively on robotics simulation rather than full-fidelity 3D rendering and game engine capabilities.
- Unity Technologies: Unity operates the leading commercial real-time 3D engine (Unity Editor/Unity Engine) for game development, film, automotive, and industrial simulation. Direct competitor to O3DE in game engine market, with overlapping use cases in multiplayer, mobile, and 3D authoring — Unity's pricing model contrasts sharply with O3DE's free open source license.
- Epic Games (Unreal Engine): Unreal Engine is the dominant high-fidelity, real-time 3D engine for AAA games, film/virtual production, and architectural visualization. Directly comparable to O3DE in target use cases (high-end rendering, multiplayer, large virtual worlds), with a stronger commercial track record but a royalty-based licensing model.
- Godot Engine: Godot is an open source, community-driven 2D/3D game engine under MIT license. Most directly comparable to O3DE as another free, open source engine alternative — Godot has stronger indie developer mindshare and a faster contributor pipeline, while O3DE competes with higher-fidelity rendering and modular Gems architecture.
Broad incumbents
- NVIDIA (Omniverse): NVIDIA Omniverse is a platform for 3D collaboration and industrial digital twins built on USD and real-time rendering — a broader incumbent that overlaps with O3DE in simulation, digital twin, and metaverse use cases. While Omniverse has deeper enterprise tooling and cloud integration, O3DE's open source model and ROS 2 Gem position it as a complementary or alternative stack.
- Roblox Corporation: Roblox operates a large-scale 3D creation and multiplayer platform with a custom engine and user-generated content ecosystem. Comparable to O3DE in 3D platform and creation-tooling ambitions, but Roblox is a vertically integrated consumer platform whereas O3DE provides underlying engine infrastructure for external developers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Open 3D Engine social profiles
Digital presenceOpen 3D Engine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open 3D Engine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Open 3D Engine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open 3D Engine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Open 3D Engine
What does Open 3D Engine do?
Open 3D Engine (O3DE) is a free, open-source, real-time 3D engine licensed under Apache 2.0 that provides game studios, simulation developers, and 3D content creators with a modular, cross-platform development environment for building high-fidelity games, robotics simulations, digital twins, and metaverse-style experiences. It bundles a C++ toolchain, the Atom physically-based renderer, physics (PhysX 5), navigation (Recast & Detour), animation (EMotionFX), networking, visual scripting (Script Canvas), AWS cloud integrations, and a Gem-based extensibility system distributed at no cost with no royalties.
Is Open 3D Engine a public or private company?
Open 3D Engine is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Open 3D Engine founded?
Open 3D Engine was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Open 3D Engine based?
Open 3D Engine is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Open 3D Engine make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Open Source Distribution is the primary driver. The others are donations and foundation Membership.
Who are Open 3D Engine's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are CoppeliaSim (Coppelia Robotics) and Blender Foundation (Blender). Direct peers are Crytek (CryEngine), NVIDIA (Isaac Sim), Open Robotics (Gazebo), Unity Technologies, Epic Games (Unreal Engine) and Godot Engine. Broad incumbents are NVIDIA (Omniverse) and Roblox Corporation.
Does Open 3D Engine have an API?
Yes. O3DE provides a comprehensive public API reference for libraries, Gems, and systems. The engine offers C++ APIs including AzCore, AzFramework, AzNetworking frameworks, and Gem-specific APIs. Additionally, Python scripting support is available through Qt for Python and Editor Python Bindings gems. The engine also supports Lua scripting and visual scripting with Script Canvas. Developer documentation is at www.docs.o3de.org/docs/api.
What industry is Open 3D Engine in?
Open 3D Engine's product category is Real-time 3D Game Engine Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAFAA, Game Engines (General-Purpose & Real-Time 3D), with a secondary code of MPAFAFAF, XR/AR/VR/MR Development Frameworks & Toolchains. Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7371.