Runway, the AI company best known for powering visual tools in Hollywood, is about to make a big move into video games.
If you’ve seen any of their AI-generated video tools used in movies or shows, you know they’re serious about speeding up creative work. Now, they’re turning that same energy toward the gaming world — and what they’re planning could change how games are made.
A Peek at What’s Coming
This week, I got early access to a new AI experience from Runway that’s set to launch publicly next week. It’s still very much in the early stages — right now, it’s mostly a chat interface where you can generate text and images.
But CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela says this is just the beginning. The end goal? Let people generate entire video games using AI.
That’s not a far-off dream. According to Valenzuela, they plan to roll out game creation features later this year.
Gaming Is the Next Frontier
Valenzuela sees the gaming world right where Hollywood was a couple of years ago — curious about AI, but not fully on board yet.
He’s been having a lot of conversations with game studios lately. Some are interested in using Runway’s tech to build faster. Others might share their data to help train future models.
He’s confident about the direction.
“If we can help a film studio make a movie 40% faster, we can probably do the same for game developers,” Valenzuela said.
And he says studios are already moving quicker than Hollywood did in the beginning.
So What Can You Do With It Right Now?
Right now, the tool is pretty simple. You can:
- Chat with it
- Generate images
- Create text-based content
Not super exciting — yet. But Runway says the real magic will come later, when users can start using it to build game environments, characters, and maybe even entire levels — all powered by AI.
Runway Isn’t New to Big Ideas
This isn’t a random pivot. Runway is already working with top-tier companies across film and business.
Their tech helped create parts of Amazon’s House of David series. Valenzuela even mentioned they’ve worked with “pretty much every major studio” and most of the Fortune 100 companies.
Bringing that kind of tech into gaming? It could seriously speed up how games are made — especially for smaller teams without big budgets.
About Those Zuckerberg Rumors…
Of course, I had to ask about it — was Meta trying to buy Runway?
Valenzuela didn’t deny that there were talks. But he made it clear:
“We think there are more interesting intellectual challenges in staying independent. So that’s the plan — for now.”
Translation: Runway isn’t ready to be someone else’s product just yet.
What’s Next?
If everything goes to plan, AI-generated video games could be possible before the year ends.
Runway is already talking to studios, building features, and laying the groundwork. Here’s what might roll out soon:
- Tools to generate 3D game assets and environments
- Simple game-building frameworks powered by AI
- A smoother creative process for indie devs and big studios alike
It’s not just about faster games. It’s about new ways to create — without needing a huge team or tons of funding.
Final Thoughts
Runway has already proven itself in video and Hollywood. Now it’s ready to do the same in gaming.
While the current version of their new tool is pretty basic, the vision is bold: make game development easier, faster, and more creative — especially for people who’ve never built a game before.
The idea that anyone could one day describe a game and have AI help build it? That’s no longer science fiction.