Why it matters: Havok, the Irish-based software maker whose physics engine can be found in countless blockbuster games, has published its first new technology demo on YouTube in a decade. The dynamic destruction demo focuses on Havok’s particle physics engine; the company also has tools that help developers with in-game navigation and clothing-based physics.
The scene opens in an underground cave where debris starts raining down around a humanoid figure as a siren blares in the background. Tunnels with spikes and skull traps populate the middle of the demo, while explosions at the end provide an escape route for our hero. In total, the teaser runs a minute and a half long.
The clip was launched in conjunction with the release of Havok 2024.2, and is no doubt being used to demonstrate to devs what is possible with their physics tech. Havok’s latest includes support for larger worlds, continued enhancements to CMake support, and performance improvements across all products, among other upgrades. The full changelog is available over on Havok’s website.
Founded in 1998, Havok boasts a rich history of collaboration with industry giants such as Bethesda, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, and many others. Intel purchased the outfit in 2007 for $110 million, but it was Microsoft that ended up with the company following its 2015 acquisition from Intel.
Despite changing hands multiple times, Havok has managed to remain relevant through it all. Hundreds of games have licensed its technology over the years. In addition to classics like Half-Life 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Heavy Rain, and Halo 3, Havok’s physics engine is also featured in newer games such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Helldivers 2, and Mortal Kombat 1.
To be fair, the demo is not the first video posted by Havok in the past decade. A 30-minute presentation on the evolution of physics was shared on the YouTube account three months ago. Havok also published a lesson on integrating third-party tech into Unreal Engine 5 in April 2024.
