The engine is coded mainly in C++.[6] Rodrigo Cortes, former brand art director at Massive Entertainment, said that development on the Snowdrop engine started in 2009.[7] Initially it was an engine built for PC and next-gen development to "do things better not bigger".[8][9] The core of the game engine is powered by a "node-based system" and the engine is a dynamic, interconnected and flexible system where developers can create their assets quickly and interact with them in ways that have never been done before.[10][11] Massive created a lighting and destruction system inspired by film production techniques.[12][13][14] Features of Snowdrop include advanced physically based rendering (PBR), procedural destruction, and a dynamic global illumination system.[15][16][17]
According to the developers, the engine was designed with three pillars: Empowerment, which allows animators, artists and designers to get their work done quicker, Real Time, which allows developers to implement and iterate quickly and Fun, a concept that applies not only to the final product, but to using the engine during development.[18][19] An improved version of the engine was used for Tom Clancy's The Division 2.[20][21]
In February 2016, Massive confirmed that the engine can be used for other Ubisoft games.[22][23] According to Martin Hultberg, head of IP at Ubisoft Massive, Snowdrop became available to all Ubisoft studios and not just those working on the Tom Clancy's IP.[24][25] These games include South Park: The Fractured but Whole,[26]Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle,[27] and Starlink: Battle for Atlas.[28] In June 2021, Ubisoft confirmed that the engine will be upgraded for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.[29][30] According to senior technical artist Kunal Luthra, thousands of assets can be propagated inside of each frame to create more highly detailed environments.[31][32] The engine would also support real-time ray tracing, unified volumetric rendering, as well as improved AI behavior for NPCs.[33][34] Snowdrop was also used for Star Wars Outlaws.[35][36]Star Wars Outlaws features RTX Direct Illumination and DLSS Ray Reconstruction.[37] Massive also developed its own digital "camera lens" in Snowdrop, which was used to give Star Wars Outlaws a more cinematic presentation as an option.[38][39] The remake of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell will also use Snowdrop.[40][41][42] Ubisoft announced they will continue to upscale and develop the engine.[43]