Bandai Namco has been quietly building its own game engine for over six years, and now we finally know what it’s called. Sharp-eyed players participating in the Kirby Air Riders Global Test Ride over the weekend of November 8-9, 2025 spotted something interesting in the demo’s intellectual property notices. Listed among the credits was SOL-AVES, Bandai Namco Studios’ long-rumored proprietary game engine that’s been in development since 2019.
Years in the Making
The SOL-AVES engine isn’t a recent project that just appeared overnight. Bandai Namco Studios began full-scale development back in 2019, with a significant reboot happening in 2020. The company assembled a team of over 50 engineers to build something capable of handling large-scale development, including massive open-world games. The goal was ambitious but clear: create a competitive alternative to industry standards like Unreal Engine and Unity.
Leading the charge is Julien Merceron, who joined Bandai Namco Studios as worldwide Chief Technology Officer in 2016. His resume reads like a who’s who of major game companies. Merceron previously served as worldwide technical director at Ubisoft, worked as CTO at Eidos and Square Enix on franchises like Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy, and helped advance Konami’s Fox Engine for Metal Gear Solid V. Bringing someone with that level of experience signals how seriously Bandai Namco takes this undertaking.
From NU Library to Full Engine
SOL-AVES didn’t start from nothing. Its foundations come from something called NU Library, a custom graphics and rendering middleware that Namco engineers created back in the PlayStation 2 era. NU Library was expanded across multiple platforms and used in development of major franchises like Tekken and Ace Combat. The problem was that it only handled rendering, not the countless other systems needed to make a complete game.
Developers still had to create custom editors and tools from scratch for each new project, which was inefficient and time consuming. The vision for SOL-AVES was to unify all those independently developed tools into one comprehensive package. Instead of reinventing the wheel with every game, teams could work within a consistent ecosystem that handles everything from graphics to physics to audio.
First Public Confirmation
While rumors about the engine have circulated since the 2022 announcement, the Kirby Air Riders demo marks the first confirmed public appearance of SOL-AVES in an actual game. The trademark for the engine was filed in late 2024, but until now, players had no way to see it in action. Masahiro Sakurai’s highly anticipated racing game, launching November 20, 2025 on Nintendo Switch 2, serves as the engine’s coming-out party.
The timing makes sense. Kirby Air Riders represents a perfect testing ground for new technology. It’s a high-profile Nintendo release directed by a legendary developer, but it’s not quite the same pressure as using unproven tech for something like the next Tekken or Tales game. If there are rough edges or unexpected issues, they can be addressed before deploying SOL-AVES across Bandai Namco’s entire catalog.
Training the Next Generation
Development of the engine itself is only half the battle. You also need people who know how to use it. Throughout 2025, Bandai Namco Studios has been actively training new engineers on SOL-AVES. The company shared updates on social media in June and August showing new employees creating simple games as part of their onboarding process. According to these posts, the ease of use has been very well received among trainees.
This training pipeline is crucial for long-term success. Building a proprietary engine is meaningless if your development teams find it confusing or prefer working with established tools they already know. By making SOL-AVES user-friendly and incorporating it into new hire training from day one, Bandai Namco is ensuring future projects have teams ready and eager to work with the technology.
Why Build Your Own Engine
You might wonder why Bandai Namco would invest massive resources and years of development time creating their own engine when perfectly good options already exist. Unreal Engine and Unity power thousands of successful games, and both companies provide extensive support and regular updates. The answer comes down to control, flexibility, and long-term cost.
Using third-party engines means paying licensing fees, usually a percentage of revenue after a certain threshold. For a publisher as large as Bandai Namco, those fees add up quickly across dozens of games. Owning your own technology eliminates that ongoing expense. It also means you’re not at the mercy of another company’s priorities and update schedules. If you need a specific feature for your game, you can build it yourself rather than waiting for Epic or Unity to add it.
What Games Might Use SOL-AVES Next
Kirby Air Riders is confirmed as the first game running on SOL-AVES, but it certainly won’t be the last. Based on the engine’s capabilities and Bandai Namco’s statements about large-scale development and open-world games, several of their major franchises seem like natural fits. The next entries in series like Tales, Tekken, or Ace Combat could potentially make the switch, especially if SOL-AVES proves itself with Kirby.
The company has been using Unreal Engine for many recent titles, so any transition will likely be gradual rather than immediate. Different development teams within Bandai Namco Studios work on different franchises, and each will need time to evaluate whether SOL-AVES meets their specific needs. Some projects already deep in development on other engines probably won’t switch mid-production, but new projects starting in 2026 and beyond become prime candidates.
Community Reactions
The gaming community’s response to discovering SOL-AVES has been largely positive. Many players expressed excitement about a major publisher investing in proprietary technology rather than following the crowd. Some compared it to Nintendo’s approach of building engines specifically tailored to their hardware and game design philosophies. Others noted that competition in the engine space benefits everyone by pushing all developers to innovate.
Technical-minded fans are eager to see comparisons once Kirby Air Riders launches. How does SOL-AVES handle lighting, physics, and particle effects compared to current generation Unreal or Unity games? What unique features or optimizations does it offer? These questions won’t have definitive answers until developers and analysts can properly examine the finished product running on Switch 2 hardware.
The Bigger Industry Picture
Bandai Namco isn’t alone in pursuing proprietary engine development. Capcom has its RE Engine powering hits like Resident Evil Village and Street Fighter 6. Square Enix developed Luminous Engine for Final Fantasy XV. EA has Frostbite for Battlefield and other franchises. The trend reflects a growing awareness among major publishers that owning core technology provides strategic advantages beyond immediate financial savings.
Custom engines can be optimized for specific hardware configurations and game genres in ways that general-purpose engines cannot match. They allow studios to develop unique visual styles and gameplay mechanics that become associated with their brand. Most importantly, they represent independence from the handful of companies that currently dominate the middleware market.
FAQs
What does SOL-AVES stand for?
Bandai Namco has not officially explained the meaning behind the SOL-AVES name. The trademark filing and IP notices list it simply as SOL-AVES without elaboration on whether it’s an acronym or has a specific translation.
When did Bandai Namco start developing this engine?
Full-scale development began in 2019, with a major reboot happening in 2020. The project was publicly acknowledged in 2022, though details remained scarce until the Kirby Air Riders demo revealed the engine’s name in November 2025.
Who leads the SOL-AVES development team?
Julien Merceron serves as worldwide Chief Technology Officer at Bandai Namco Studios, overseeing the engine’s development. He previously held similar roles at Ubisoft, Square Enix, and Konami, working on engines for major franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Tomb Raider, and Metal Gear Solid.
Is Kirby Air Riders the only game using SOL-AVES?
Kirby Air Riders is the first publicly confirmed game running on the engine, launching November 20, 2025 for Nintendo Switch 2. As of now, no other games have been officially announced as using SOL-AVES, though recruitment and training suggest future titles are in development.
Will Bandai Namco stop using Unreal Engine and Unity?
Not necessarily. Many publishers maintain multiple engine options depending on project needs. Bandai Namco will likely continue using third-party engines for some games while gradually expanding SOL-AVES to more internal projects over time.
Can other developers license SOL-AVES?
There has been no indication that Bandai Namco plans to license SOL-AVES to external developers. The engine appears to be intended solely for internal use across Bandai Namco Studios projects.
How was SOL-AVES discovered?
Players participating in the Kirby Air Riders Global Test Ride demo event in November 2025 noticed the engine listed in the game’s intellectual property notices. From there, people traced the trademark filing and connected it to previous announcements about Bandai Namco’s proprietary engine development.
What games has Bandai Namco made with other engines?
Recent Bandai Namco games have used various engines. Tekken 8 runs on Unreal Engine 5. Elden Ring uses FromSoftware’s proprietary engine. Dragon Ball FighterZ was built with Unreal Engine 4. The company has experience with multiple technologies across its diverse portfolio.
Conclusion
The reveal of SOL-AVES through the Kirby Air Riders demo caps off a six-year journey from initial concept to functioning game engine. What started as an ambitious plan to modernize the old NU Library has evolved into a complete development platform led by one of the industry’s most experienced technical directors. While questions remain about how widely Bandai Namco will deploy the technology across its franchises, the decision to debut it with a high-profile Nintendo collaboration suggests confidence in what the team has built. As more games launch using SOL-AVES, we’ll get a clearer picture of its strengths and how it stacks up against established competitors. For now, the engine’s successful integration into Kirby Air Riders marks an important milestone for Bandai Namco Studios and positions them with valuable technology independence heading into the next generation of game development.