Chaos Arena
Chaos Arena is Windows software for real-time ray tracing and in-camera visual effects on virtual production stages.
What Chaos Arena is
Chaos Arena is Windows software for real-time ray tracing and in-camera visual effects on virtual production stages. It brings 3D content to LED walls without preprocessing and supports using assets from pre-production through post-production. During production, artists can adjust lights, exposure, assets, and materials in real time; its Material Editor handles shader changes inside Arena. Rendering uses path tracing for global illumination, reflections, refractions, and shadows, with single-pass rendering also supported. Arena can use assets from Maya, Houdini, 3ds Max, and Blender. Its camera-tracking protocols include FreeD, Vicon, stYpe, OptiTrack, and EZtrack, and tracking data can be saved as Alembic. Stage features include distributed and dual-GPU rendering, plus Genlock via NVIDIA Quadro Sync. Other listed capabilities include ACEScg, HDR output, OpenColorIO, USD, MaterialX, depth of field, lens encoder support, decal color correction, and ray-traced Gaussian Splats. Chaos says Arena can render a quarter of a trillion polygons at 60 fps on one GPU, and describes it as production-ready and out of beta. Pricing is available by quote.
Good
- Moves 3D content to LED walls without preprocessing.
- Supports assets from four named DCC tools.
- Includes multiple camera-tracking protocols.
- Supports distributed and dual-GPU rendering.
- Offers real-time depth of field.
Watch out
- Windows is the only listed platform.
- Pricing is available by quote.
Who it suits
Arena is aimed at studios and filmmakers using LED stages for virtual production, from independent projects to large-budget productions. It suits teams seeking real-time rendering and on-set scene adjustments.
Verdict
Arena brings real-time rendering, tracking, and on-set controls into an LED-stage workflow. Contact Chaos for a quote or demo and to discuss bespoke camera-tracking setups.
Plans and prices
From Chaos Arena's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Chaos Arena | Priced on request | Request a quote or schedule a demo · Contact the team for product details |
The facts
Each one read from Chaos Arena's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Additional features
- The page lists real-time depth of field, lens encoder support, decal color corrections, and ray-traced Gaussian Splats rendering.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Asset workflow
- Arena brings 3D content from pipelines to LED walls without preprocessing and supports carrying assets from pre-production through post-production.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Availability and support
- The maker invites prospective customers to contact its team for a quote, demo, or discussion of bespoke camera tracking setups.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Buying and support
- The Arena page directs prospective customers to contact Chaos to request a quote or schedule a demo.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Camera tracking
- Supported camera tracking protocols include FreeD, Vicon, stYpe, OptiTrack, and EZtrack, and tracking data can be saved as Alembic.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Color correction
- Arena supports live, region-specific decal color corrections for matching physical set pieces with the digital background.checked 8 Oct 2026
- DCC integrations
- The maker lists Maya, Houdini, 3ds Max, and Blender as tools whose assets can be used in Arena workflows.checked 8 Oct 2026
- DCC tools
- The page names Maya, Houdini, 3ds Max, and Blender as tools whose assets can be used in Arena.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Depth of field
- Arena supports real-time depth of field and can reflect physical lens changes on the LED wall when paired with lens encoders.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Gaussian splats
- Arena supports ray-traced Gaussian Splats to bring real-world locations to virtual stages without heavy modeling.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- Chaos describes Arena as suitable for filmmakers and content creators, including independent projects and large productions.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Material editing
- Arena includes a Material Editor for on-set shader adjustments within the Arena interface.checked 8 Oct 2026
- On-set editing
- Artists can adjust lights, exposure, assets, and materials in real time during production.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Performance claim
- The maker says Arena can render a quarter of a trillion polygons at 60 fps on a single GPU.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Product status
- Chaos says Arena has transitioned out of beta and is production-ready.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Chaos Arena is a real-time ray-tracing solution for in-camera visual effects on virtual production stages.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Real-time rendering
- Arena delivers fully ray-traced renders in real time, including global illumination, reflections, refractions, and shadows.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Rendering
- Arena uses real-time path tracing and supports global illumination, reflections, refractions, shadows, and single-pass rendering.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Rendering setup
- Arena supports distributed rendering, Genlock via NVIDIA Quadro Sync, and dual-GPU rendering.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Scene capacity
- Chaos states Arena can render scenes with a quarter of a trillion polygons at 60 fps on a single GPU.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Stage setup
- Arena supports LED volume setups of any size, distributed rendering, Genlock via NVIDIA Quadro Sync, and dual GPU rendering.checked 9 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 1997checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Karlsruhe, Germanychecked 28 Sep 2026
- Maker headquarters
- Chaos says it is headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, and has offices in 11 cities worldwide.checked 9 Oct 2026
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