NaturalMotion

NaturalMotion is a British software company known for developing animation technology and middleware for film, television, and video games. Founded in 2001, it created a range of tools to automate and enhance character animation, enabling more realistic movement with less manual keyframing.

Its notable products include Euphoria, a dynamic motion-synthesis engine that procedurally generates believable character motion; Endorphin, a physics-based character animation system used to simulate natural movement and cloth in 3D environments; and Morpheme, an animation middleware for real-time editing and retargeting of motion data within game pipelines. Euphoria is particularly known for its use in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV, where it powered much of the game's ragdoll and physics-driven animation.

The company grew through the 2000s, expanding its collaborations with major studios and investment partners. In September 2013, NaturalMotion was acquired by Zynga for approximately $527 million, integrating its animation technology into Zynga's game development operations.

The NaturalMotion brand and its technologies have continued to influence Zynga's internal development pipelines, with the team applying the company’s motion-generation and animation solutions across various game projects and interactive media.