We're at a cusp in technology where "reverse rendering" is rapidly progressing from a research curiosity to a mainstream product. As soon as high-quality model generation becomes possible on a typical workstation, there will be a dramatic shift in how computer game art assets are produced. Many artists will be replaced by this mechanical, automated method of 3D model production.

No longer will you need a team of 100 artists for every 2-3 developers to manually model and texture objects, instead you'll have 10-20 photographers running around taking pictures of real-life objects and scenes. These will then be reverse-rendered into models, which can then be directly placed into the game world by just a handful of map designer artists.

You can see this in Unreal Engine 5, where they combined their "infinite detail" polygon engine Nanite with their acquisition of Quixel's Megascans library of models captured via photogrammetry.

However, photogrammetry is not the same as reverse rendering: it's only really suitable for diffuse objects captured in good conditions (foggy or overcast days). It can't handle transparency, reflections, or complex/dynamic self-shadowing. Currently it's mainly used for backdrops like rocks, logs, and road surfaces.

Reverse rendering can in principle capture anything a renderer can do, including specular materials. It can "undo" self-shadowing and produce objects that can be re-lit in different scenes.

For gamers, these are going to be exciting times!

For graphic artists... perhaps also exciting, but not necessarily in a good way.