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When a game-team merge goes wrong, protect the current state before trying to fix it. Stop rebases, resets, garbage collection, and force-pushes; copy the repository or create a temporary recovery branch; then run git status to identify whether you are in a merge, rebase, or cherry-pick. Resolve text conflicts by comparing the base, your version, and the incoming version, testing the result, staging it, and committing. For deleted or reset branches, inspect the local reflog before using git fsck. Unity scenes, prefabs, Unreal assets, and Blueprints require engine-aware merge tools, file ownership, or exclusive locks because ordinary line-based merging is unreliable.
Start with a safe incident procedure
The most expensive mistake is changing repository state before you know what happened. Recovery commands can remove the very references or objects you need. Treat the incident like a production outage: preserve evidence, identify the state, and only then modify it.
- Stop destructive operations. Do not run
git reset --hard,git clean -fd,git prune, repository garbage collection, or a force-push while the state is uncertain. Pause an in-progress rebase or conflict resolution rather than continuing automatically. - Make a safety copy. Duplicate the working directory, clone the repository to another location, or create a temporary branch if the current checkout is usable. A copy protects you if a later command changes the index or removes unreachable objects.
- Record the current state. Run
git status,git branch --all --verbose, and, if needed,git log --oneline --decorate --graph --all. Save the output in the incident notes. The status message tells you whether Git is waiting for a merge, rebase, or cherry-pick step. - Save unrelated edits. If the working tree contains useful changes unrelated to the incident, commit them on a temporary branch or use
git stash push -u -m "pre-recovery snapshot". A commit is easier to inspect and recover than an unnamed stash; use a stash when committing would mix incomplete work into a project branch.
Git’s user manual recommends committing or stashing before merging. That habit separates work that must be preserved from the operation that produced the conflict.
Fix a normal Git text merge conflict
A text conflict means Git could not combine two edits safely. The conflict is not fixed by choosing “ours” or “theirs” everywhere; both sides may contain required gameplay, networking, or build changes.
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1. Locate every conflicted file
Run git status. Git lists paths under “both modified,” “deleted by us,” “deleted by them,” or similar categories. For a machine-readable list, use git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U. Work through every path before staging anything.
2. Examine base, ours, and theirs
For a conflicted file, git checkout --conflict=diff3 -- path/to/file can show the common base in addition to your branch (“ours”) and the merged branch (“theirs”). You can also inspect the three stages directly:
git show :1:path/to/file— the common ancestor.git show :2:path/to/file— your side of the merge.git show :3:path/to/file— the incoming side.
Open the working file and look for <<<<<<<<, =======, and >>>>>>>. Edit the file into one valid version, preserving the behavior that both changes require. Remove every marker; leaving one in a script can produce a syntax error or, worse, a subtly broken build.
3. Validate before staging
Run the formatter, compiler, unit tests, editor validation, and any project-specific checks that cover the changed code. For a game, test serialization and loading as well as ordinary code paths: a file can compile while a scene, prefab, asset reference, or gameplay data fails to load.
4. Stage the deliberate result
Use git add path/to/file for a resolved file. If the correct result is deletion, use git rm path/to/file. Confirm that no unmerged paths remain with git status and, if useful, git diff --check.
5. Complete the merge
Run git commit (or the project’s normal merge command) after all conflicts are staged. Describe the meaningful integration in the commit message. Do not push until the complete test suite and a clean checkout or editor import have succeeded.
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Abandon an unsafe merge, rebase, or cherry-pick
If the wrong branch was selected, the conflict is too ambiguous to resolve safely, or the incoming work should not be integrated, return to the pre-operation state instead of forcing a result.
git merge --abortreturns an unresolved merge to the state before the merge began, when Git still has the required metadata.git rebase --abortstops a rebase and restores the branch to its pre-rebase position.git cherry-pick --abortcancels an in-progress cherry-pick sequence.
These commands can fail if uncommitted files were changed outside the operation. Preserve the working directory first, then decide whether to save those files or restore the operation’s original state. If a merge was already committed, inspect ORIG_HEAD before considering any reset. Protect commits that may already have been shared; rewriting a public branch can strand teammates and require coordinated recovery.
Recover a deleted, reset, or overwritten branch
A branch name is only a reference. Deleting or moving it does not immediately delete the commit objects. Git’s local reference logs, or reflogs, record when references such as HEAD and branch tips were updated.
Find the old commit with reflog
Start with all local references:
git reflog show --all
Look for entries before the reset, rebase, branch deletion, or mistaken checkout. The notation may look like HEAD@{5}; the entry also includes the commit identifier and operation description. Inspect candidates with git show <sha> and compare their trees and dates with the work you expect.
Create a recovery reference immediately
As soon as you identify the likely commit, create a branch before experimenting:
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git branch recovered-work <sha>
git switch recovered-work
That branch keeps the commit reachable while you inspect it. Do not reset the original branch until the recovered branch contains the expected files, history, and project metadata.
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Reflogs are local and can expire, so another clone will not necessarily contain the same entries. If the commit is not listed, run:
git fsck --full --no-reflogs --unreachable
Inspect reported dangling commits with git show. The command verifies the connectivity and validity of objects in the database; it does not decide which dangling commit belongs to your project. The alternative git fsck --lost-found writes dangling commits and other objects below .git/lost-found, giving you files to inspect without altering branch history.
A dangling blob may contain a file from an interrupted merge or fetch, but a blob is not a coherent project state. Prefer recovering a complete commit and tree. Never run git prune while investigating; pruning can remove unreachable objects that are still needed.
Verify and publish the recovery
Open the recovered project in the appropriate editor, check scene and asset references, run builds and tests, and compare the branch with the last known good remote commit. Once verified, push the recovery branch to a remote and establish backups. Backups are the first defense against repository corruption, while reflog and object recovery are local rescue techniques.
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Know what Git cannot recover
Reflog and fsck recover objects that existed in the repository. They cannot restore work that was never committed, stashed, or written into a reachable Git object. An unsaved editor buffer, an ignored file, or a local file overwritten without a backup may be unrecoverable.
Check editor autosave folders, operating-system snapshots, build machines, teammate clones, and backup services only when your team has configured them. Do not claim a recovery is complete until the recovered tree includes the actual scene, prefab, Blueprint, scripts, generated metadata, and configuration needed to open and build the game.
Unity projects: make scenes and prefabs mergeable
Unity scenes and prefabs are serialized, structured resources. They may be text-based, but a line-level merge can still produce invalid object identifiers, reordered components, or references that load incorrectly. Unity’s project guidance emphasizes visible .meta files, prefab decomposition, and an engine-aware merge process.
Keep metadata and serialization consistent
- Keep every visible
.metafile under version control. Losing a.metafile can change an asset’s identifier and make references appear missing. - Use the same Unity editor version and serialization settings across the team. Version drift changes generated text and creates needless conflicts.
- Set asset serialization to a text-friendly mode where the project supports it, and review generated changes rather than blindly accepting them.
Enable UnityYAMLMerge (Smart Merge)
Configure Git’s merge driver to use Unity’s UnityYAMLMerge tool, commonly called Smart Merge, for Unity YAML scene and prefab files. The exact executable path depends on the installed editor and operating system; use the path documented for your editor version and verify the driver with a test branch. Smart Merge understands more Unity object structure than a generic three-way text merge, but it is not a substitute for reviewing the scene in the editor.
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Reduce simultaneous edits
Split a large scene into prefabs and additive scenes, assign ownership of high-churn assets, and integrate short-lived branches frequently. Unity notes that long isolation increases merge-conflict likelihood. A designer changing the same scene hierarchy as a programmer should coordinate a handoff or divide the work into separate prefabs rather than creating a conflict after days of parallel edits.
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Recover a Unity conflict
- Make a copy of the project and preserve the conflicted files and their
.metacompanions. - Use UnityYAMLMerge or the team’s approved merge tool to produce a candidate result.
- Open the result in the matching Unity editor and check the Console for serialization errors, missing references, duplicate objects, and component-order changes.
- Open affected scenes and prefabs, enter Play mode, and run the project’s automated checks.
- Only after the editor validates the result, stage the scene, prefab, and metadata files together and commit.
Unreal projects: treat binary assets as owned resources
Unreal .uasset and .umap files, including many Blueprint assets, are binary or structurally complex. A normal Git conflict marker cannot be inserted into them in a useful way. Choosing one side may silently discard hours of level design or Blueprint work.
Use locks or exclusive checkout
For binary-heavy content, use a mainline stream or branch with exclusive checkout. One person owns a map, Blueprint, or other high-conflict asset during an edit window; others update their work from the latest mainline before taking ownership. The official Unreal source-control guidance describes this workflow for binary assets and recommends keeping such assets in one main branch when practical.
Follow an editor-closed update cycle
- Close Unreal Editor before updating or switching the working copy. This avoids stale in-memory packages overwriting files that were just synchronized.
- Update from the mainline or obtain the exclusive checkout through the source-control provider.
- Open the editor, make the asset change, save, and close or fully save again before submitting.
- Check in the asset and any related source files as one logical change. Record the map or Blueprint ownership and the editor version used.
If two people edited the same binary asset without a lock, do not attempt repeated blind merges. Preserve both copies, identify the latest good base, and manually recreate the required changes in the editor or use an approved Unreal comparison and merge tool. Validate references, cooking, and packaged builds afterward.
Prevent conflicts in code and game data
- Integrate short-lived branches. Merge small, reviewable changes frequently instead of carrying a week of divergent scene and code edits.
- Make commits focused. Keep formatting, generated-file churn, refactors, and gameplay changes in separate commits so a conflict has a clear intent.
- Define ownership. Assign maintainers or time windows for scenes, maps, prefabs, Blueprints, localization tables, and other files that do not merge well.
- Partition content. Divide levels by sub-scene, streamable region, prefab, or component so two people rarely edit the same serialized resource.
- Review generated files deliberately. Decide which imports, caches, and build products belong in source control. Ignored files cannot be recovered through Git.
- Back up remotes and important workstations. A remote mirror, scheduled repository backup, and editor/project snapshots cover failures that reflog cannot.
- Document recovery commands. Put the safe incident runbook in the team handbook so an engineer under pressure does not improvise a destructive reset.
Choose Git with LFS, Perforce/Helix, or Unity Version Control
No source-control system eliminates conflicts. Select according to asset types, team distribution, editor integration, locking needs, review practices, and recovery controls.
| Decision axis | Git plus LFS | Perforce/Helix | Unity Version Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distributed/offline work | Full local history and branching support offline; large files require LFS objects and suitable caching. | Commonly centered on a server workspace; offline behavior and file availability depend on workspace configuration. | Designed for game and real-time 3D teams, with distributed workflows and large-file support described by Unity. |
| Binary storage and transfer | LFS stores large binaries outside normal Git blobs while keeping pointers in commits; plan storage, bandwidth, and mirror backups. | Server-managed depots handle large assets and can coordinate workspace access. | Supports large files and binaries with workflows aimed at game projects. |
| Locking/exclusive checkout | LFS locking and team policy can protect selected files, but it must be configured and enforced. | Exclusive checkout is a central strength for maps, packages, and other binary assets. | Provides game-oriented version control features, including workflows for binary assets and collaboration. |
| Engine integration | Strong ecosystem and CI integration; UnityYAMLMerge, Unreal tooling, and LFS require deliberate setup. | Widely used with Unreal-style mainline and lock workflows; editor plug-ins depend on the team setup. | Unity positions UVCS as a source-control and software-management tool for game and real-time 3D development with any engine. |
| Merge and diff quality | Excellent for text; engine-aware tools are needed for scenes, prefabs, Blueprints, and binary packages. | Best when binary ownership prevents concurrent edits; text and supported asset types can use compare tools. | Offers game-focused workflows, but teams still need ownership or serialization practices for assets that cannot be merged safely. |
| Branching and review | Flexible branches, pull requests, code review, and CI are mature; teams must control branch sprawl. | Mainline and stream models favor coordinated integration and asset ownership. | Supports team collaboration and scalability; choose a branching model that matches the engine and release cadence. |
| Recovery controls | Local reflogs and object recovery are powerful, but reflogs are not shared; remote backups must be configured. | Server history and administrative backups are central; confirm retention and restore procedures. | Confirm repository retention, backup frequency, and export or restore procedures before production use. |
Epic’s scaling guidance lists separate workstreams, compare/merge tooling, Git with LFS, and Unreal Game Sync as components that can help larger Unreal teams. Unity describes Unity Version Control, formerly Plastic SCM, as a tool for game and real-time 3D collaboration and scalability. These descriptions are capabilities, not a universal ranking: a small distributed code team may value Git’s offline branching, while a large content team may prioritize centralized locks and editor workflows.
A practical team decision framework
- Inventory the repository. Measure the proportion of text, generated files, scenes, maps, audio, textures, and other binaries. List assets that cannot tolerate concurrent edits.
- Mark ownership requirements. If the same map or package is frequently edited by multiple people, require locks or an explicit checkout policy before selecting a tool.
- Test the engine workflow. Create a disposable project, perform a scene or Blueprint change from two workspaces, and verify update, conflict, revert, and editor reload behavior.
- Test recovery. Delete a test branch, reset it, and recover the commit using the platform’s documented history and backup process. Confirm that administrators can restore the repository.
- Price operations, not only licenses. Include LFS or depot storage, bandwidth, build-agent access, backup retention, administrator time, and the cost of a failed asset merge.
- Publish one workflow. Document branch naming, lock ownership, update frequency, editor-close rules, review requirements, and the exact abort and recovery commands.
Incident checklist
- Have you stopped reset, prune, garbage collection, rebase continuation, and force-push activity?
- Is there a repository copy or recovery branch that existed before editing?
- Does
git statusidentify a merge, rebase, cherry-pick, or ordinary working tree? - Are unrelated edits committed or stashed with a clear label?
- For text conflicts, did you inspect base, ours, and theirs and remove every marker?
- Did tests, editor import, scene or map loading, and packaging succeed before commit?
- For a lost branch, did you protect a candidate with
git branch recovered-work <sha>before further recovery? - Did you try
git reflog show --allbefore scanning unreachable objects withgit fsck? - For Unity, are visible
.metafiles present and Smart Merge configured? - For Unreal binary assets, was exclusive ownership used, and was the editor closed during update?
- After verification, is the recovered work pushed to a remote and covered by a backup?
The durable fix
Conflict recovery is a technical procedure; conflict prevention is a team design problem. Preserve state first, resolve text with evidence from all three versions, use reflog and object inspection for lost commits, and treat scenes, maps, prefabs, and Blueprints as serialized assets that need ownership or engine-aware tooling. A source-control choice is successful only when the team can integrate ordinary changes quickly and recover safely when someone makes the wrong merge, reset, or checkout.
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