C++

As a foundational pillar in systems development, the C++ programming language initiated a profound transformation in the software engineering and game development worlds upon its release in the mid-1980s. It single-handedly democratized object-oriented programming at a systems level by migrating the craft from purely procedural C to a much more accessible, multi-paradigm language. This pivotal shift dismantled previous barriers of managing large-scale software complexity, placing powerful, high-level abstractions with low-level memory control into the hands of countless developers globally.