---
title: entity
framework: spritekit
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Property
path: spritekit/sknode/entity
---

# entity

The GameplayKit entity this node represents.

## Declaration

```swift
weak var entity: GKEntity? { get set }
```

## Discussion

Discussion The Entity-Component architecture in the GameplayKit framework is a way to more easily manage complex object graphs in your game. For more information on this architecture, read Entities and Components in GameplayKit Programming Guide. When you add entities (and their components) to a scene in the Xcode SpriteKit Scene Editor, Xcode automatically  archive those entities alongside the SpriteKit scene content. Use the GKScene class to load the SpriteKit scene with its associated GameplayKit objects. Each entity associated with a SpriteKit node has a GKSKNodeComponent object that manages the relationship between the node and the GKEntity object it represents.

## See Also

### Adding GameplayKit Behaviors

- [obstacles(fromNodeBounds:)](spritekit/sknode/obstacles(fromnodebounds:).md)
- [obstacles(fromNodePhysicsBodies:)](spritekit/sknode/obstacles(fromnodephysicsbodies:).md)
- [obstacles(fromSpriteTextures:accuracy:)](spritekit/sknode/obstacles(fromspritetextures:accuracy:).md)