Total War: Warhammer 40,000
Art direction for adapting the Warhammer 40,000 universe into a large scale Total War experience, focusing on faction readability, battlefield clarity, and a scalable visual system for long term live development.
00
challenge
The challenge was to establish an art direction for a large scale strategy game within the Warhammer 40,000 universe, designed to support long term development and live content. The visual direction needed to balance authenticity to the IP with gameplay clarity, ensuring readability across large scale battles while remaining adaptable over time.
solution
The solution focused on building a clear, scalable visual language that supported large-scale battles while maintaining the identity of the Warhammer universe. - Established strong visual hierarchy across units, environments, and gameplay states - Directed lighting, colour, and VFX to improve battlefield readability during high intensity combat - Defined clear faction visual identity through silhouettes, materials, and tone - Reduced visual noise to ensure units and key actions remained readable at scale - Built a scalable visual framework to support new factions, environments, and long term development
Defining a scalable visual direction for Warhammer 40,000 within a large-scale strategy framework.
The early exploration focused on translating the Warhammer 40,000 visual identity into a format that could support large-scale strategy gameplay. The goal was not to replicate the IP directly, but to establish a visual language that remained clear and readable within complex battle scenarios.
I defined visual pillars around faction identity, battlefield readability, and environmental tone. Lighting, material contrast, and VFX were directed to maintain clarity during high-intensity engagements, ensuring players could quickly interpret the battlefield.
A key challenge was balancing authenticity with usability. The direction needed to feel true to the Warhammer universe while supporting gameplay requirements such as hierarchy, clarity, and scale.
The result was a visual foundation designed to scale across future content, supporting new factions and environments while maintaining a consistent and recognisable identity.
Impact
Defined a visual direction balancing Warhammer authenticity with large-scale gameplay readability
Established clear systems for faction identity, battlefield clarity, and environmental tone
Built a scalable visual framework supporting long-term live development
Ensured strong readability during high-intensity, large unit count battles
Positioned the project with a modern visual identity aligned to long-term goals
year
2021-2026
Team Size
40+ Artists
tools
Proprietary Engine
category
Professional Work
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
