واش رايكم في سطيف؟ المدينة لي بدات تشد الأنظار بفضل جمالها وتطورها! 😍 سطيف، لؤلؤة الشرق الجزائري، ما تخلاتش غير على تراثها، ولكن زادت عليه العصرية وخلات السياح يتشوقوا يكتشفوها. من عين الفوارة لي هي أيقونة المدينة، لحد الآثار الرومانية في جميلة، كاين كلش يخلينا نحبوا هاد المدينة. وزيد، بارك مول سطيف يبرهن على أن الجزائر قادرة تكون في مستوى الدول المتقدمة. علاش لا؟ نحتاجوا نكونوا فخورين بمدننا ونخليوها تتألق أكثر في الإعلام الدولي. شكون منكم زار سطيف؟ كيفاش كانت تجربتكم؟ شاركوا معنا في التعليقات! #سطيف #الجزائر #السياحة_في_الجزائر #عين_الفوارة #ExploreAlgeria

August 26, 2025 Get Ready to Explore San Vansterdam, an Ever-Evolving Skateboarding Sandbox, and Experience the Best Skateboarding Gameplay in the Franchise Watch the skate. Early Access Release Date Trailer HERE. REDWOOD CITY, Calif.---- Today, Electronic Arts Inc.and Full Circle announced that skate., the next chapter of the award-winning skateboarding video game franchise, will launch into Early Access on September 16 for PlayStation® 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation® 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and EA app. skate. is free-to-download, cross-platform,* and cross-progression,* making it as accessible as possible for both longtime skate. franchise fans, and newcomers alike.Set in the vibrant city of San Vansterdam, skate. is a multiplayer skateboarding destination offering a massive open world where players discover unique skate spots, land insane tricks and connect - or compete - with friends online. With four unique neighborhoods - Hedgemont, Gullcrest, Market Mile and Brickswich - each offering its own distinct vibe and challenges, the city is a huge playground for skaters. From parks and plazas to rooftops and massive ramps, every corner is packed with skateable spots, including the House of Rolling Reverence, a former church transformed into a trick haven for skaters.At the core of skate. is the restored and improved Flick-It System, brought back to life through the Frostbite™ Engine to deliver the best skateboarding experience we have ever offered. With unparalleled precision and control, Flick-It brings the magic of the franchise back to life for a new generation of players. skate. also“skate. is not just a return, it’s a complete evolution of the franchise that’s built to last," said Mike McCartney, Executive Producer of skate. “Our goal with skate. is to capture the freedom, creative expression and community of skateboarding, and share it with as many people as possible. From day one, our priority has been to honor the legacy of the franchise while pushing it into a bold new future - one built in partnership with our players.”In skate., players can discover new ways to explore and get vertical with new off-board controls, giving them total freedom to roam, climb and find epic new spots. Additional features like Quick Drop allow players to place ramps, rails, benches and more anywhere in the world to fine-tune their perfect spot. skate. offers players the ability to find their own fun with endless activities, including rotating world map challenges - such as Line Challenges, Own The Spot and Sessions - as well as high-energy Throwdowns with friends. The new Spectate mode lets players instantly find the action and use Spectaport to jump straight into any live session.Collaborative development with skate. fans and the community have always been a priority throughout our development process. Player feedback has been welcome all throughout playtesting and something Full Circle will continue to look at during the game’s Early Access period. During Early Access, players can expect to see new content every season, offering fresh challenges, cosmetics, music, world updates, and new events each season.“Community is the heart of skateboarding, and it’s the heart of skate.,” said Jeff Seamster, Head of Creative on skate. “From day one, we’ve aimed to create an open, welcoming space shaped by players. We’ve built this game alongside our community - listening, learning and evolving together. Whether you’re a seasoned skater or just dropped in, skate. is a place to express yourself, connect and grow. No gatekeepers, no barriers - just a city built for skating and a community that keeps it alive. Early Access is a huge milestone in that journey, and we’re hyped to keep growing San Vansterdam with our crew around the world.”skate. launches into Early Access on September 16 on PlayStation® 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation® 4, Xbox One & PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and EA app. Stay tuned - there’s much more to come from skate.For more information on skate., visit: & restrictions apply. See for details.PRESS ASSETS ARE AVAILABLE AT EAPressPortal.comAbout Electronic ArtsElectronic Artsis a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.In fiscal year 2025, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS FC™, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ College Football, Need for Speed™, Dragon Age™, Titanfall™, Plants vs. Zombies™ and EA SPORTS F1®. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Apex Legends, The Sims, Dragon Age, Titanfall, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL, and F1 are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. Jino Talens Integrated Comms Director jtalens@ea.com Source: Electronic Arts Inc. Multimedia Files: #full #circle #reveal #september #early

واش راكم يا أحباب! 🌟 حبيت نشارككم فيديو يبهركم ويخليكم تشوفو الجزائر من زاوية جديدة! "الجزائر المخفية التي لا نعرفها!" هو وثائقي عالمي يكشف جمال بلادنا وتطورها المذهل. من جبال الأوراس العظيمة لصحراءنا الذهبية وسواحل المتوسط الرائعة، الفيديو هذا يبرز تاريخنا العريق والثقافة الغنية لتاريخنا. شوفو كيف الجزائر راهي تتطور وتبرز كواحدة من أجمل الدول فالعالم، بصراحة هذا شيء يخلينا فخورين! 💚✨ تقدروا تشوفو كيف العادات والتقاليد تلتقي مع الجمال والطبيعة، وهذا يدعونا نفكر في تراثنا وكي نقدروا نخلّوه يتطور أكثر. لا تفوتوا الفرصة، شوفوا الفيديو وخليكم معانا في رحلة لا تنسى! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTuvIqryTjI #الجزائر #جمال_الجزائر #ExploreAlgeria #BeautifulAlgeria #تاريخ_الجزائر

🌲💚 واش راكم يا أصدقاء؟ اليوم حبيت نشارك معاكم فيديو يحمسكم على السياحة في باتنة، وبالضبط غابة كوندورسي! الفيديو يوريكم جمال الطبيعة و المناظر الخلابة اللي تشد الأنفاس، خاصة لعشاق الجبال والمغامرات. 🌄✈️ أنا شخصياً زرت كوندورسي و كانت تجربة رائعة. الهواء النقي، الأصوات الطبيعية، وكل تلك المناظر... حسيت كأني في جنة! 🙌🏼💖 ما تنساوش أنو السياحة الجبلية هي فرصة باش نكتشفوا بلادنا و نتعرفوا على ثقافات جديدة. فقط تخيلوا كيفاش تكونوا مع الأصحاب، تتجولوا بين الأشجار وتستمتعوا بالطبيعة. الحياة قصيرة، ليه ما نعيشوش لحظات جميلة فيها؟ شاهدوا الفيديو هنا: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjnvPSLDmjk #غابة_كوندورسي #سياحة_جبلية #باتنة #NatureLovers #ExploreAlgeria

IntroductionHi! My name is Pavel Vorobyev, and I'm a 19-year-old 3D Artist specializing in texturing and weapon creation for video games. I've been working in the industry for about 3 years now. During this time, I've had the opportunity to contribute to several exciting projects, including Arma, DayZ, Ratten Reich, and a NEXT-GEN sci-fi shooter. Here's my ArtStation portfolio.My journey into 3D art began in my early teens, around the age of 13 or 14. At some point, I got tired of just playing games and started wondering: "How are they actually made?" That question led me to explore game development. I tried everything – level design, programming, game design – but it was 3D art that truly captured me.I'm entirely self-taught. I learned everything from YouTube, tutorials, articles, and official documentation, gathering knowledge piece by piece. Breaking into the commercial side of the industry wasn't easy: there were a lot of failures, no opportunities, and no support. At one point, I even took a job at a metallurgical plant. But I kept pushing forward, kept learning and improving my skills in 3D. Eventually, I got my first industry offer – and that's when my real path began.Today, I continue to grow, constantly experimenting with new styles, tools, and techniques. For me, 3D isn't just a profession – it's a form of self-expression and a path toward my dream. My goal is to build a strong career in the game industry and eventually move into cinematic storytelling in the spirit of Love, Death & Robots.Astartes YouTube channelI also want to inspire younger artists and show how powerful texturing can be as a creative tool. To demonstrate that, I'd love to share my personal project PU – Part 1, which reflects my passion and approach to texture art.In this article, I'll be sharing my latest personal project – a semi-realistic sci-fi helmet that I created from scratch, experimenting with both form and style. It's a personal exploration where I aimed to step away from traditional hyperrealism and bring in a touch of artistic expression.Concept & Project IdeaThe idea behind this helmet project came from a very specific goal – to design a visually appealing asset with rich texture variation and achieve a balance between stylization and realism. I wanted to create something that looked believable, yet had an artistic flair. Since I couldn't find any fitting concepts online, I started building the design from scratch in my head. I eventually settled on creating a helmet as the main focus of the project. For visual direction, I drew inspiration from post-apocalyptic themes and the gritty aesthetics of Fallout and Warhammer 40,000.Software & Tools UsedFor this project, I used Blender, ZBrush, Substance 3D Painter, Marmoset Toolbag 5, Photoshop, and RizomUV. I created the low-poly mesh in Blender and developed the concept and high-poly sculpt in ZBrush. In Substance 3D Painter, I worked on the texture concept and final texturing. Baking and rendering were done in Marmoset Toolbag, and I used Photoshop for some adjustments to the bake. UV unwrapping was handled in RizomUV.Modeling & RetopologyI began the development process by designing the concept based on my earlier references – Fallout and Warhammer 40,000. The initial blockout was done in ZBrush, and from there, I started refining the shapes and details to create something visually engaging and stylistically bold.After completing the high-poly model, I moved on to the long and challenging process of retopology. Since I originally came from a weapons-focused background, I applied the knowledge I gained from modeling firearms. I slightly increased the polycount to achieve a cleaner and more appealing look in the final render – reducing visible faceting. My goal was to strike a balance between visual quality and a game-ready asset.UV Mapping & BakingNext, I moved on to UV mapping. There's nothing too complex about this stage, but since my goal was to create a game-ready asset, I made extensive use of overlaps. I did the UVs in Rizom UV. The most important part is to align the UV shells into clean strips and unwrap cylinders properly into straight lines.Once the UVs were done, I proceeded to bake the normal and ambient occlusion maps. At this stage, the key is having clean UVs and solid retopology – if those are in place, the bake goes smoothly. Texturing: Concept & WorkflowNow we move on to the most challenging stage – texturing. I aimed to present the project in a hyperrealistic style with a touch of stylization. This turned out to be quite difficult, and I went through many iterations. The most important part of this phase was developing a solid texture concept: rough decals, color combinations, and overall material direction. Without that foundation, it makes no sense to move forward with the texturing. After a long process of trial and error, I finally arrived at results I was satisfied with.Then I followed my pipeline:1. Working on the base materials2. Storytelling and damage3. Decals4. Spraying, dust, and dirtWorking on the Base MaterialsWhen working on the base materials, the main thing is to work with the physical properties and texture. You need to extract the maximum quality from the generators before manual processing. The idea was to create the feeling of an old, heavy helmet that had lived its life and had previously been painted a different color. To make it battered and, in a sense, rotten.It is important to pay attention to noise maps – Dirt 3, Dirt 6, White Noise, Flakes – and add the feel of old metal with custom Normal Maps. I also mixed in photo textures for a special charm. PhototextureCustom Normal Map TextureStorytelling & DamageGradients play an important role in the storytelling stage. They make the object artistically dynamic and beautiful, adding individual shades that bring the helmet to life.Everything else is done manually. I found a bunch of old helmets from World War II and took alpha damage shots of them using Photoshop. I drew the damage with alphas, trying to clearly separate the material into old paint, new paint, rust, and bare metal.I did the rust using MatFX Rust from the standard Substance 3D Painter library. I drew beautiful patterns using paint in multiply mode – this quickly helped to recreate the rust effect. Metal damage and old paint were more difficult: due to the large number of overlaps in the helmet, I had to carefully draw patterns, minimizing the visibility of overlaps.DecalsI drew the decals carefully, sticking to the concept, which added richness to the texture.Spray Paint & DirtFor spray paint and dirt, I used a long-established weapon template consisting of dust particles, sand particles, and spray paint. I analyzed references and applied them to crevices and logical places where dirt could accumulate.Rendering & Post-ProcessingI rendered in Marmoset Toolbag 5 using a new rendering format that I developed together with the team. The essence of the method is to simulate "RAW frames." Since Marmoset does not have such functions, I worked with the EXR 32-BIT format, which significantly improves the quality of the render: the shadows are smooth, without artifacts and broken gradients. I assembled the scene using Quixel Megascans. After rendering, I did post-processing in Photoshop utilizing Filter Camera Raw. Conclusion & Advice for BeginnersThat's all. For beginners or those who have been unsuccessful in the industry for a long time, I advise you to follow your dream and not listen to anyone else. Success is a matter of time and skill! Talent is not something you are born with; it is something you develop. Work on yourself and your work, put your heart into it, and you will succeed!Pavel Vorobiev, Texture ArtistInterview conducted by Gloria Levine #creating #detailed #helmet #inspired #fallout

أهلا بكم يا أصدقاء! ✈️💙 اليوم جبتلكم فيديو يفرح القلب، حيث الخطوط الجوية الداخلية دارت أول رحلة لها إلى مطار تمنراست، وهي خطوة كبيرة نحو تطوير السياحة والنقل في بلادنا. هاد الرحلة ما هيش غير وسيلة للتنقل، بل هي جسر يربط بين المناطق ويخلي الناس يكتشفوا جمال الجزائر. شخصياً، تمنراست عندي ذكريات جميلة فيها، والجبال والصحارى هناك مذهلة. لازم كل واحد فينا يجرب يزور هاد المنطقة الرائعة ويشوف المناظر الطبيعية الساحرة. شوفوا الفيديو وعيشوا اللحظة، وخلونا نتشاركوا التجارب ونعرفوا أكثر عن جمال الجزائر. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBGUhv1h_t0 #تمنراست #EchoroukNews #الخطوط_الجوية_الداخلية #TourismeAlgerie #ExploreAlgeria

واش راكم يا الأحباب! 💚 اليوم حبيت نشارك معاكم فيديو خطير عن بومرداس، هاد المدينة لي فيها تنوع كبير في المؤهلات السياحية! 🌊🏞️ الفيديو يديكم في جولات ممتعة بين الطبيعة الخلابة والتاريخ العريق، وين تشوفوا كيفاش تقدروا تستمتعوا بأحلى الأوقات. بصراحة، عندي ذكريات جميلة من بومرداس، وقت لي كنت نروح نتنزه في الشواطئ ونكتشف المناظر الساحرة. ما تنساوش، كل واحد فينا يقدر يكتشف جمال بلادو. ✨ قبل ما تشوفوا الفيديو، نصيحتي ليكم: حاولوا تكونوا دائمًا منفتحين على تجربة أماكن جديدة، لأن الجزائر مليانة بالكنوز. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv2u1vkYpRk #بومرداس #TourismeAlgerie #Nature #Histoire #ExploreAlgeria

واش راكم يا الأصدقاء؟ 🤗 اليوم جبتلكم وصفة جديدة راح تخليكم تحسوا بالطعم الأصلي مع لمسة عصرية! تعرفوا على "دولمة الفلفل في الفرن" اللذيذة! 🍽️ في الفيديو هذا، راح نتعلموا كيفية تحضير فلفل محشي بالأرز البسمتي و لحم الديك الرومي وكل البهارات اللذيذة. وكي ندخلوه للفرن مع صلصة الطماطم الغنية بالثوم والهريسة، النتيجة تكون طبق شهي يناسب كل العزائم. 🙌 تقدروا تحضروها في 60 دقيقة فقط! صراحة، أنا جربتها في عائلتي وكانت ناجحة 100%! 😍 راح تعجبكم أكيد! دخلو شوفوا الفيديو وتعلموا كيفاش تديروا هاد الوصفة السهلة والمضمونة. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRwYaXdHeds #دولمة_الفلفل #وصفة_سهلة #cuisine_dalila_dz #محشي #explore

Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege of connecting with talented game developers from across the Middle East and North Africathrough the PlayStation MENA Hero Project. This initiative was launched with a simple goal: to identify and support original voices and empower creators from emerging regions to tell their stories through games. Today, we’re thrilled to announce the first cohort of titles supported under the MENA Hero Project, each one a unique reflection of the creativity, and spirit of developers in the region. The First Cohort of MENA Hero Project Games Red Bandits | Developer: Team Agenda | Country: Saudi Arabia Red Bandits is a fast-paced robbery action game set in a hyper-capitalist age where one company rules the world through complete monopoly. In this world, a newly formed thieves organization known as the Red Bandits, emerges to challenge the system and spark a rebellion. You play as Stutt, a seasoned old thief with a stuttering condition and a mysterious past he can’t fully remember. Break into the company’s fortified floors, take down the powerful board of directors, and bring back a de-monopolized world order. With a dynamic cover system, evolving heists, and a vibrant comrades’ hideout, Red Bandits blends fast, stylish action with a deeply personal story of rebellion. Robbing its way to PS5 and PC. Enci’s Solution | Developer: Dark Emerald | Country: United Arab Emirates Exiled by humans centuries ago, the Aeons are confined to the desolate underground. Their village is safe, but beyond the gates, danger lurks at every corner, and not everyone can be trusted. No one has left the village before, except for Ji’we. Inspired by techno-dystopian aesthetics, Enci’s Solution is a hand-painted, 2.5D narrative platformer following the story of Ji’we, a young Aeon venturing out into the unknown in an attempt to save his dearest friend. Stumbling upon Enci, a lost encyclopedic robot who finds himself far from home, the two form an unusual bond and set out together to the surface of planet Regalia.  Play through 40+ levels with increasing difficulty and explore uncharted territories. Find collectibles and uncover the secrets they carry about the world and its odd inhabitants. Keep an eye out for hidden levels and challenge yourself to think outside the box. Will you find your solution on PS5 and PC? Play Video The Perfect Run | Developer: Lanterns Studios | Country: Tunisia the world or blow it up yourself, one loop at a time! The Perfect Run is an action-adventure RPG game where the player controls Quicksave, a time-traveling hero caught in an epic struggle between supervillain gangs, marketed superheroes, and a powerful mega corporation for the control of the city of New Rome. With three days to decide the city’s fate, the player can go back in time to decide their perfect ending… if they have the skill to do so! Interact with NPCs and unlock new dialogue options thanks to information collected in earlier loops, join a faction in one route and fight them the next, bend time itself in epic battle against superpowered bosses, collect the best upgrades before the reset, and unlock the city’s secrets in this memorable superhero adventure. Find the perfect run on PS5 and PC. A Cat’s Manor | Developer: Happiest Dark Corner | Country: Bahrain You awaken trapped in a house infested with spiders and inhabited by an eccentric family. At the end of your tail, you discover a crudely stitched hand. With no memory of who you are or how you got here, you let curiosity guide you forward. A Cat’s Manor is an atmospheric adventure that blends puzzles, combat, crafting, and rhythm-based music challenges. Use your wits to escape the manor. Investigate your surroundings, solve puzzles, fight your way through deadly encounters, or outsmart your foes and avoid trouble. Inspect, observe, listen, and feel your surroundings for clues and cues, immersing yourself with 3D audio and PS5 DualSense controller features. Uncover the secrets of the manor and unravel what the family is hiding. Creeping its way to PS5 and PC near you.  About the MENA Hero Project The MENA Hero Project is the newest chapter in SIE’s global Hero Project family, joining India and China in our mission to discover and nurture the next generation of original game creators. We believe that great games can come from anywhere. Through the MENA Hero Project, we’re committed to unlocking the region’s creative potential, supporting locally inspired experiences with the power to captivate players around the world. #revealing #middle #east #north #africa

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, launching August 28 on PlayStation 5, is a remake of the 2004 PlayStation 2 classic, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. I had a conversation with the developers during a Tokyo press event to discuss the upcoming remake and its development process.  ​​ Faithfully replicating the thrill and impact of the original PlayStation Blog: How important was it to your team to create a game that stayed true to the original? Noriaki Okamura: We began this project with the intention of bringing a 20-year-old game to the present day. While we updated the graphics and certain game mechanics to ensure today’s players could fully enjoy the experience, we wanted to stay true to the original as much as possible. What challenges did your team face during development, and what specific adjustments were implemented? Okamura: I had no intention of altering the original story, so I insisted that we can just update the game graphics. Korekado disagreed and warned me that that approach will not work, but I initially had the team re-create the game just with new character models. Although the graphics improved, they appeared doll-like and unrealistic, so I finally realized that my plan was inadequate. Yuji Korekado: We began by reworking the animation and game mechanics. We implemented animation programming that didn’t exist two decades ago to make the game more realistic, but that also meant we couldn’t reproduce the original game mechanics. Metal Gear is a stealth game, so it’s crucial for players to be able to make precise movements. We put in a lot of effort to replicate the same feel as the original, while maintaining realism. Are there any areas of the game that you wanted to recreate as faithfully as possible? Korekado: We made sure that the jungle looked as realistic as possible. We devoted a lot of time modeling every fine detail like leaves, grass, and moss covering the ground. Since the perspective shifts along with the character’s movements, players will get a closer look at the ground when they’re crouching or crawling. To make sure the environment was immersive from every angle, we carefully crafted every element with great precision. ​​ Have any enhancements been made compared to the original PS2 version? Korekado: We enhanced the visuals to be more intuitive. Thanks to increased memory and much faster speeds the user experience has improved significantly, including faster transitions to the Survival Viewer or having a quick menu to swap uniforms. On top of that, the audio improvements are remarkable. Sound absorption rates vary depending on the materials of the walls and floors, which allows players to detect enemies behind walls or nearby animals intuitively. In areas like caves and long corridors, unique echo parameters help distinguish different environments, which I think is a major advancement for stealth gameplay. Extra content for players to enjoy diverse gameplay The remake features Fox Hunt, a new online multiplayer mode. Why did you include this in the game instead of Metal Gear Online? Yu Sahara: The remake features significantly enhanced graphics, so we explored various online modes that aligned with these improvements. We decided to focus on stealth, sneaking, and survival, since those are also the key pillars of the main game. We landed on a concept that is based on hide-and-seek, that is classic Metal Gear, while also being reminiscent of the stealth missions featured in the earlier MGO. Can players earn rewards by playing the Fox Hunt mode? Sahara: While there are no items that can be transferred to the main game, players can unlock rewards like new camouflage options by playing Fox Hunt multiple times. Were there any challenges or specific areas of focus while remaking Snake vs Monkey mode? Taiga Ishigami: Our main goal was to make Pipo Monkey even more charming, cute, and entertaining. We developed new character actions, including the “Gotcha!” motion, and each animation and sound effect were carefully reviewed to ensure it captured Pipo Monkey’s personality. If anything felt off, we made changes right away. I heard the new Snake vs Monkey mode features an Astro Bot collab. Ishigami: Yes, a couple of bots from the Astro Bot game will make an appearance, and you can capture them just like the Pipo Monkeys. Capturing these bots isn’t required to finish the levels, but you’ll receive unique rewards if you do. Depending on the level, either a standard bot or a Pipo Monkey bot will be hidden away, so be sure to keep an eye out for them. ​​ Do you have any final words for new players as well as longtime fans of the original game? Okamura: I rarely cry when playing games, but I remember bawling my eyes out while playing the original Metal Gear Solid 3. The development of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater was driven by our goal to faithfully capture the impact and thrill that players felt two decades ago. Metal Gear Solid 3 is the ultimate example of storytelling in games, and having dreamed of making a game like this, I now feel a sense of fulfillment. I hope everyone enjoys the story as much as I do. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater arrives on PS5 on August 28.  Read a new hands-on report with the game. #metal #gear #solid #delta #snake

1st place — Feixiang LongThis work is a secondary design inspired by Toothwu's original artwork, infused with numerous personal touches.2nd place — BaiTong LIAttic Studio is an interior Unreal Engine environment, inspired by the Resident Evil series.3rd place — Ouanes BilalThe main character of Grendizer: The Feast of the Wolves.Portfolio review with José VegaJose Vega is the founder and Senior Concept Artist of Worldbuilders Workshop, working mainly in the video games and film industry. Some of his clients include: Hirez Studios, Replicas, Shy the Sun, Wizards of the Coast, Cryptozoic Entertainment, Blur Entertainment, and others.The exact date of the Live Event will be announced soon. Stay tuned!A huge congratulations to our winners and heartfelt thanks to all the amazing creators who took part! Your talent keeps our community inspired and energized. Want to explore more outstanding projects? Join us on Discord and stay tuned for the next 80 Level challenge! #winners #showcase #competition

IntroductionHello, I am Joseph Jegede, born in Nigeria, lived and studied in London, which is also where I started my career as a games developer. Before my game dev career, I was making websites and graphic designs as a hobby but felt an urge to make static images animated and respond to user input. I studied Computer Science at London Metropolitan University for my bachelor’s degree.I worked at Tivola Publishing GmbH, where we developed:Wildshade: Unicorn ChampionsConsole Trailer: YouTubeWildshade Fantasy Horse RacesiOS: App StoreAndroid: Google PlayThis project was initially developed for mobile platforms and was later ported to consoles, which recently launched.I also worked on a personal mobile game project:Shooty GunRelease Date: May 17, 2024PlayBecoming an Environment ArtistWith the release of Unreal Engine 5, the ease of creating and sculpting terrain, then using blueprints to quickly add responsive grass, dirt, and rock materials to my levels, made environment art very enticing and accessible for me. Being a programmer, I often felt the urge to explore more aspects of game development, since the barrier of entry has been completely shattered.I wouldn’t consider myself a full-blown artist just yet. I first learned Blender to build some basic 3D models. We can call it “programmer art” – just enough to get a prototype playable.The main challenges were that most 3D software required subscriptions, which wasn't ideal for someone just learning without commercial intent. Free trials helped at first, but I eventually ran out of emails to renew them. Blender was difficult to grasp initially, but I got through it with the help of countless YouTube tutorials.Whenever I wanted to build a model for a prototype, I would find a tutorial making something similar and follow along.On YouTube, I watched and subscribed to Stylized Station. I also browsed ArtStation regularly for references and inspiration for the types of levels I wanted to build.Environment art was a natural next step in my game dev journey. While I could program gameplay and other systems, I lacked the ability to build engaging levels to make my games feel polished. In the kinds of games I want to create, players will spend most of their time exploring environments. They need to look good and contain landmarks that resonate with the player.My main sources of inspiration are games I’ve played. Sometimes I want to recreate the worlds I've explored. I often return to ArtStation for inspiration and references.Deep Dive Into Art-To-Experience Contest's SubmissionThe project I submitted was originally made for the 80 Level x Emperia contest. Most of the assets were provided as part of the contest.The main character was created in Blender, and the enemy model was a variant of the main character with some minor changes and costume modifications. Animations were sourced from Mixamo and imported into Unreal Engine 5. Texturing and painting were done in Adobe Substance 3D Painter, and materials were created in UE5 from exported textures.Before creating the scene in UE5, I gathered references from ArtStation and Google Images. These were used to sculpt a terrain heightmap. Once the level’s starting point and boss area were defined, I added bamboo trees and planned walkable paths around the map.I created models in Blender and exported them to Substance 3D Painter. Using the Auto UV Unwrap tool, I prepared the models for texturing. Once painted, I exported the textures and applied them to the models in UE5. This workflow was smooth and efficient.In UE5, I converted any assets for level placement into foliage types. This allowed for both random distribution and precise placement using the foliage painter tool, which sped up design significantly.UE5 lighting looked great out-of-the-box. I adjusted the directional light, fog, and shadows to craft a forest atmosphere using the built-in day/night system.I was able to use Emperia's Creator Tools plug-in to set up my scene. The great thing about the tutorial is that it's interactive - as I complete the steps in the UE5 editor, the tutorial window updates and reassures me that I’ve completed the task correctly. This made the setup process easier and faster. Setting up panoramas was also simple - pretty much drag and drop.Advice For BeginnersOne major issue is the rise of AI tools that generate environment art. These tools may discourage beginners who fear they can’t compete. If people stop learning because they think AI will always outperform them, the industry may suffer a creativity drought.My advice to beginners:Choose a game engine you’re comfortable with – Unreal Engine, Unity, etc.Make your idea exist first, polish later. Use free assets from online stores to prototype.Focus on creating game levels with available resources. The important part is getting your world out of your head and into a playable form.Share your work with a community when you're happy with it.Have fun creating your environment – if you enjoy it, others likely will too.Joseph Jegede, Game DeveloperInterview conducted by Theodore McKenzie #joseph #jegedes #journey #into #environment