Creating the visual EXP: Look inside the 2D art team at Wargaming
Behind every immersive feature, intuitive interface, and captivating narrative moment lies a rigorous visual development process. The Development team for World of Warships is responsible for designing the visual component of the player experience, bridging the gap between game mechanics and aesthetics.
Whether you are looking to understand our production pipeline or considering joining our ranks, this overview outlines the core responsibilities, daily workflows, and professional expectations within our 2D art department.
The Scope
The 2D art team operates across a wide spectrum of visual development. Our artists are versatile, handling everything from initial ideas to final in-game integration. The primary areas of focus include:
Our artists do not work in isolation. The creation of standard features, non-standard features, and ongoing content follows a highly structured, collaborative pipeline designed to maintain quality and narrative consistency.
While the specifics vary depending on the asset, our core production cycle involves the following stages:
1. The initial request
Every project begins with a brief from a game or interface designer. For complex, non-standard features, this often starts at the HLUID (High-Level User Interface Design) stage. Artists are briefed on feature goals, game mechanics, expected art "wrapping," and the basic narrative component.
2. Concepting and collaboration
Artists produce draft visual concepts and establish a pool of visual references. This stage requires heavy cross-departmental collaboration. Artists align their concepts with historical consultants, sound designers, writers, and 3D environment teams to ensure absolute consistency with the game's world.
3. Mid-detail
