Hi everyone, welcome to our latest Dev Diary!
Today, we’re celebrating an anniversary: Ours! That’s right, it’s two years since the full release of AtO. Like all good birthdays, this one features gifts. But in this case, we’re the ones doing the giving.
As a thank-you for your support and to celebrate our birthday in style, we’re gifting all players a free skin pack containing 12 unique skins. These “What if?” skins explore what might have been for some of the game’s most loved characters. They’re a glimpse into how minor changes in their histories may have changed their look.
So, read on to find out how this idea came to be, the process behind the art and when you can expect your gift to be delivered. Let’s dive in!
[h3]The origin story[/h3]
The idea of “What if?” skins was born from a recurring community joke about Magnus. As you may know, one of the most popular variations in the game is to play Magnus as a mage.
One day, riffing on this theme, the community created a mock skin that hilariously depicted Magnus dressed as Wilbur. But the fun didn’t stop there, and you came up with lots more brilliant concepts.
You gave us playful suggestions about Cornelius being an ice wizard, musings on what if Malukah was actually possessed by her snake and the entertaining idea of Gustav being an isekai hero.
These delightful ideas sparked our imaginations and inspired us, so thank you to everyone who got involved!
[h3]From concept to creation[/h3]
Seeing the enthusiasm and creativity of our players, our team started brainstorming. We asked ourselves: What would happen if we took these "What if?" scenarios seriously? What if we created skins that explored how our heroes' stories could have developed differently with just a few small changes?
We envisioned exciting alternate possibilities where our beloved characters had new avatars born from these variations in their backstories.
[h3]Bringing “What if?” to life[/h3]
Our artists dove deep into each hero's lore and personality to imagine how they might look and act in these new scenarios. Below, you can see all 12 skins, along with the concept behind each look:
- Magnus—Our treasured wolf warrior reimagined as a mage raised by the chieftain Gorio.
- Gustav—A frog no longer! What if Gustav had been summoned to Senenthia in human form rather than reincarnated as an amphibian?
- Sylvie—From denizen of Faeborg Forest to possessed by the Fox Spirit, an all-new canine-flavoured look for our crack shot scout.
- Nezglekt—From first mate to first in command. Here’s how Nezglekt would look as captain of the airship in place of Tsnemo.
- Malukah—Now more Medusa than Malukah. A vision of our voodoo healer if the Serpent God of Aquarfall had placed a curse on her.
- Laia—We all know Basthet raised Laia. But how would she look if the powerful paladin hadn’t been chosen as the goddess’s trainee?
- Navalea—Navalea’s original look was shaped by her experience in the deserts of Ulminin. But what if she had chosen to stay with her people?
- Yogger—Yogger loves his steak. But what if he decided to shun meat at an early age and become a vegetarian?
- Ottis—Here’s a look at how the jolly pigman might look if he had worshipped a different god, one with a bit more of an edge.
- Evelyn—What if Evelyn had decided to stay with her grandfather rather than train under Amelia?
- Cornelius—The master of fire. But how would Cornelius look if he had chosen to specialise in cold magic instead?
- Andrin—Here’s a glimpse of an alternate future for Andrin the scout if he had decided to join a rather peculiar assassin’s guild.
[h3]Making the sausage[/h3]
Now that you’ve seen the skins, let’s look at some of the techniques we used to create them.
The first step in our process is deciding which heroes need a new skin or which ones could have an interesting look that fits the theme we're exploring.
Once we’ve chosen the heroes, our talented artists, Juanjo and Alice, take the stage. They create several preliminary sketches of possible skins, exploring different styles, themes and concepts.
With a collection of initial sketches in hand, we get together for a review meeting. Here, we discuss which designs we like best and weigh up the potential advantages and disadvantages of each.
This collaborative discussion is crucial as it allows us to bring together different perspectives and refine our ideas. After reaching an agreement, we tweak the chosen designs to get closer to the final versions.
Once we have a definitive version of the skin, our focus turns to the colour palette. Selecting the right colours is essential, as it ensures the new skin stands out while still fitting within the game's aesthetic. We experiment with various combinations to find a visually appealing palette distinct from the current skins.
With the colour palette chosen, Juanjo and Alice begin working on the final line art and rendering. This phase involves meticulous attention to detail, making sure every element of the skin is polished and cohesive. The goal is to create a finished piece of art that captures the essence of the hero’s new look.
When the PSD file of the skin is complete, the next phase begins—integration into Unity. This involves a couple of technical steps:
- Boning: The character model is rigged with a skeleton structure to prepare it for animation.
- Animating: The animation for each new skin must be redone to ensure fluid and natural movement. This takes time, but it’s crucial in order to maintain high-quality visuals.
Finally, we create all the necessary images, additional assets and other technical requirements for the skin to work in the game. With that, the process is complete, and the new skins are ready to be added to the game.
[h3]Coming soon[/h3]
Hopefully, this Dev Diary has got you excited to see the new skins in-game! But when can you expect that to happen?
Well, while we can’t share the exact date (sorry to be those guys!), let’s just say that you don’t have too long to wait. What we can tell you is that, due to some technical limitations, the skins will be released alongside AtO’s launch on Xbox X|S and Playstation™ 5. You can look forward to a confirmed date soon. In the meantime, thank you for your patience, and we hope you’re excited to celebrate this special anniversary with us.
Before we go, we want to say thank you for the incredible submissions we’ve received for our community cardback design competition. Your talent and imagination have blown us away.
The closing date is rapidly approaching, and we’ll have a shortlist of finalists for you to vote on very soon, so keep an eye on our socials for updates.
That’s it for this Dev Diary. Thank you for taking the time to celebrate our second birthday with us and your ongoing support. You are the driving force behind our creativity.
- The AtO team