Paizul Arena
Credits for Star Atlas:
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Art Director - Marcel Van Vuuren
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LD - Dane Kubicka
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ENV Art Lead - Ed Denton
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3d Art - Ainsley Langford
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3d Art/ ENV Art - Ethan Pflugh
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Tech Art - Alexander Kovyazin
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Tech Art - Ivan Leon
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Houdini - Oleksandr Kratinov
01
Paizul Arena
Built in honor of Paizul, the Eternal Queen, this environment was crafted in the Sogmian art style, blending Italian and Roman architectural influences with a futuristic twist. The design was centered around our character’s high-speed jetpack movement system, which encouraged us to emphasize verticality throughout the space. Every platform, corridor, and structure was shaped to support fluid traversal and dynamic gameplay, reflecting both the grandeur of the Sogmian culture and the fast-paced nature of our mechanics.
02
The Layout
This map went through multiple iterations, beginning with a simple circular blockout used to establish the correct scale and flow for a three-team arena. The primary game mode, Surge, features a kill-confirmed style of gameplay where three teams compete to collect kill points and return them to designated drop-off zones, represented by the highlighted circles around the map. Each version of the layout was refined through testing to ensure strong pacing, sightlines, and team balance within the arena’s design.
03
V1
The three-team focus naturally led to a symmetrical, pie-slice-style layout, promoting balance and clear team territories. Building on what we learned from Gateway, our original symmetrical arena map, we aimed to capture a more arcade-inspired feel reminiscent of Quake and Halo. This early playable version highlights a detailed central combat zone designed around player movement—incorporating sliding, jetpacks, and fast-paced traversal. The layout offers interconnected caves for quick escapes and abundant vertical cover, encouraging dynamic mid-air combat and high-speed engagements across multiple levels.
04
V2
The finalized version of the map evolved into a more streamlined and geometry-focused design, emphasizing how structure alone could drive cover, flow, and player movement—rather than relying on props or high-detail combat zones. During development, we often referred to it as a “skatepark layout”, as our slide mechanic allowed players to control their downhill momentum and use the central bowl-shaped area to gain speed, sliding down one side and up the other much like a half-pipe. This approach reinforced the game’s fast-paced, fluid movement style while keeping the environment visually clean and functionally expressive.
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Extra Lore
The arena was originally designed to be housed within Oni CSS, as shown here. However, the final playable version was relocated to the faction’s home world, where the natural environment and lighting dramatically enhance the experience. The new setting not only adds visual depth and atmosphere but also makes the arena feel alive—beautiful to explore and exciting to play through.
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The outcome
The final playable version evolved from a simple disc-shaped prototype into a fully realized competitive arena, now featured in paid tournaments and live events around the world. Seeing players compete and enjoy the space firsthand has been an incredible experience—there’s nothing more rewarding than watching something we built bring genuine excitement and joy to people.
