Destiny 2: The Witch Queen - Design Process

A very early look at destination massout iteration for the Throneworld (w/ Tyson Allen)

We struck out on many ideas, but the hub and spoke design and giant basin stuck through to the end.

Cross-section sketches of the destination and how it relates to the central palace structure. This led us to using recessed canals to open the spaces up and act as easy containment.

Dima Goryainov was able to synthesize our crazy pitches into the wholly iconic palace we ended up with.

Bubble massout and final frame of the Fluorescent Canal. A main promenade cuts from one end of the bubble to the other, with branching paths into gardens and fountains.

The bubble is large, open, and generally flat. The center of the map raises subtly but significantly enough to divide the space and reduce potential sightlines for gameplay and performance.

Quick paintover with guiding lines to feel out the final design and flow of the terrace.

On World Art I was just as much a level-designer as I was an artist. This helped create spaces that were both beautiful and functional without one compromising the other.

The symmetrical design of the bubble is in keeping with so many palace gardens in real life. Though the layout is broadly mirrored, either wing of the space has a unique layout and theme, almost like a PVP map.

As soon as I saw it in the concept art, I was so excited to include the tolling bell in the player journey to the top of the palace. It's such a cool moment that turned out amazing.

An example of early iteration on structure design. This early exploration of the monastery in the back was far too whimsical. The real intent was to use these early versions of the modular kit to see what shapes were achievable.

The final design, simple and imposing. Built entirely with modular kit-bashing.
This link to Ethan Scheu's page shows a thorough breakdown of the entire kit and its individual pieces:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/X1bL6R