Cultist - Pax Dei

So proud to share these enemy characters I created for Pax Dei! Being part of a project like this has been a dream come true, and I’m incredibly grateful to contribute to such an ambitious and beautiful fantasy game.

I was involved with these characters from the early blockout phase, which gave me the opportunity to help shape their look and feel from the ground up. These NPCs are members of a fanatical cult that worships a dark demon. They live far from civilization and regularly scavenge, attack, torture, and rob people in service of their master. The cult operates under a strict hierarchy, where even access to food is determined by one’s level of devotion.

The workflow was pretty standard (ZBrush, Maya, Substance, Unreal), but the fun part was figuring out who they were and how to visualize it. Coming up with the skeleton backpack was an "a-ha" moment for me. It added visual interest and showed that they see value in what they collect from their victims, to the point that they build something new out of the pieces—a form of ritualistic creativity.

Character art by me
Rigging by Amber van Oosterhout
Metal Chain Trim Textures by Eduardo Morales
Unreal Engine Shaders by Hugues Giboire