GOTHAM KNIGHTS – DYNAMIC SKYBOX & ATMOSPHERE DESIGN

WORK DESCRIPTION:

For Warner Bros. Games' Gotham Knights, STARNO applied its matte painting expertise to develop hyper-realistic Skyboxes that define the visual mood of an expansive, open-world Gotham City. In modern game development, skyboxes are sophisticated 360-degree digital environments that provide the player with a sense of infinite scale and atmospheric depth.

The core challenge of this project was to create skies that accommodate the game’s dynamic cycle. STARNO’s work focused on crafting dense, menacing cloudscapes and heavy atmospheric conditions that mirror the darker tone of the DC Universe. These ciels (skies) were engineered to appear heavy and threatening, utilizing complex cloud formations to enhance the "Gothic" feel of the city.

STORYLINE:

Gotham Knights is an open-world action RPG set in the most dynamic and interactive Gotham City yet. Batman is dead. A new expansive, criminal underworld has swept the streets of Gotham. It is now up to the Batman Family—Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin—to protect Gotham, bring hope to its citizens, discipline to its cops, and fear to its criminals.

The narrative follows these four heroes as they evolve into their own versions of the Dark Knight while unraveling mysteries that connect the darkest chapters in the city’s history—from the rooftops of the tallest skyscrapers to the hidden depths of the underground.