Working closely with Riot Games, we were commissioned to create a trailer introducing the Oni Collection for VALORANT — a striking range of Japanese-inspired weapon skins rooted in folklore, craftsmanship and mythology. Our approach was to bring the iconic Oni masks to life through a bold 2D visual style, combining dynamic animation, stylised effects and impactful weapon reveals that captured the energy and precision of the game itself.

Throughout the project, we collaborated closely with Riot’s team in Japan and the to ensure cultural authenticity, drawing inspiration from traditional mask carving, swordsmithing and Japanese visual language. The result was a visually rich and highly kinetic trailer that celebrated the spirit of the collection while creating a seamless bridge between cinematic storytelling and in-game experience.

One of the key challenges was developing a visual style that felt true to the Oni Collection while remaining unmistakably VALORANT. We chose a stylised, 2D-inspired aesthetic influenced by Japanese illustration and graphic design, creating a look that felt both distinctive and authentic to the source material.

To achieve this, we utilised a hybrid CG pipeline. Character and weapon animation were created in Maya, where custom 2D shaders were also used to achieve the final visual style. While we initially explored Houdini for effects work, Cinema 4D and X-Particles ultimately provided a faster route to the look we were after, particularly for the atmospheric smoke, energy and particle effects. The final piece was composited in Nuke and graded in DaVinci Resolve, resulting in a highly polished trailer that seamlessly bridged cinematic storytelling and gameplay.

The trailer resonated strongly with the VALORANT community, generating significant engagement across Riot Games’ global channels. It amassed more than 2.5 million YouTube views, alongside 3.2 million views across Instagram and TikTok, and a further 5.3 million views on X, making it one of the most successful skin launch trailers in the game’s history. Beyond the numbers, the campaign demonstrated the appetite for premium, culturally inspired content within the VALORANT ecosystem, helping to elevate the Oni Collection into one of the franchise’s most recognisable and enduring cosmetic lines. The success of the project further strengthened our relationship with Riot Games and showcased the power of combining distinctive visual storytelling with a deep understanding of gaming audiences.