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Case Study
In The Spotlight
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Shapeshift into powerful characters in real time, chain impactful combos, and tear through waves of deadly machines and brutal bosses in this fast-paced hack-and-slash rogue-lite. Explore the remains of a distant dystopian future and survive in a gritty and brutal world of high‑octane, fast‑paced hack‑and‑slash action. Each cycle reveals fragments of forgotten truth about mankind’s self‑inflicted downfall.
The Goal & The Outcome
When Screen Juice Interactive first approached MLC Studio in 2021, Morbid Metal was already grabbing attention. The team needed trusted hands to help push its combat and character fidelity to the next level. Our artists supported the project across multiple phases, delivering high-quality hero character and animation work that enhanced the game’s realism, responsiveness and overall feel for players to immerse themselves in and enjoy. Every contribution strengthened Morbid Metal’s distinctive identity towards success.
Working closely with Screen Juice over several years, seeing the game get picked up by Ubisoft and watching its popularity grow as we approach launch, has been fantastic. It’s been a pleasure being part of its exciting journey.
Services Included
Risk Elimination
Every stage of Morbid Metal’s development demanded clever balance – style versus speed, quality versus performance, ambition versus time. MLC Studio’s role was to protect that balance. We focused on turning creative vision into reliable, game-ready reality while removing the production risks that could slow a project of this scale.
Our first challenge was translating concept work into an optimised, animation-ready model. We rebuilt and refined the initial sculpt, stripping unnecessary geometry while keeping the integrity of the design. The result was assets that looked high-end but ran effortlessly in-engine, a key step in sustaining Morbid Metal’s fast-paced performance goals.
As the project grew, so did its demands. Enemy assets needed to appear in large numbers without loss of clarity or frame rate. We delivered models that were light, consistent, and scalable, enabling the team to push intensity on screen without compromise. That stability allowed the gameplay to stay smooth and visually cohesive, even in the game’s most chaotic moments.
When production timelines tightened, our structured pipeline and collaborative workflow kept quality intact. Splitting the work between artists and maintaining shared standards meant assets were delivered on time, with the fidelity and consistency the client expected. The process became a blueprint for how efficiency and artistry can coexist – even under tight deadlines.
Process
How We Delivered
For Morbid Metal, we adapted across multiple phases of production, from refining existing sculpts to creating hero assets, all while helping Screen Juice maintain the balance between speed, fidelity and style for optimum impact across character modelling, rigging and animation support.
Early in development, we were brought in to refine concept sculpts into production-ready characters. The goal was simple but technical: ensure the models looked fantastic, ran efficiently, and could handle the fast, shapeshifting pace of Morbid Metal’s combat. We rebuilt geometry where needed, cleaned up incomplete areas and reduced polygon counts without losing key design integrity. Each pass was tested against the game’s performance requirements to make sure the assets stayed visually consistent under the stress of real-time gameplay.
As the project expanded, optimisation became the priority. Morbid Metal’s world features enemies that appear in large numbers, often filling the screen during heavy combat. We focused on delivering models that could scale (efficient, consistent, and lightweight) while still holding their distinctive silhouettes and surface definition. This balance of clarity and performance was critical in keeping frame rates stable without compromising the gritty sci-fi look that defined the game.
Shared smart-material libraries in Substance Painter and consistent texel density guidelines ensured everything matched seamlessly once combined. The final model was polished, game-ready, and versatile enough for both promotional renders and potential in-engine use – a testament to what well-structured teamwork can achieve under pressure.
Across every stage, communication and clarity were key. Our internal QA standards, naming conventions and clean asset handovers meant Screen Juice could plug our work directly into their pipeline with zero friction. The result was a collection of characters and animations that not only met the game’s technical benchmarks but also helped shape the visual tone and player experience Morbid Metal is now known for!
Final Work
Why we loved this project
Morbid Metal was one of those projects that immediately got the whole team excited way back in 2022. Fast, stylish and full of attitude – it gave our artists plenty to sink their teeth into, and we loved every minute working on these characters. Like many, after heavily anticipating launch, we can’t wait for it to be out and cheer it on to success.
The Team
Max L – Producer (2021)
Laura S – Producer (2022 – 2024)
Jan R – Producer (2025)
Andrés P – 3D Character Lead
Natalia F – 3D Character Artist
Jan R – 3D Supervisor
Imuri J – Rigger
Téo F – Rigger
Rob M – Lead Animator
Carlos P – 3D Animator
Kareem I – 3D Animator
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