Nakatomi: An Atomhawk Art Blast
Introducing Nakatomi: Where sky isn’t the limit – it’s only the beginning
I’m thrilled to share, with the ArtStation community, a creative endeavour that we feel very enthusiastic about: Nakatomi. This is a rich, internal project, one that has opened up new pathways for technology exploration, team training, and inventive worldbuilding.
Nakatomi is focused on a sandbox universe, procedural workflows, and detail-oriented environment design. It is closely tied to another of our Internal IPs at Atomhawk, Rainfall, with a shared conceptual idea. We have used Nakatomi to explore our creative and technical ambitions, all within a cohesive narrative setting.
What is Nakatomi?
‘A vast vertical metropolis stretches above the clouds, an opulent city full of glamour and wonder of analogue space-age technology.’
Nakatomi is a world where society resides in gleaming towers high above, accessible by sleek levitating vehicles that serve as both transportation and status symbols.
From the beginning, our worldbuilding focused on the fusion of art deco and retro-futurism. Every design element, from props and vehicles to architecture and character concepts, feature bold shapes, detailed touches inspired by the past, and a hands-on, mechanical feel. The aesthetic also draws inspiration from the golden age of aviation and early visions of space travel, both of which reflect an optimism for the future.
A Playground for Innovation
Nakatomi allowed our team to innovate across many areas: procedural asset workflows, Unreal Engine 5 worldbuilding, vehicle animation, cinematic pre-visualization, and VFX prototyping.
We placed strong emphasis on functionality and purpose, and every design had to work logically, mechanically, and narratively. Our artists were encouraged to dive deep into aesthetics, as well as the “how” and “why” behind every piece.
This meant we had to push our vehicle and props pipeline, integrating 3D motion studies and component-level breakdowns. Design and function were treated as equals, and I hope you’ll see that the result feels both imaginative and grounded in the world.
Building the City
The team developed fully explorable levels in UE5, creating vertical slices of the city to test storytelling, interaction, and visual fidelity in real time. Procedural generation techniques helped us to craft modular buildings and city layouts, which gave us the flexibility to build densely populated skylines. Our metropolis lives and breathes through every detail.
Looking Ahead
Nakatomi is still evolving, but we’re incredibly proud of what the project team has accomplished so far. It’s a glimpse into a world we’ve poured our creative energy into, not just to imagine a city of the future, but to build it in ways that push our technical and artistic boundaries.
We hope you enjoy this look into the project as much as we enjoyed conceptualising it. There’s still so much more to explore, and we look forward to sharing more of the world of Nakatomi with you soon.
— Artur Zima, Environment Discipline Lead, on behalf of the Atomhawk creative team
Artur Zima – Environment Discipline Lead – Atomhawk
Corinne Caro – Intermediate Environment Concept Artist – Atomhawk
Jean Chevillard – Intermediate Environment Concept Artist – Atomhawk
Felix Riano – Senior Environment Concept Artist – Atomhawk
Stijn Beerts – Intermediate Environment Concept Artist – Atomhawk
Tom Osbourne – Junior Environment Concept Artist – Atomhawk
Dennis Van Kessel – Senior Environment Concept Artist – Atomhawk
Robert Green – Senior Environment Concept Artist – Atomhawk
