Attention! A new Lieutenant has arrived in War Planet Online!
Ayaka is the latest character addition to Gameloft Sofia’s MMO real-time strategy game. She’s the game’s first Mech Lieutenant and also the creation of one of our own Gamelofters!
Valeriia Kapelyush, 2D artist from Gameloft Toronto, created Ayaka for our internal diversity art contest, We Could Be Heroes, which asks our Gamelofters to imagine an underrepresented character they would love to see in games. The winner is then integrated into one of our own to promote diversity and inclusion at Gameloft and in the industry.
Valeriia has been passionate about drawing her whole life, but she started to consider pursing art professionally while drawing portraits of her favorite actors during university. She worked on putting together a portfolio and joined one of Ukraine’s largest outsourcing companies, which led her to the gaming industry and ultimately Gameloft.
Her life in the Toronto studio includes sketching, polishing, and concept development. As a member of the prototype team, she’s used to creating new, and innovative concepts… just like Ayaka!
The new Lieutenant
Ayaka took center stage in War Planet Online’s Update 50, which also introduced powerful new units: Mechs and Drones. Ayaka is the first lieutenant specializing in mechs, making her a game-changer in the world of War Planet Online.
The entire game team were ecstatic to add Ayaka to the line-up and went the extra mile for her inclusion with an action-packed interactive short story, an official song, and a special in-game event dedicated solely to her.
“Ayaka's presence injects a new level of richness into the War Planet Online universe. But it's not just about having a new character. It's about introducing a dynamic force that players will find truly captivating and engaging,” said Borislav Stavrev, product marketing manager.
Behind the soldier
The game team created Ayaka to be a powerful edition to any army, but they and Valeriia also gave her a compelling backstory to inspire players.
Born Ayo Davis, Ayaka fled to Japan as a young girl with her American parents to avoid the war, only to lose them and her left arm in a car crash. She was found and adopted by Shuusei Rintarou, the owner of a repair shop and former weapons engineer, and was renamed Ayaka, meaning colorful flower in Japanese, in reference to the floral patterns on her skin.
One of Ayaka’s most striking feature is her vitiligo, which Valeriia wanted to highlight for our diversity art contest. “I chose to showcase vitiligo because it's a unique trait that I've rarely seen represented in games,” said Valeriia. “I find it beautiful and I believe that people shouldn't feel insecure about their appearance, especially if they stand out from the crowd in any way. Your uniqueness is your strength; it's your power.”
Shuusei took Ayaka under his wing and gave her a new prosthetic arm before teaching her everything he knew about machinery. Ayaka proved herself a bright and determined student, building bigger and more impressive machines over the years, before turning into her small town’s unofficial protector to help others survive on the war-torn planet.
How to create a character
Valeriia has a taste for mixing themes and genres when it comes to her character designs, and Ayaka is no exception. Her design draws influence from many sources, including the other War Planet Online characters, the military, science fiction, modern Japanese-inspired forms, and the works of TB Choi.
But how does one start with character creation? For Valeriia, it all begins with a mood board. “This is my favorite part because I have a substantial Pinterest board filled with art pieces I find captivating. I've organized it so that when I need something specific, I can easily access the folder and draw inspiration from my visual library,” said Valeriia. “Building this library is crucial in the concept art process, not only for finding inspiration but also for saving time during the brainstorming phase.”
Once armed with enough references and the perfect playlist, “the creative process truly begins.” Valeriia started with a few rough sketches to explore different body types and proportions, which is all about trial and error. “It's important to remember that the first attempt is rarely the best,” said Valeriia, “And I often experiment with various iterations to achieve the desired form.”
Valeriia then moved on to the outfit and hair, continuing to experiment and drawing from different references, until they conveyed the right emotions. After drafting Ayaka’s foundations, Valeriia stepped back and left her work for a few days. “It's challenging to assess your own art objectively after staring at it for an extended period,” said Valeriia. “I need a fresh perspective to determine which design I prefer and why. Sometimes, I seek input from friends to help identify any imperfections.”
Once back at the drawing board, Valeriia focused on details, like facial features, before coloring Ayaka and adding the finishing touches. Valeriia then submitted Ayaka to our diversity art contest, and the rest is history!
Mech ready
Once Ayaka was announced the winner, the War Planet Online team got to work in bringing her to life!
Simeon Spirov, lead artist, immediately saw the potential in Valeriia’s design. Ayaka already aligned with War Planet Online’s near-future military theme, so Simeon and the rest of the art team only had to focus on fine-tuning the stylization. Ioan Chirita, concept artist, then took the design and created a more realistic version before sending it to Georgi Georgiev, 3D artist, for final edits and 3D sculpting.
Although the design modifications went smoothly, Ayaka’s integration into the game required a little more thought. “Since we were introducing new units for the first time since the game's release, balancing this complexity while ensuring Ayaka seamlessly fit into the dynamics as a lieutenant specializing in these units was a bit tricky,” said Borislav. “But overcoming challenges is what makes the end result so satisfying!”
The power of diversity & inclusion
Winning the We Could Be Heroes contest was a special moment for Valeriia, and she’s proud to have brought more diversity and inclusion into Gameloft games. Valeriia believes better representation is important not only in the gaming industry but in every creative field. “They bring fresh perspectives, foster innovation, and make our art and games more reflective of the diverse world we live in,” said Valeriia. “It's important to remember that we are all unique, and drawing inspiration from our differences is a powerful source of creativity.”
For the War Planet Online team, Ayaka’s warm reception by the community opened their eyes to the power and potential of including diverse characters and perspectives. “Diversity and inclusion are essential for the industry's growth and evolution. But it's not merely about embracing differences—it’s about actively creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued,” said Borislav. “Initiatives like ours showcase the positive impact of these efforts, and I believe the industry as a whole should continue to champion diversity and inclusion.”
War Planet Online will “undoubtedly be exploring more avenues to promote diversity and inclusion within the game,” and we will continue hosting our art contest to create characters like Ayaka, who will hopefully allow players to embrace and be proud of who they are.
Ayaka is now available in War Planet Online on the App Store, Google Play, and other platforms. Follow War Planet Online on Facebook and YouTube for the latest news!
