Greetings, Explorers!
We are absolutely thrilled to see the community embracing the new Photo Mode with such enthusiasm. We poured a significant amount of meticulous effort into this feature, and seeing your results makes it all worthwhile. Building a robust Photo Mode involves many complex layers, so we wanted to pull back the curtain and share some insights into how this project came to life.
Several key members of our development team played vital roles in this journey, and they’ve shared their personal perspectives below.
VINCENT CONSTANTIN-TURKI – Producer [Twitter: @Vincent_Aros]
Integrating a Photo Mode was a top priority for our “Thank You Update.” We viewed it as a meaningful token of appreciation for the incredible dedication our players have shown. Interestingly, the core development team doesn’t typically utilize photo modes in their own gaming time. To ensure we delivered something truly exceptional, we partnered with Shinobi, whose expertise helped us craft a toolset that resonates deeply with virtual photographers.
NAJA DALMAGNE – QA Coordinator [Instagram: @naja_dlmgn]
During our research, we found that many in-game photo modes felt stifling and rigid. Our primary objective was to dismantle those barriers and offer unfettered creative freedom. We wanted to empower players to express themselves without the software getting in the way.
The journey wasn’t without its quirks. Our QA team encountered some rather bizarre glitches—most notably, characters occasionally suffered from distorted anatomy or displaced torsos if they were off-camera for too long before the mode was activated. It was a hilarious yet challenging hurdle to clear.
One aspect I’m immensely proud of is the lighting system Florian developed. It’s incredibly sophisticated yet intuitive, allowing players to manipulate the mood of a scene with ease to capture that perfect shot.
FLORIAN TORRES – Senior Gameplay Programmer [Socials: @torresflo / @torresflo.bsky.social]
My passion lies in providing players with the most expansive toolkit possible. When we conceptualized Photo Mode, my mission was to eliminate restrictions. I focused on implementing features like infinite camera distance, noclip capabilities, customizable light sources, and a suite of unique filters.
This level of transparency has a fascinating side effect: it allows players to peek behind the scenes. You can essentially “reverse engineer” our environments and cinematics by seeing what’s happening just outside the intended frame. It’s a literal look behind the curtain of our game design.
Curious about what’s lurking outside the viewport? Here is a cheeky example (apologies to the cinematic team!).
LUDOVIC ‘SHINOBI’ HELME – Photo Mode Consultant [Website: shinobispace.com]
We prioritized “freedom” above all else. By offering a generous camera range, RGB curve adjustments for custom color grading, and a powerful lighting system, we’ve given players true agency over their compositions. When you combine these tools with the ability to pause and capture the raw emotion in our cutscenes, that’s where the magic really happens.
The creativity I’ve seen from the community has been staggering. There have been many moments where I’ve seen a shot and thought, “I wish I’d thought of that.” I am particularly proud that we struck a balance between a tool that is approachable for beginners but deep enough for professional virtual photographers.
To ensure these powerful features remained accessible and easy to navigate, our talented Gameplay & UI Programmer, VICTOR BOULEZ, worked tirelessly on an intuitive interface that ties everything together seamlessly.
Your feedback and appreciation for this feature have been heartwarming. We had a blast building it, but the real joy comes from seeing how you use it. We were especially impressed by the entries for our recent Photo Mode Prompt Challenge—your ingenuity with the tools provided was truly mind-blowing.
Even though the formal challenge has concluded, please continue sharing your masterpieces with us on social media. We never tire of seeing your artistic visions of our world.
In the meantime, we are hard at work addressing known issues. Please keep an eye on our bug threads and social channels for the latest updates and patches.
We’ll leave you with a few of our favorite shots captured by the community so far!
