We are excited to be back at GDC!
GDC, the Game Developers Conference returns to San Francisco on March 17-21, and Substance 3D is thrilled to be part of the event to connect with the gaming community.
We’ll host Substance Days, a full day of presentations from industry experts, and exciting news about the Substance ecosystem. Save the date – March 17 – to enjoy some inspiring sessions of the industry’s best-rated games.
Pass by the Adobe Substance 3D booth on the GDC Expo floor where we'll be highlighting the latest features in the Substance suite, presenting exclusive technical demos, and hosting portfolio review sessions.
SUBSTANCE DAYS
MARCH 17 | 9:00AM - 5:10PM | MOSCONE CENTER, WEST HALL, Room #3001/3003
AGENDA
9:30AM-10:30AM | Adobe Substance 3D Keynote
Stay updated on the most recent advancements and news within the Adobe Substance 3D ecosystem. Learn how the Substance 3D team is enhancing workflows and empowering artists to produce stunning games and content. The team will reveal the latest product updates, initiatives, and much more.
SPEAKERS
Jérémie Noguer, Product Director, Substance 3D, Adobe
Wes McDermott, Principal Director, Creative 3D Evangelist & Community Advocate, Adobe
Valeria Gerontopoulos, Product Manager, Adobe
Gio Nakpil, Sr. Creative 3D Evangelist & Community Advocate, Adobe
Nikie Monteleone, Sr. Creative 3D Evangelist & Community Advocate, Adobe
10:50AM-11:50AM | Game Environment Creation Made Easier with Substance 3D Designer
Delve into the creative process of Niki Marinov as he unveils his Signature Collection of ten realistic materials for Substance 3D Assets, bringing the 19th-century Bulgarian Revival to life. Discover how Niki artfully used these parametric materials to create a traditional village as a playable game environment. He will detail how he leveraged the power of Substance 3D Designer to ensure the versatility of the various textures and used them in a wide range of contexts in his project.
SPEAKER
Nikolay Marinov, Material Artist, Frontier Developments
1:20PM-2:20PM | Silent Hill 2: Remaking a Horror Icon — An Artistic Journey into Fear
This session will explore the balance of preserving SILENT HILL 2’s iconic essence while embracing state-of-the-art technology. Key elements include the transformative use of camera and level design, as well as the crucial role of art in amplifying environmental storytelling. From the symbolic fog world to the haunting otherworld, every detail enhances the depth of the narrative. Iconic characters and monsters take center stage, with a focus on casting, visuals, and direction to honor their legacy while amplifying their emotional and thematic impact for today’s audience. In the practical segment, Mateusz Lenart and Pablo Poliakov will delve into the creation of the game’s iconic monsters, showcasing how Adobe tools were utilized to perfectly balance nostalgia and innovation. This approach breathes new life into these unforgettable figures, ensuring they resonate deeply with both devoted fans and a new generation of players.
SPEAKERSMateusz Lenart, Creative Director & Lead Designer, Bloober Team
Pablo Poliakov, Lead Character Artist, Bloober Team
2:40PM-3:40PM | Layer by Layer: Texturing with Intent in Substance 3D
Using Substance 3D, Kasita will take you through her approach to crafting materials that tell a story—one layer at a time. Whether you’re working on a whimsical character or a grounded, realistic prop, understanding how materials evolve in the real world is key to bringing your digital creations to life. She'll demonstrate how to layer textures, focusing on intent while avoiding unnecessary complexity. You’ll learn how to break down materials into logical steps, ensuring each layer contributes to the final result with purpose. Along the way, she will share insights into balancing realism with imagination, making even the most creative designs feel authentic. By the end of the session, you’ll have a structured workflow for building believable textures that enhance storytelling and artistic direction in your projects.
SPEAKER
Kasita Wonowidjojo, Texture Artist
4:10PM-5:10PM | Helldivers 2: Diving into Biome Material Creation with a Tiny Team
Dive into the material creation for biome environments in Helldivers 2. As the sole material artist at Arrowhead Games Studios, Romain Lemaire will guide you through the evolution of the material pipeline, from its inception to its current state. Learn how a streamlined approach to material authoring was developed to meet the challenges of creating diverse planetary environments with limited resources. This presentation will cover the technical and artistic solutions implemented to maintain quality and consistency across multiple biomes, including the use of procedural tools and efficient workflow strategies that enabled a single artist to manage the material creation for an entire game.
SPEAKER
Romain Lemaire, Senior Materials Artist, Arrowhead Game Studios
SUBSTANCE DAYS AFTER PARTY
MARCH 17 | 7:30PM-10:30PM | Executive Order Bar & Lounge
Come chat with the Substance 3D team and our special guests while enjoying free drinks, appetizers, swags and good vibes. Join us to connect and have some fun together on the first evening of GDC 2025!
The afterparty is free and open to attendees of Substance Days at GDC. Capacity is limited, so make sure you register!
The afterparty is free and open to attendees of Substance Days at GDC. Capacity is limited, so make sure you register!
SUBSTANCE 3D BOOTH
MARCH 19-21 | BOOTH #S427 | MOSCONE CENTER, SOUTH HALL
Meet our Substance experts at the Adobe booth #S427 for technical demos, presentations and swags.
Our lineup features sessions from talented artists showcasing their workflows and their work on game projects. Get tips and tricks on how to use Substance 3D, learn the latest features in the Substance suite, and present your work during a portfolio review session.
Attendees can book a slot to meet our Substance experts, present their work during a portfolio review session, and get useful tips and advice. One session lasts about 20 minutes and is held directly on the booth space.
Portfolio Review Artists Include:
Wes McDermott
Giovanni Nakpil
Valeria Gerontopoulos
Jean-Bastien Juneau-Rouleau
Vincent Gault
Nick Sharma
Nikie Monteleone
Wes McDermott: Principal Director, Creative 3D Evangelist & Community Advocate, Adobe | Gio Nakpil: Sr. Creative 3D Evangelist & Community Advocate, Adobe | Valeria Gerontopoulos: Product Manager, Adobe | Jean-Bastien Juneau-Rouleau: Artist, Adobe | Vincent Gault: Substance 3D Senior Technical Evangelist, Adobe | Nick Sharma: Senior 3D Artist, Adobe | Nikie Monteleone: Senior Creative 3D Evangelist & Community Advocate, Adobe
Booth Session Speakers:
Kasita Wonowidjojo
Wenjie (Jacky) Huang
Sean Frandsen
Freya Wu
Rafael Serralheiro
Ian Robinson
Sasha Honcharova
Kasita Wonowidjojo: Texture Artist | Wenji (Jacky) Huang: Sr. Illustration Student | Sean Frandsen: Elevating Textures for 3D Garments with Substance Painter & Marvelous Designer | Freya Wu: 3D Character Artist and Game Project Manager | Rafael Serralheiro: Associate Environment Artist Lightspeed LA | Ian Robinson: Master ZBrush Senior Trainer at Maxon Software | Sasha Honcharova: Environment Artist / CG Generalist
*Adobe Speakers include: Wes McDermott: Principal Director, Creative 3D Evangelist & Community Advocate, Adobe | Gio Nakpil: Sr. Creative 3D Evangelist & Community Advocate, Adobe | Valeria Gerontopoulos: Product Manager, Adobe
*Photos shown in portfolio review section
