From VFX Apprentice to Riot Games: Inside Tyier Godette’s 2XKO Journey

Today we sat down with Tyier Godette to talk about his work on 2XKO as a VFX artist. He's been a part of the VFX Apprentice community since 2022 and took a Portfolio Class with us in 2023 (see an example of his early work below). In 2024, he was hired as a contractor for Project L (2XKO).

Professional VFX Portfolio Block-in and Final Effect, by Tyier Godette, 2023

With a professional concept art background and 5+ years in the video game industry, Tyier honed his skills in idea generation, concepting, texture creation, and VFX creation in Unreal Engine 5 and Unity. He specializes in creating exciting, stylized 2D/3D real-time VFX using flipbooks and hand-painted textures.

So, let's get into it, Tyier - talk about your work on 2XKO!

Spirit Blossom Teemo VFX, 2XKO

During the creation process, did you face a creative challenge and later overcome it? How did that go for you? 

Tyier Godette, VFX Artist II at Riot Games: One creative challenge that comes to mind was actually on Spirit Blossom Teemo, specifically the enhanced S2 mushrooms. Those were a little difficult to figure out at first because so many variables went into the move.

Spirit Blossom Teemo VFX, 2XKO

One of the biggest things was the hitbox. We didn’t want to extend the effect too far outward and accidentally make the move itself feel bigger than it actually was. On top of that, the move could happen both in the air and on the ground, so I couldn’t rely on additional elements that interacted with the floor. At the time, I couldn’t just add a ground shockwave or have energy disperse across the surface, because that only makes sense in one of those situations.

Spirit Blossom Teemo VFX, 2XKO

I’ve since figured out ways to make things like that work depending on distance from the floor, but that wasn’t an option at the time. So I had to find something that could work consistently no matter where the move happened on screen.

I wanted to focus more on the spirit and flower-like shapes, and find something that worked with this outward-explosion motion while still reading as a delicate release of spirits. A lot of it came down to experimenting within those limitations and staying aware of those design constraints while trying to find the best possible shape.

Spirit Blossom Teemo VFX, 2XKO

For example, I didn’t want to add something that spiraled heavily around the effect, because that would have felt like it was fighting against the motion of an outward omnidirectional explosion. Instead, I tried to work with the motion already there and capitalize on the energy in the original move.

Spirit Blossom Teemo VFX, 2XKO

It eventually landed on the idea of the spirits almost blooming outward from the explosion into a flower-like shape. I think it ended up reading really nicely and leaned into the idea I originally wanted without fighting against the gameplay or making the hitbox feel misleading.

It definitely took some experimentation and art direction to get there, but I think working within those boundaries ultimately pushed the effect toward the final solution.

Which of the VFX was the most fun to work on, and why?

Tyier: Honestly, I’d probably say the Arcane skins as a whole — Arcane Jinx, Vi, and Ekko.

They were just really fun to work on. Jinx especially has a very special place in my heart because that was one of the first tasks where I really felt like the team trusted me to take something and run with it. I had a lot of room to explore, and I had a blast with it.

Arcane Jinx VFX, 2XKO

That’s also why those skins stand out to me so much. They feel very “me” in a lot of the thematic and design choices. I was always trying to go a little beyond what was already there and push the effects into something more memorable, more expressive, and just more fun.

The whole Arcane suite gave me plenty of opportunities to play with strong themes and make choices that felt intentional for each character.

Arcane Vi VFX, 2XKO

So yeah, I think the Arcane skins were probably the most fun for me overall, just because I felt like I had a lot of creative ownership over them and they ended up feeling really representative of the kind of work I like to make.

Which one makes you most proud to have taken part in its creation?

Tyier: I think I’d have to go back to the Arcane skins again, especially Arcane Jinx and Vi. I’m really proud of that entire suite because those were moments when I trusted myself as an artist and pushed what was already there into something more memorable.

Jinx Character Concept & Style, 2XKO

With Arcane Jinx in particular, I remember seeing the concepts and deciding to trust my instincts. I knew what was there was already strong, but I also felt I could bring another level of personality and cool. The team trusted me to explore that, so I really leaned into it.

Arcane Jinx VFX, 2XKO

We always wanted to focus on Jinx's inner chaos, but I tried to push that even further visually. I leaned into sketchier, more chaotic elements, along with the purple flames and darker shapes. I even thought about Bison’s Psycho Power as a reference point for that kind of dangerous, unnatural energy. I felt like it fit Jinx really well and gave the effects a stronger identity.

Arcane Jinx VFX, 2XKO

Another part I’m really proud of was the minigun bullets changing color. I wanted that as a callback to the show, and technically, the functionality wasn’t really there at the time. So I spent a lot of time figuring out how to make it work and ended up creating that functionality for the effect.

Arcane Jinx VFX, 2XKO

That sums up why I’m so proud of the Arcane suite. I wasn’t just trying to execute what was already there. I looked at each skin and asked how I could push the theme further, bring something of myself into it, and find extra details that could make it more memorable. I really felt like I put my best foot forward on those skins.

Is there something you would like to add now to one of the VFX you worked on?

Tyier: Honestly, not really. I’m pretty satisfied with where most of the effects I worked on ended up, and I feel like I gave everything I had.

If I went back and added something, though, I’d probably build on what I mentioned with the Spirit Blossom Teemo mushroom explosion. I’d be interested in adding effects based on how far the mushroom is from the floor. So if it exploded close enough to the ground, maybe you’d get extra energy dispersing across the floor, or some subtle ground interaction.

Spirit Blossom Teemo VFX, 2XKO

I think something like that could add a little more taste and flavor to the effect and maybe push the elegance a bit further, especially because it would let the explosion react more naturally to where it happens.

But realistically, I can't look back and feel like anything is missing. I’m pretty happy with where everything landed.

Is there anything you want to share with people about the VFX pipeline or any other part in particular?

Tyier: I don’t think there’s anything super specific about the VFX pipeline that I’d want to call out, but one thing that was really important was how collaborative the whole process was.

We all had a lot of ownership over the VFX we worked on, but it was never really just one person doing their own thing. Some people did concepts, others chimed in with ideas and feedback, and everyone constantly helped each other make the work better. You owned what you were working on, but it was still very much a team effort.

Spirit Blossom Teemo VFX, 2XKO

I think that’s probably one of the coolest things about looking at the VFX in the game. Every effect is a culmination of one artist’s identity, with little hints of the rest of the team supporting them. Everyone on the team was incredibly talented, so there was a lot of trust there. You were trusted to take ownership and make the coolest thing you could, while still having this whole group of people around you pushing it further.

You can really see that across the different characters and skins too. Something like Lux has such a strong identity, and I think that comes from giving artists room to really bring themselves into the work.

Arcane Vi VFX, 2XKO

So if there’s anything I’d want people to know about the pipeline, it’s probably that. A lot of what made the VFX special wasn’t necessarily some particular tool or process. It was having a team who could trust each other creatively and give everyone enough ownership to put a bit of themselves into what they made.

Ready to launch your own VFX journey?

Tyier’s path from community member to professional Riot Games artist proves what happens when passion meets structured dedication. If you want to refine your skills and build an industry-ready showcase like his, our next Portfolio Class starts this Sunday!

This is the exact same program Tyier took in 2023 to elevate his work and break into the AAA gaming industry. Seats are limited, so don't wait to take the next big step in your career.

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