Lead Designer for Horizon Zero Dawn, Mike Nash, has passed away

The Lead Designer for Horizon Zero Dawn, Mike Nash, has reportedly passed away recently, at the age of 36.

I am sharing here some never-seen designs Mike created from 2015 and part of 2016 when I hired him. I think it would be nice if he is remembered for his incredible work and I thought people would enjoy seeing some stunning designs of his. This was all sculpted manually in ZBrush pic.twitter.com/7lp7e6PTRx

— Gavriil Klimov (@gavriilklimov) January 21, 2021

Mike Nash was responsible for crafting and designing the world of Horizon Zero Dawn, and also responsible for allowing many gamers to get lost in the majesty of his creation. His passing was reported by a friend who worked with him on Twitter, who then shared a few of Nash’s unused digital creations in tribute.

What did Mike Nash do

It is sometimes difficult to connect a specific name to a specific game. Games are often created as part of a massive studio, with anywhere from a few dozen to hundreds of people putting in their time and effort to build the game. With very few exceptions, it is often impossible to ascribe a game to a single creator.

Model creators like Mike Nash are the digital architects and sculptors of game design, using digital tools which approximate the traditional hammer and chisel (and other tools only possible within a digital space) to create the various figures which populate and bring to life their respective worlds.

Mike was a fan of Frazetta and he loved the legacy that he left behind and that his work inspired younger people to get into art. My hope is that even this additional amount of work I am sharing can hopefully inspire someone to become an artist.Rest In Peace, Mike Nash.

— Gavriil Klimov (@gavriilklimov) January 21, 2021

His artwork helped create the world of Horizon Zero Dawn

Instead, it’s worth taking a look at what specific work Mike Nash was able to do for Horizon Zero Dawn. In this case, Mike Nash was responsible for digital sculptures and model design that led to the creation of many of the towering robotic figures of Horizon Zero Dawn.

Mike Nash excelled at creating such robotic figures, often imbuing them with a certain artistic “lived-in” quality. This included eschewing the traditional polished and pristine figures of classic science-fiction, without wholly diving into the grungy state of disrepair that many post-apocalyptic genres exhibit.

Nash’s work in Horizon Zero Dawn looks ancient, but functional. They are neither wholly new nor completely broken down. Indeed, many of them only seem to take on any significant damage following the actions of the player.

This fine line helped make Horizon Zero Dawn in particular feel as though these machines were truly inhabiting this space.

Some more amazing character designs that Mike created over the years.He was a great rendering artist as well. pic.twitter.com/ZMnkXvS1Yf

— Gavriil Klimov (@gavriilklimov) January 21, 2021

It is sad to think so few people would have known Nash’s name, such is the case when working as part of such a massive team. Still, his creation helped players connect with the art of Horizon Zero Dawn at a deeper level, and helped make the game’s solarpunk aesthetic shine through. He will be sorely missed.