Iain McCaig is a renowned concept artist whose work helped visualize the world and characters of Project Windless. Since 2021, the KRAFTON Montréal Studio team behind the project has collaborated closely with him on the visual direction of the franchise. Some coverage has referred to him as a design director, but KRAFTON's own announcement credits him as the concept artist behind the world and character designs rather than naming him among the studio's leadership. He is one of the most recognizable visual artists in modern entertainment, best known to film audiences as the designer of Darth Maul, Padmé Amidala, and Queen Amidala for the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Role On Project Windless
McCaig's design work shaped the look of the game from its earliest days. The Nhaga Eater concept trailer released by KRAFTON in September 2022 was built around his concept art, three years before the formal State of Play reveal. KRAFTON has credited his sketches as the visual foundation that informed the trailer's tone, including the design of the towering Rekon warriors and the predatory Nhaga antagonists.
McCaig's contribution gives Project Windless an immediately distinctive visual identity. The aesthetic blends Korean fantasy iconography with a darker, more tragic register than typical Western fantasy, an approach KRAFTON has described as "stranger, darker, and more tragic" than what audiences expect from the genre.
Career In Film And Television
McCaig spent decades working in Hollywood as a concept and storyboard artist. His credited contributions include:
Project | Role |
|---|---|
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | Designed Darth Maul, Queen Amidala, and Padmé Amidala |
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | Concept artist |
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | Concept artist |
The Avengers | Concept design |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | Storyboard and concept design |
Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Concept design |
John Carter | Concept design |
Style And Influence
McCaig is widely regarded as one of the most influential creature and character designers of his generation. His approach combines anatomical detail with strong silhouette, a discipline he developed across decades in film. For Project Windless, that translates into Rekon warriors with a clear avian skeleton and weight, Nhaga antagonists with a serpentine geometry that reads at distance, and battlefield environments that feel lived-in even in pre-alpha footage.
Why It Matters For The Game
Bringing a designer of McCaig's caliber onto a debut studio's first title is unusual. KRAFTON has used his name and the early Nhaga Eater concept trailer as part of the studio's pitch for serious AAA ambitions. The visual continuity between the 2022 concept work and the 2026 reveal trailer is one of the clearest signals that the game has been in committed development since well before its public announcement.