Pengu Garen Unbound Mini Cine
Histeria! Studios teams up once again with Riot Games to deliver a chaotic and fun 3D mini-cinematic celebrating April Fools in Teamfight Tactics. This time, the beloved and iconic Pengu Garen takes center stage with a brand-new skin and arena.
Teamfight Tactics has always had a distinct personality: eccentric, self-aware, and unafraid to embrace the ridiculous. Histeria! was tasked with fully capturing that spirit for this April Fools’ release, creating a mini-cinematic that feels as wild and lighthearted as the game itself. Already a fan favorite, Pengu Garen steps into the spotlight with a new look and a bespoke arena designed specifically for his big moment.
“No better way to kick off April Fools than showing what a real hero looks like, right? This project was equally challenging and fun to work on. We pushed hard to balance a stylized PBR look with exaggerated, cartoon-driven animation and 2D effects. It’s always a privilege to explore the wide range of expressions in TFT characters, and even discover a few new ones along the way. Shoutout to Pengu King, the real director behind the camera” said director Victor Tchaba.
In true Histeria! fashion, our team structured its pipeline around Blender. While animation was completed in Maya and compositing in Nuke, all 3D elements—look development, grooming, lighting, shading, and final rendering—were executed in Blender. This approach gave the creative leadership greater control over the visual language, allowing them to balance high-energy visuals with the acting and physical humor that define April Fools in gaming. The result is a charming, funny piece that reflects the community’s love for the character.
Credits
Client: Riot Games - Huan Shen, Sarah Westerfield Kondeati, Yiying Li, Bridget Brennan and Jonathan Chavez
Game: Teamfight Tactics
Creative Production: Histeria! Studio
Director: Victor Tchaba
Executive Producers: Jannerson Xavier, Marcelo Moreno
Producers: Marcelo Moreno, Felipe Moreira and Laila Monobi
Social Media: Sibelle Lobo
Animatic/Previz: Jan Xavier, Victor Tchaba, Valeriia Kaspirovich and César Boletti
Art Director: Victor Tchaba
Concept Art: Victor Tchaba and Tiago Calliari
Matte Painting: Victor Tchaba and Gabriel dos Anjos
CGI Lead: Murillo Cunha
Set design: Murillo Cunha
Modelling: Amanda Cristina, Bruce Lima, Jamile Bispo, Renan Rodrigues
3D Generalist / Assembly: Marcus Sidônio
Rigging: Glauber Belo, Caio Filizola and Heitor Assis (Cyan Heart)
Animation Directors: Victor Tchaba and Bruno Monteiro (OnFire Animation)
Character Animation Supervisor: Francisco Catão (OnFire Animation)
3D Animators: Felipe Simões, Gabriel Urtado, Hannry Pschera, Mariane Tostes e Rogério Britto, Fábio Pugliese, Caio Filizola and Heitor Assis (Cyan Heart)
Layout 2D FX: Mateus Pitta
2D FX Supervisor: Mateus Pitta
Animators 2D FX: Mateus Pitta, Lewis Barr, Paulo Passaro
Texture, Lookdev, Lighting: Carol Fiorito, Gabriel Laranjeira, Hugo Dionisi and Vinicius Alves
Compositing and Post Production: Samantha Oda, Hugo Dionisi and Rafael Medrado
Final Color Correction: Raphael Borghi (Abacateiro Filmes)
