Sculpting Myth into Gameplay: How Level Designer Krzysztof Szkoda Uses VR for Character and Game Design
Level designer Krzysztof Szkoda is blending ancient mythology with modern technology in this game design project, called King Tut’s Tomb. Using VR sculpting in Shapelab, he brings stylized character designs and immersive environments to life for Fortnite players around the world. In this article, we explore his creative process, workflow, and how tools like Shapelab are shaping the future of 3D modeling for game development.
Game Design Meets History: King Tut’s Tomb in Fortnite
Krzysztof Szkoda is using VR to breathe life into history. A UK-based 3D generalist and level designer with nearly a decade of experience, Krzysztof used both traditional tools and VR 3D modeling applications for this project.
“I’ve been in the middle between beginning and mid-level 3D modelling for eight years,” he explains. “I used to use Autodesk Maya, but now I’m using Blender. I also experimented with VR modeling tools like MasterpieceVR and Kodon — and now Shapelab.”
Krzysztof’s project, King Tut’s Tomb, was created using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) in collaboration with Kadine James on behalf of TheImmersiveKind. It’s a rich, quest-based environment where players must battle their way through a fictional palace before discovering the tomb of King Tutankhamun beneath.
“The concept is based on the original KV62 dig site in Egypt known as the Tomb of Tutankhamun or for short “King Tuts Tomb”. It was dug in the year 1922 by archaeologist Howard Carter and his benefactor, Lord Carnarvon. Further references such as the map of the tomb came from the Ancient Egyptian Research group based in Egypt. To make it more fun I created a fictional palace built above the tomb where players must fight their way to get inside.” Krzysztof says.
The Fortnite island, which blends storytelling with interactive level and character design, was also recognized by Epic Games: King Tut’s Tomb was featured in Fortnite’s Epic Picks from April 2–9, 2025 — a curated selection highlighting outstanding indie game design created using UEFN. The island was tried by 26,000 players!
You can explore the island using code: 3565-5344-0817
Watch the gameplay video:
From VR Sculpt to Game-Ready Character
As a designer, Krzysztof values tools that allow flexibility and speed across different stages of the game development process. Here’s his typical workflow for integrating Shapelab into game and character design:
- VR Sculpting in Shapelab – using reference images to shape assets directly in 3D
- Refinement in Blender – optimizing UV maps and reducing polycount for game performance
- Auto-Rigging in Mixamo – rigging characters for animation
- Import into UEFN or Unreal Engine 5 – final asset setup to set up the NPC to interact with the players during gameplay.
His favorite Shapelab tool? “The clay tool — it gave me more details to work on.”
Advice for Indie Creators and Aspiring Artists
Having worked with both desktop and VR tools, Krzysztof believes VR gives artists a more immersive and intuitive sense of space, particularly useful in character design and sculpting.
“VR gives you a better perspective than a flat screen. We’re thinking like ancient sculptors — the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians.”
His advice for beginners:
“Don’t be afraid to share your VR work with the public for your workflow purposes. We’re already living in a future full of tech innovations.”
About the artist
Krzysztof Szkoda’s work is a standout example of how designers and indie developers are using VR sculpting to push the boundaries of game design and character creation. Combining historical research, cultural inspiration, and accessible 3D modeling tools like Shapelab, he’s proving that great ideas don’t require massive studios — just creativity, skill, and the right tools.
Learn more about King Tut’s Tomb on Krzysztof’s Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/dy8EaW
Are you working on an exciting project involving Shapelab, that you would like to share with our team? Get in touch with us here.