June 5, 2018 – WASHINGTON, DC and LOS ANGELES – The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade association that represents the US video game industry and owns and produces E3, and the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) today announced the official selections for the 2018 Into the Pixel (ITP, #IntoThePixel) collection. Co-produced by the ESA and AIAS, the 2018 ITP collection of 16 pieces will be displayed during E3 2018, the world’s premier trade show for computer, video, and mobile games, from June 12-14, 2018, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Established in 2004 and reviewed by a jury panel from the video game and fine art worlds, the annual ITP art exhibit honors the best artistic works of the year from video game artists. This year’s Into the Pixel collection includes 16 pieces – 15 prints from AAA blockbusters, mobile, and indie games, and one maquette featuring the iconic Kratos and Atreus from God of War. Winners are listed below and can be found, along with images, at www.intothepixel.com.
All 15 print art pieces will be auctioned off on eBay, with a 5-day auction beginning Tuesday, June 12, at Noon PDT, and concluding Saturday, June 16, at Noon PDT. All ITP bids can be made at the AIAS eBay page here. (*NOTE: ITP images will not appear on eBay until the live auction begins on June 12 at Noon PDT; God of War statue will not be auctioned off.)
Commenting on the 2018 collection, Jurist Nora Dolan said, “The 2018 ITP collection demonstrates the strength of the art of the video game today. These 16 pieces are both deep in skill and broad in style, reflecting the many talented submissions that were reviewed. There is no question as to the boundless creativity and skill of artists and their studios throughout the industry. These winners shine.”
Meggan Scavio, President, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, added, “I am thrilled with the year’s collection. ITP continues to provide an excellent showcase for the talented and diverse artists within our industry today. The medium’s continued evolution can be seen in the many gorgeous, detailed, and unique pieces that were submitted for consideration, and the truly exceptional pieces chosen for the collection. Congratulations to all the winning artists and game studios!”
“Creativity and artistic expression are at the heart of what makes interactive entertainment so engaging, popular, and innovative,” added Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of ESA. “The video game industry is bursting with the world’s most talented visual artists, which makes the selection process more challenging each year. We are proud to celebrate these talented artists who represent the best of the best in our industry.”
| Game | Title | Artist | Developer | Publisher |
| Concrete Genie | Concrete Genie, Ash and Friends | PixelOpus – Art Department | PixelOpus | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Ghost of Tsushima | Cove | Romain Jouandeau | Sucker Punch Productions | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Lone Echo | Double Dragon | Anthony Sixto | Ready at Dawn | Oculus Studios |
| GWENT: The Witcher Card Game | Gedyneith Flaminica | Anna Podedworna | CD PROJEKT RED | CD PROJEKT RED |
| Days Gone | Highway Loot | Joel Mandish | SIE Bend Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| God of War | Kratos & Atreus | Rafael Grassetti | Santa Monica Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Destiny 2 | Lighthouse Memorialization | Tyler Bartley | Bungie | Activision |
| FAR: Lone Sails | Okomotive from FAR: Lone Sails | Don Schmocker | Okamotive GmbH | Mixtvision Digital GmbH |
| Homo Machina | Palais Industriel | Oliver Bonhomme, inspired by Dr. Fritz Kahn | Darjeeling Productions | ARTE |
| Knights and Bikes | Penfurzy Peril | Rex Crowle | Foam Sword | Double Fine Presents |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man | Peter Parker’s Apartment Concept | Dennis Chan | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Starlink: Battle for Atlas | Pollen Field | Victor Mosquera | Ubisoft Toronto | Ubisoft |
| Persona 5 | Premium Package Art | Atlus U.S.A., Inc. | Atlus U.S.A., Inc. | Atlus U.S.A., Inc. |
| God of War | The Golden Forest | Luke Berliner | Santa Monica Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Afterparty | Thrall City | Ruel Pascual, Bryant Cannon, Eric Romano, Claire Chen, Beverly Chen | Night School Studio | Night School Studio |
| Uncharted: The Lost Legacy | War Torn Back Alley | Todd Foster, Rogelio Olguin, Brian Recktenwald, Christophe Desse, Matt Radford, Iki Ikram, Mark Shoaf, Boon Cotter | Naughty Dog | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
The 2018 ITP jurists are:
- Bob Rafei, founder, CEO and Visual Director, Big Red Button Entertainment
- Glenn Phillips, Curator and Head of Modern & Contemporary Collections, Getty Research Institute
- Jane Ng, Lead Artist, Campo Santo
- Matt Hall, Senior Concept Artist, Zynga/Rising Tide Games
- Nora Dolan, Independent Curator
- Patricia Lanza, Consultant, World Bank
- Seth Spaulding, Senior Art Manager, Blizzard Entertainment
