This past quarter, much of our work has happened behind the scenes—focused on documentation, systems, and technical details that you may not see, but will experience. Even so, progress has been steady on all fronts, and in this devlog, we’re excited to share some of it with you!
Alongside this progress, we’ve also been strengthening our team with new talent and expertise to help realize the vision of Gate Zero.
New Team Members
Templar Media is actively hiring, and this past quarter, we welcomed several valuable members to the team. We’re now 30+ strong, with professionals across every aspect of game development. Meet the new hires!
Design Summit
One of the highlights this past quarter was the design summit, where a good portion of our team met in person for the first time at the Templar Media offices in Alpharetta, GA.
It was a monumental week where many of our remote team members could meet and work together in person.
We gathered to align on the vision for Gate Zero, surface unidentified challenges, and work through gameplay and process questions together.
The summit resulted in clearer direction, practical solutions, and stronger collaboration from the time spent together in person. Here are some shots of the group!
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Here’s a snapshot of some things we’ve been working on in the first quarter of 2026:
Art
Last month, we interviewed Art Director Bobby Bogdanov about how history plays a huge part in the art development of Gate Zero. You can read the full article here:
New Location: Caves
We’ve been developing the wilderness areas outside of town—places that may have been touched by Jesus’ presence.
We’ll leave you to guess who may have inhabited these caves. Don’t forget your torch when you come in to explore!
Capernaum Set Dressing
“My work starts with empty spaces that only have the core architecture in place, and my role is to turn them into believable, lived-in locations.
By carefully populating these areas with props, I aim to make each environment feel alive and functional, as if people have actually spent time there.
Every object is placed with intention, helping to suggest how the space is used and adding small moments of environmental storytelling that reward players who take the time to look around.” – Plamena, Texture Artist
Ground treatment
Our environment & technical artist Pavel has been hard at work improving the terrain and ground in Capernaum. Here’s what he has to say about the process:
“To create the desired visual effect of the terrain in this mission, I used several different techniques.
First, I started with terrain modeling to achieve smooth and natural transitions between the spaces around the houses. Then, I painted various textured surfaces on the ground using a multi-layer shader to add variety and define different zones.
To make building and updating paths easier, I used procedural spline paths that let me quickly adjust layouts and visuals without starting from scratch.
Next, I used those same tools to shape details like curbs, outlining roads, gardens, and small plazas.
Finally, I used spline scatter to add small elements like puddles, leaves and pebbles across the ground. These little touches add variety and help make the environment feel more real and lived-in.”
Eon World
A lot has changed in the Eon World since we last shared screenshots. We’ve expanded the level art to create more traversal opportunities. Lighting, textures and effects are also coming together to make the world more—can we say, realistic?
We’ve also been adding new gameplay and puzzle elements, so this world now holds lots of secrets. Maybe you spot some of them?
Characters
The concept art of a leper that we shared in the previous devlog has since evolved into a 3D model.
Different fabric patterns are also being designed for the 1st century outfits.
Animation
This is what the leper might do when you encounter him…
VFX
And here’s a never-before-seen cinematic from the Eon World that our VFX artist has been working on:
Narrative
The narrative team together with art has been working on storyboarding a cutscene of a leper being cleansed:
Social Media
Meet the Team—as kids!
Last month, we jumped on a social media trend and shared shots of some members of our team—as kids! We’re resharing their cute pictures here for you in case you missed it 🙂
View this post on Instagram
Events
Game Developers Conference 2026
We have attended GDC for the past few years, and this year was no exception. This time, we focused on closed-door meetings and demos with important partners such as Sony, Xbox, Valve and Epic Games. These meetings are crucial in solidifying partnerships and forging new ones to ensure the successful release of Gate Zero.
GoGame Multiply School
At the beginning of the year, our Marketing Manager travelled to Portland, OR for the GoGame Multiply School. Students from across North America, all leaders in video game ministry, were gathered for an intense three weeks of residential training.
During our visit, we shared the vision behind Gate Zero and gave students hands-on time testing the latest features, including a mission playthrough. Later, they collaborated to develop actionable strategies for using Gate Zero in ministry to reach different target groups.
We’re excited about the possibilities Gate Zero can unlock for digital mission work and how it can help connect the Bible with new audiences!
