Veyras Ascent

First Person Multiplayer Level

Designed by Hunter McCormick

Inspired by Destiny and Halo

About Veyras Ascent

Gamemodes

Team Slayer/Deathmatch
Capture the Flag
Domination/Control
Free for all

Tools & Design Process

Unreal Engine 5
Procreate
Fab - FPSGameStarterKit By: SB

Gameplay

Gameplay Clip

Pre-Production

References

For this level I drew inspiration from levels in the Halo and Destiny series, analyzing how each game approaches player flow, combat readability and spatial composition. From the Halo games, I studied the use of flank routes, power positions and verticality to better understand how map control and risk-reward are balanced. From Destiny, I focused on how their use of architectural orientation, cover placement to keep spaces readable during fast-paced combat.

To establish a distinct identity for the level, I introduced industrial pipe networks containing a glowing green substance, alongside a partially destroyed structure caused by the substances instability. These key features serve as both environmental storytelling and as visual landmarks, helping players orient themselves during combat.

Sketch

I began the level by creating rough sketches to establish its overall layout, flow, and player progression. Most of the initial design was retained, but I refined key elements to improve gameplay, such as adjusting a spawn point and replacing a platform with walkable terrain to give players more movement options. These sketches allowed me to plan verticality, sightlines, and cover placement before moving into blockout, ensuring the level was readable, engaging, and strategically interesting. Iterating on these early concepts helped guide the evolution of the level into a fully playable space while maintaining the clarity and intention of the original design.

Goal

The goal of this level was to design an arena-style multiplayer map that embraces controlled chaos while remaining readable and competitive. I focused on core multiplayer design principles such as spatial awareness, deliberate cover placement, verticality, landscaping, choke points, and carefully managed lines of sight to support constant player decision-making. The map was designed to feel at home within the Halo or Destiny universe, balancing fast-paced encounters with clear visual and gameplay structure.

Additionally, I placed a strong emphasis on environmental storytelling, using semi-futuristic elements and worldbuilding to create a space that feels grounded within a larger universe rather than a standalone arena.

Overview

3-D MAPS

Key Locations

Team 1 Spawn

Team 1’s spawn offers multiple routes via a bridge, central structure, and interior path, with a damaged building acting as a clear orientation landmark. Cover placement reduces spawn pressure while encouraging movement across the map.

Team 2 Spawn

Team 2’s spawn offers multiple routes, including a central path to the courtyard, a left-side mountain path, and a longer interior route, with green pipes serving as a clear landmark for player orientation. Cover placement reduces spawn pressure and encourages outward movement.

Team 1 Courtyard

Team 1’s courtyard acts as a decision point, letting players apply pressure toward Team 2’s courtyard, broken pipe, and turret or bridge routes. It also allows Team 2 to contest height and maintain an overlook on Team 1’s spawn, creating a dynamic risk and reward space for both teams.

Team 2 Courtyard

Team 2’s courtyard allows players to apply pressure toward Team 1’s courtyard, broken pipe, and turret and bridge areas. It also lets Team 1 control height and maintain an overlook on Team 2’s spawn.

Broken Pipe

The Broken Pipes area provides cover for Team 1 players from the bridge and for players approaching from Team 2’s courtyard, while serving as a key objective location. It also supports flanking in non-objective modes, encouraging dynamic movement and strategic choices across the map.

Turret/Bridge

The Turret and Bridge area serves as a flank route for both teams and allows contesting of height advantages for each team. Its longer sightlines create unique engagements, encouraging strategic positioning and long-range play.

Design Techniques

Lines of Sight

The environment was designed with intentional sightlines to support both long-range and close-quarters combat, allowing players to adapt their own strategies based on positioning, weapon choice, and engagement opportunities.

Cover Placement

Cover is carefully designed and positioned using environmental elements like boxes, pipes, and crates to provide meaningful protection while enabling controlled forward movement, supporting tactical decision-making and maintaining gameplay flow.

Spatial Design

Cover and structures were placed to maintain continuous flow, eliminating no man’s land while creating meaningful risk and reward scenarios. Key power positions are intentionally more exposed, offering advantages to players willing to trade safety for height or control.

Verticality

Sections of the map were designed with varying verticality to create multiple engagement heights and dynamic combat scenarios.

Elevated power positions near each team’s spawn provide tactical advantages.

Images

Level Iterations

Reflection

Hunter's Reflection

This project was developed during a particularly demanding period of my academic schedule, which required me to build the level over a longer timeframe than initially planned. While this slowed development, it ultimately became a strength of the process. Stepping away between iterations helped me to avoid becoming attached to early solutions and allowed me to revisit the level with a fresh perspective.

These breaks led to several meaningful changes, including adjustments to cover placement, scaling, and the most significant shift of redesigning the map from a symmetrical layout to an asymmetrical one. I set out to challenge myself to create an asymmetrical multiplayer map that remained fair and balanced for both teams.

One of the core challenges was maintaining balance without relying on a single central hotspot. Instead, I aimed to distribute engagement opportunities across the entire map, ensuring that no single area dominated play and that the whole space felt consistently active and contested. Another challenge was playtesting in a multiplayer environment. To gather feedback, I first built and tested a symmetrical version of the level in Battlefield 6, using player responses to inform layout and flow decisions. The asymmetrical version was then refined and validated through testing in Unreal Engine 5 using AI bots as enemies.