Last week at Gamescom, NVIDIA announced the winners of the NVIDIA and ModDB RTX Remix Mod Contest. This $50,000 competition celebrated remarkable community-made projects that breathe modern life into classic games. The entries highlighted an impressive evolution in video game modding, showcasing how individual modders and small teams can now deliver quality overhauls akin to those from entire studios.
At the core of these ambitious projects was NVIDIA RTX Remix, a revolutionary platform that enables creators to capture assets from older titles and rebuild them using cutting-edge lighting, geometry, and materials. Coupled with generative AI tools like PBRFusion and ComfyUI, modders can upscale thousands of textures and automate repetitive tasks, allowing them to truly focus on their artistic vision.
Thanks to the power of NVIDIA RTX GPUs, workflows that once took years can be completed in a matter of months. Currently, there are 237 RTX Remix projects in development, building on over 100 finished mods with a staggering 2 million downloads. Fan favorites like Half-Life 2, Need for Speed: Underground, Portal, and Deus Ex have seen significant revitalization thanks to these efforts.
Transforming Classics With Generative AI
The RTX Remix Mod Contest crowned Merry Pencil Studios’ Painkiller RTX Remix with several accolades, including Best Overall and Best Use of RTX. However, it wasn’t the only project worth mentioning. Here’s a closer look at some standout submissions that demonstrate how RTX Remix and AI-powered tools are reshaping PC modding.
‘Painkiller’ RTX Remix: Winner Across Multiple Categories
The modding team Merry Pencil Studios undertook the ambitious task of rebuilding more than 35 levels of the gothic shooter Painkiller. By harnessing AI-assisted workflows, they batch-processed thousands of low-resolution textures and created high-resolution physically based rendering (PBR) materials that were effortlessly imported into RTX Remix.
Their AI model of choice, PBRFusion, allowed them to upscale textures by four times, generating high-quality normal, roughness, and height maps. This efficient workflow delivered a consistent foundation, freeing up time for fine-tuning and creative embellishments. The team utilized tools like Blender and InstaMAT to craft essential assets that enriched the game’s gothic atmosphere.
“Generative AI has completely expanded what feels possible in modding. Beyond texture upscaling, it’s generating 3D models and refining complex surfaces,” Merry Pencil Studios noted.
“PBRFusion and other AI tools made it possible for a small team to convert an entire game into PBR. This baseline look allowed us to focus on the assets players notice most.” — Merry Pencil Studios
The enhancements in Painkiller are nothing short of impressive: gothic churches are aglow with volumetric light filtering through stained glass, while marble statues scatter colored light across the scene. Real-time path tracing and NVIDIA DLSS technology ensured that the experience was smooth, even during intense editing sessions.
“The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU transformed our workflow: speed and fluidity made everything feel seamless,” the team expressed.
What sets Painkiller RTX Remix apart is its extensive scope, with over 35 remastered levels completed in a fraction of the time typically required. The combination of generative AI and meticulous craftsmanship enabled Merry Pencil Studios to produce a masterclass in modding.
‘Unreal’ RTX Remix: A Transformative AI Experience
“I could not have created PBR textures without AI. It made the work feasible in the time I had available.” — mstewart401
UnrealRTX stands as a testament to the influence of generative AI on modding. Modder mstewart401 ambitiously set out to remaster the entire 1998 classic, completing 14 levels by the contest deadline, with many more in progress.
Utilizing RTX Remix’s AI texture tools alongside innovative methods such as generating animations from AI video tools, the environments were dramatically revitalized. The results are visually stunning, featuring glowing crystals and vibrant landscapes brimming with detailed, modern materials. By relying on AI for substantial texture work, mstewart401 dedicated more time to creative refinements, achieving a level of detail that rivals professional standards.
“If someone like me can create such a mod, anyone can,” mstewart401 enthused. “With generative AI and RTX, I’ve taken Unreal further than I thought possible.”
‘Need for Speed: Underground’ RTX Remix: Integrating AI and 3D Design
In the Need for Speed: Underground RTX Remix, modder Alessandro893 utilized both AI and traditional 3D artistry to remaster every race course. The project reimagined the game with novel textures, materials, and advanced lighting.
“Generative AI allows for creating more immersive environments in racing games, which is crucial for player engagement.” — Alessandro893
Employing ComfyUI, Alessandro893 generated over 500 new textures, refining them in Adobe Photoshop for enhanced realism. Additionally, the modder crafted more than 30 new high-poly models to ensure a smoother, more lifelike gaming experience.
“Using AI for texture generation preserved the original look by employing the game’s textures as input for the AI. Accomplishing such a vast quantity of enhancements without AI would be impractical,” Alessandro893 explained.
The overhaul is particularly striking on the Chinatown track, which saw new buildings, foliage, and real-time lighting, making the neon reflections stand out against wet surfaces. By leveraging AI to manage repetitive texture tasks, Alessandro893 could focus on creative details, giving Olympic City a contemporary cinematic flair while still maintaining its nostalgic roots.
‘Portal 2’ RTX Remix: A Pioneering AI Workflow
“AI greatly accelerated my workflow, allowing me to take on more ambitious creative tasks.” — Skurtyyskirts
Skurtyyskirts, the mind behind Portal 2 RTX Remix, adopted an innovative approach. They created a custom plug-in called Substance2Remix that connects Adobe Substance Painter with RTX Remix, facilitating a seamless workflow.
This integration allowed the modder to directly pull in assets, apply AI-assisted materials, hand-paint details, and send them back to the game, drastically reducing what usually took days into mere minutes.
“The potential of Remix’s API prompted me to create a more integrated workflow, eliminating tedious export-import processes for my handmade textures,” Skurtyyskirts stated.
While early stages employed AI upscalers like PBRFusion, Skurtyyskirts eventually developed a balanced mix of AI and manual artistry. The outcome is a sharper, more atmospheric environment in Portal 2, enriched further by RTX Remix’s volumetric and fog systems, making the test chambers feel vibrant and alive.
By developing this new pipeline, Skurtyyskirts opens avenues for other modders to explore faster, AI-powered workflows, paving the way for future projects.
Launchpad for Creating with RTX Remix
If you’re interested in creating your own RTX Remix mods, start by downloading NVIDIA RTX Remix from the NVIDIA App’s home screen. Check out the available tutorials and consult the documentation for detailed guidance. To enhance your workflow further, try PBRFusion on Hugging Face, an essential tool for modders to convert low-res textures into high-quality PBR maps quickly.
Explore all the mods submitted to the RTX Remix Modding Contest, along with over 100 additional Remix mods, available for download on ModDB. For more insights into the contest and winners, view the RTX Remix article. To see RTX Remix projects currently in development, join the community on the RTX Remix Showcase Discord server— a great resource for support and collaboration.
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