One of the founding members of Respawn Entertainment has returned to the company as the Franchise Art Director. Ryan Lastimosa, who left the company in early 2023, is returning to work once again on Apex Legends.
Lastimosa had a huge hand in shaping the visual style of Titanfall. As the live service has entered its 30th season, the look of the game has changed considerably from launch day. With him back at the helm of Apex Legends, players can reasonably expect a shift in aesthetics more similar to the grittier Titanfall era of Respawn Entertainment.
I am proud to announce that I will be returning to @Respawn Entertainment as Franchise Art Director. I'm excited to be back home to work on a franchise that holds a special place in my heart. Let's get after it. See you on the Frontier, Legends! pic.twitter.com/exJjHBP6bX
— Ryan Lastimosa (@brockhaurd) July 31, 2026
A Respawn original is back
Ryan Lastimosa first joined Respawn Entertainment during its start-up days as a Senior 3D artist, where he helped to shape the art and aesthetics of Titanfall. In those twelve years at Respawn, Lastimosa was promoted to Creative Director and directed the 3D art of Apex Legends as well as other single-player games in development at the time, solidifying the look of the Outlands.
Now, after a break of over three years, Lastimosa is back to work on Apex Legends once again. While change in development teams doesn’t always mean that something significant will happen to the game, a change in Franchise Art Director could mean a shift back into the style of early Apex, which has been lost over the course of years of collaborations and events.
Titanfall grit may be returning to Apex Legends
Apex Legends is set in the Titanfall universe, a grittier sci-fi setting that embraces the dirt and grime of the 2010s era in gaming. While Apex Legends first began with that sort of semi-grounded style, the years since have seen the live service game slide further and further into a shinier, more colorful aesthetic.
This change can be seen most clearly through the Prestige Skins released for each Legend, as early skins – Bangalore and Bloodhound – were grounded in the Titanfall look. Later releases – Wattson as a key example – are full of bright, bubblegum colors and armors that look markedly different from Apex’s early days.
Now that Lastimosa is returning as the Franchise Art Director, it’s highly likely that Apex Legends will see a return to form, something that fans of the Titanfall-universe would most definitely appreciate.
