This week, we’re excited to unveil Noir Futurism, our newest World Kit, now available in Cargo and on our web store. Inspired by the sleek lines of Art Deco and the moody tension of noir cinema, this Kit transports you to a city caught between gleaming ambition and shadowy intent. Here, the future is glamorous, but never innocent.
Built for creators building retro-futuristic Worlds layered with intrigue, this Kit features everything from glossy financial buildings and imposing justice halls to a grand art museum, neon-slick hotel, buzzing TV station, and a coffee shop that never closes. The architecture is bold. The atmosphere is icy smooth, with cynicism humming just beneath the surface.
In this edition of our Behind the Kit series, we spoke with the artists who brought Noir Futurism to life. They share their favorite moments from the build, the design challenges that shaped the Kit, and how they captured a world where power, beauty, and ambiguity all coexist.
Join us as we go behind the scenes with the KitBash3D team and uncover how they shaped a world where the future wears a fedora and nothing is ever quite what it seems.
What was your favorite part about working on Noir Futurism and why?
“I'm a sci-fi nerd who loves the genre in all its incarnations, but lately, I've noticed a tendency toward more mainstream styles like cyberpunk. Because of that, working on a retro-futuristic kit felt like a breath of fresh air, and I’m sure it’ll diversify our amazing catalog even more. That aspect, along with learning about the architectural influences that defined this aesthetic, was one of my favorite parts of working on Noir Futurism.” - Tom Berczeller, Material Artist
“My favorite part working on this kit was to imagine myself in the Noir futurism universe and it wasn't complicated to do at all as the multitude of architectural references on the style was overwhelming on Pinterest. you can easily spend more that a day just looking for inspiring references!” - ecbel Oueslati, Content Design
“For me it was art deco elements that I enjoyed the most. I love the detail, I love the shapes, and to add that futuristic twist to it really made this kit a blast.” - Joseph Sylvester, 3D Modeler
“My favourite part of this kit was the design of the Kit and the textures! The textures of the Buildings were really unique, and it showcased my favourite colour palette. Also, the texture patterns made this kit a lot cooler!” - Mohammad Afshari, 3D Modeler
“I had never worked with a Noir style before, so I loved to look for references in deco art for example, there is a lot of material in this art, I mean you can get a lot of ideas to create an alternative style like Noir Futurism. Personally, I really enjoyed the creation of textures for the props; that was my favorite part, especially the vending machines and the lamps.” - Gabs Herrera, Material Artist 
What was the most challenging part about this Kit? How did you overcome that challenge?
“Defining a subtle color palette without making the kit look boring was quite challenging. We managed to pull it off by carefully researching and planning from the start, while balancing this subtlety with details like Art Deco-inspired ornamentations and emissive accents.” - Tom Berczeller, Material Artist
“The most challenging part was to be mindful of scale and livable space in the buildings. to overcome this issue Luis and Vlad were very patient with me and guided me on how to work in proper scale. It was highly helpful and mindful. Thanks to both of them.” - ecbel Oueslati, Content Design
“Compared to other kits, this one was more dependent on textures, specifically trims. Closer communication, as well as anticipating modeling and creating uvs for that workflow helped a lot!” - Joseph Sylvester, 3D Modeler
“The creation of the stained glass material was a challenge as it has many elements and effects that work with light. Maintaining the color palette was also a challenge as there were so many options to explore and they all looked good.” - Gabs Herrera, Material Artist
What was the biggest thing you learned while developing the Kit?
“I discovered that it's possible to achieve impressive results in a subtle way, without sacrificing depth or complexity.” - Tom Berczeller, Material Artist
“How to work in proper scale so that 3d artists don't have to rethink it too much.” - ecbel Oueslati, Content Design
“The power of trim materials. The models looked nice, but once I saw the textures applied, my mind was blown!” - Joseph Sylvester, 3D Modeler
“Making stained glass and always and always take into account teamwork.” - Gabs Herrera, Material Artist
Do you have a favorite asset from the Kit?
“The Bank. It’s hard to describe, but I love its monolithic presence, which is quite imposing in a good way. Its slight asymmetry gives it a stoic quality that makes it stand out among the other buildings, even though it’s not the largest.” - Tom Berczeller, Material Artist
“The art museum was the first building I worked on and it turned out to be my favorite. The scale and shape language really makes it a unique and compelling piece.” - Joseph Sylvester, 3D Modeler
“My favourite asset in this Kit is the vending machines! They have a cool design with some great patterns.” - Mohammad Afshari, 3D Modeler
“The lights and the vending machines.” - Gabs Herrera, Material Artist
Was there anything that surprised you about this theme or the Kit while you worked on it?
“You can get a lot of ideas to generate several variations with art deco. You can give an old style or a futurism style, as it is Noir Futurism.” - Gabs Herrera, Material Artist
Which material or asset were you the most excited about creating and why?
“The main ornament trim, which is used across all structures, was a great Substance Designer exercise. It involved creating complex shapes from scratch and elegantly mixing surfaces like marble, metals, and concrete. I'm really proud of how it turned out since it’s one of the materials I've invested the most time and dedication into.
“Art Museum! It was my first building and so I was really able to sink my teeth into the style of the kit.” - Joseph Sylvester, 3D Modeler
“The Theater! It has unique shapes with two gorgeous domes on top of the building that make the building so cool.” - Mohammad Afshari, 3D Modeler
“I think the trims that were used for this kit look amazing. They really helped to bring most of the buildings to life, both in the structures and in the windows and doors.” - Gabs Herrera, Material Artist
Is there anything about the Noir Futurism Kit you'd like to highlight or shout out?
“I want to give a huge shoutout to the entire team for their incredible work, but especially to Vlad, one of our main leads. His deep knowledge of architecture, concept art and popular media was invaluable, and it greatly inspired me while I was texturing the structures and creating materials for Noir Futurism.” - Tom Berczeller, Material Artist
“The finals are just mind-blowing, and I am just amazed by the hard work that the team went through.” - ecbel Oueslati, Content Design
“Shout out to textures! They did a fantastic job and really made this kit sing. Shout out to Ecbel for the awesome concepts!” - Joseph Sylvester, 3D Modeler
“I want to shout out the Texture team for adding so much value to this kit!” - Mohammad Afshari, 3D Modeler
“I think I really fell in love with the textures of the props and the design they have, old but futuristic at the same time. Definitely blew my mind with this style.” - Gabs Herrera, Material Artist
The KitBash3D team brought their love of style, story, and suspense to every corner of Noir Futurism, giving creators the tools to build worlds of mystery, elegance, and electric tension.
To get this and every Kit, subscribe with Unlimited and start crafting your own retro-futuristic tale of shadows and skylines with the Noir Futurism Kit. Be sure to tag @KitBash3D when you share your scenes. We can’t wait to see what secrets your city holds. Happy KitBashing!
