Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Video game promotional poster for Middle-earth: Shadow of War, showcasing a warrior with a large axe fighting a monstrous bald enemy with a dark, stormy background and castle on the horizon.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War – Art Direction


Director of Art: As Director of Art on Shadow of War, Philip guided the game’s visual direction across concept art, cinematics, UI, animation, characters, environments, lighting, and VFX.

Marketing Materials: Philip provided storyboards, style guides, paintovers, art and creative direction for all marketing materials for Shadow of War including; box art imagery, layout and logo development, print media imagery and materials, and directed all screenshots.

Special thanks to the contributions from the many wonderful team members at Monolith, Warner Brothers, and our external partners.

Cover art for Middle-earth Shadow of War: Definitive Edition, featuring a black man in armor, a woman in a hood, a large dragon with outstretched wings, and a warrior riding the dragon, with a dark and smoky background. Award winning Art and Creativ
Video game promotional artwork for Middle-earth Shadow of War featuring a central male warrior wielding a sword, surrounded by orcs, trolls, and other fantasy creatures against a dark, stormy landscape. Award winning Art and Creative Director, Phili
Poster for Middle-earth Shadow of War Gold Edition featuring characters, monsters, and a fantasy castle. Award winning Art and Creative Director, Philip Straub
Cover art for the video game expansion 'Shadow of War: Blade of Galadriel' featuring a female elf in armor casting a spell, with large ominous eyes in the background, and two armored orc-like creatures wielding axes behind her. Award winning Art and
Cover art for the game Middle-earth: Shadow of War featuring six characters in armor and weapons, with a dark, stormy background and glowing effects. Award winning Art and Creative Director, Philip Straub
A scene from a video game showing a dragon fighting a group of armored warriors in a dark, fiery landscape with a castle in the background. Award winning Art and Creative Director, Philip Straub
Fantasy battle scene with armored warriors and monsters attacking a fortress on a snowy mountain, with fire and explosions in the background. Award winning Art and Creative Director, Philip Straub
Video game scene showing a male warrior with a sword fighting a large orc wielding a flaming axe in a fiery cave with fires and other monsters in the background. Award winning Art and Creative Director, Philip Straub

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Fires of War

The Fires of War music video was a true labor of love for the Monolith Productions team. A true team effort with outstanding dedication coming from the audio and cinematics departments. Philip provided art and creative direction for Fires of War.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War CG Story Trailer


Philip provided art and creative direction for the Shadow of War story trailer in collaboration with the internal Monolith team and Blur Studios, helping shape the cinematic tone, visual style, and narrative impact of the piece. Philip’s role included guiding character design, mood, lighting, and environmental aesthetics to ensure consistency with the game’s art direction.