
Last week at Gamescom, NVIDIA announced the winners of the NVIDIA and ModDB RTX Remix Mod Contest, a $50,000 competition celebrating community-made projects that reimagine classic games with modern fidelity.
The entries showed how far video game modding has come, with individual modders and small teams pulling off overhauls of similar quality to those created by entire studios.
At the heart of these projects was NVIDIA RTX Remix, a platform that lets creators capture assets from classic titles and rebuild them with modern lighting, geometry and materials. Paired with generative AI tools like PBRFusion and ComfyUI, modders can now upscale or generate thousands of textures and automate repetitive tasks so they can focus on their artistry.
Plus, with NVIDIA RTX GPUs accelerating these AI-driven workflows, ambitious remasters that once took years can now come together in months.
There are currently 237 RTX Remix projects in development, building on over 100 finished mods and 2 million downloads across fan favorites like Half-Life 2, Need for Speed: Underground, Portal and Deus Ex.
Transforming Classics With Generative AI
The RTX Remix Mod Contest crowned Merry Pencil Studios' Painkiller RTX Remix with several awards, but it wasn't the only mod worth celebrating.
Here's a closer look at the winning submission, along with other standout projects that showcase how RTX Remix and AI-powered tools are redefining what's possible with modding on PCs.
Painkiller' RTX Remix: Winner in Best Overall, Best Use of RTX and Most Complete Categories The mod team Merry Pencil Studios rebuilt more than 35 levels of the gothic shooter Painkiller using AI-assisted workflows and handcrafted artistry. The team batch-processed thousands of low-resolution textures and generated high-resolution physically based rendering (PBR) materials that automatically got imported into RTX Remix.
The team's AI model of choice was PBRFusion, a model trained by the RTX Remix community that can upscale textures by 4x and generate high-quality normal, roughness and height maps.
This workflow provided a consistent foundation for the game's complex environments, freeing up time for creative polish. From there, the team used tools like Blender and InstaMAT to craft assets like lanterns and other gothic details that define the game's atmosphere.
Generative AI has completely expanded what feels possible in modding. Beyond texture upscaling, we're now seeing it generate 3D models, refine complex multi-material surfaces and assist with coding tasks like building workflow tools, writing documentation and catching errors. - Merry Pencil Studios
RTX Remix transforms the gothic cathedral in Painkiller : RTX OFF (left) shows the original look, while RTX ON (right) fills the hall with stained glass reflections, volumetric beams and realistic shadows. PBRFusion and other AI tools made it possible for a small team to convert an entire game into PBR. It set the baseline look, while we focused our manual efforts on the assets players notice most. - Merry Pencil Studios
With RTX Remix, gothic churches now glow with volumetric light pouring through stained glass, marble statues scatter colored light and combat scenes erupt with particle effects that cast realistic shadows. NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs powered the workflow from start to finish, with real-time path tracing and NVIDIA DLSS technology ensuring smooth iteration while editing even on massive scenes.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU was a dream for our workflow: speed, fluidity, everything felt seamless. DLSS Frame Generation doubled or even tripled frame rates, making the game look incredible on high-refresh displays. - Merry Pencil Studios
What makes the Painkiller RTX Remix notable is its scope, featuring over 35 remastered levels. This amount of work couldn't have been completed in such a short time without RTX Remix and the generative AI tools the team used.
By combining generative AI automation with careful craftsmanship, Merry Pencil Studios delivered a project that feels both ambitious and polished.
Unreal' RTX Remix: An Ambitious AI Texture Rebuild I wouldn't have been able to create PBR textures without AI. I could have maybe created emissive maps and height maps, but I wouldn't have been able to do the roughness or normal maps myself. - mstewart401
UnrealRTX demonstrates the scale of generative AI's impact in modding. Modder mstewart401 set out to remaster the entire 1998 classic, with 14 levels completed by the contest deadline and more in progress.
With RTX Remix's built-in AI texture tools, plus experimental methods like generating animations from AI video tools and hand-editing light maps, whole environments were reimagined with new detail and atmosphere.
The results are striking: glowing crystals pulse with emissive light, alien landscapes shimmer with modern materials and the game's otherworldly maps feel richer and more alive. By leaning on AI for the bulk of the texture work, mstewart401 could focus on creative polishing - delivering an overhaul that feels ambitious even by professional standards.
RTX Remix transforms the alien environments in Unreal : RTX OFF (left) shows the original flat look, while RTX ON (right) adds detailed PBR materials, emissive lighting and realistic reflections. If someone like me can make a mod like this, anyone can. I only get an hour here and an hour there, but with generative AI and RTX, I've been able to push Unreal' further than I ever thought possible. - mstewart401
Need for Speed: Underground' RTX Remix: Blending AI and 3D Artistry In the Need for Speed: Underground RTX Remix, modder Alessandro893 used AI and 3D artistry to remaster every race course in the game with new textures, materials and lighting.
In racing games, generat
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
28/02/2026
With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...
28/02/2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...
28/02/2026
Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...
28/02/2026
AI-RAN is moving from lab to field, showing that a software-defined approach is ...
28/02/2026
Autonomous networks - intelligent, self-managing telecommunications operations -...
28/02/2026
Back to All News
Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Tow...
28/02/2026
New way to intentionally discover molecular glues could expand drug discovery Scripps Research scientists and colleagues show how drugs that eliminate certain d...
27/02/2026
The E.W. Scripps Company names Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and...
27/02/2026
The Gotham Sports App, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and the YES Network, is now available for purchase through Prime Video fo...
27/02/2026
ESPN and the Horizon League announce a new multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement, continuing a 38-year collaboration that began with the 1988 Midwes...
27/02/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, NETGEAR will highlight its new switch models and major updates to its Engage Controller software. The company's network d...
27/02/2026
Riedel Communications announces that Fondazione Teatro alla Scala has deployed a...
27/02/2026
Lyuno specializes in media localization, including translation, dubbing, subtitling, and voice-over services for a wide array of entertainment content. The comp...
27/02/2026
Chyron Weather 2.3, the latest edition of Chyron's weather visualization suite for broadcasters and meteorologists, recently launched.
The release includes...
27/02/2026
Telestream, which concentrates in media workflow technologies, announces expanded practical AI enhancements across its Vantage, Vantage Cloud, EDC, Stanza, and ...
27/02/2026
Horizon Sports & Experiences (HS&E), a global sports marketing, media, and live ...
27/02/2026
Legendary sports broadcasters Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike Czar of the Telest...
27/02/2026
Beginning on March 1st, IndyCar will be kicking off their 31st season on the str...
27/02/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
27/02/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
27/02/2026
Owl AI a pioneer in artificial intelligence for professional sports, announces a...
27/02/2026
With over 447 million fans in APAC, Formula 1 and beIN will continue to innovate...
27/02/2026
12-year-old Noelle Taylor will be the Kid Reporter when the Brooklyn Nets host t...
27/02/2026
Entire CapCam system - including camera unit, RF transmitter, and battery - is h...
27/02/2026
Since its inception, Gorillaz has been known for blending art with genre-bending...
27/02/2026
This week, Spotify introduced Audiobook Charts for the U.S. and U.K. The charts make it easy to discover your next favorite book by showing what's popular a...
27/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Viasat to collaborate on NB-NTN IoT test plan for connectivi...
27/02/2026
In media technology, big features often steal the spotlight - AI integrations, cloud transformations, automation frameworks. But for the people who use these to...
27/02/2026
Digital Asset Management systems sit at the heart of most marcoms operations. They centralise content, organise it, and make it discoverable. Integrated with th...
27/02/2026
The AI Wild West comes to NAB 2026 and Blue Lucy is bringing the Sheriff
The AI Wild West is here, and media organisations are feeling the heat. On Booth W23...
27/02/2026
NEW YORK - February 26, 2026 - An estimated 32.6 million people watched President Donald J. Trump deliver the 2026 State of the Union address on Tuesday, Februa...
27/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/02/2026
Video is one of the lawyer's most powerful storytelling tools in civil litigation today, whether used to transport jurors to an incident scene or challenge ...
27/02/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today released Nuke 17.0, the latest version of its powerful compositing tool for visual effects and animation. Marking one ...