Design Scout — 2026-W30

DESIGN SCOUTCODM CREATIVES · SG / MY / PH

CLASSIFIED // INTERNAL
BRIEF · 2026-W30
Week of July 20, 2026

↻ NEW SINCE LAST WEEK

NEWFree Fire has launched an extensive football-themed campaign ('Fire Kickoff') transforming maps and introducing unique gameplay mechanics, alongside the expected 'Evo Vault' featuring high-tier weapon skins.
NEWPUBG Mobile continues its AESPA and Football World Cup collaborations, with a July store update featuring a new 'Glasya' character and further leaks pointing towards 'Ultimate-level' cosmetic sets.
SHIFTDesign trends show a continued emphasis on 3D and immersive visuals, alongside the rise of AI-assisted design for concept generation and production efficiency.

SIGNAL Competitors are heavily leaning into event-driven, thematic collaborations and pushing high-tier visual effects for skins, while design trends highlight 3D immersion, bold typography, and AI-assisted workflows, all of which CODM can leverage for its Godzilla x Kong and 'Eternal Prison' seasons.

🗓️

COMPETITOR DROP CALENDAR

Plan counter-programming around these. Tip: add the generated scout.ics to your calendar to get these as events.

Free Fire MLBB PUBG Mobile CODM (us)

JUN 28 Free FireFire Kickoff Campaign (June 5 - July 23, 2026): football-themed campaign with map transformations and unique 'Pitch Showdown Revival' mechanic. ✓ VERIFIED

JUL 2 Free FireEvo Vault July 2026 rotation featuring high-tier weapon skins (Predatory Cobra MP40, Groza, P90, AK47). ~ EST

JUL 14 PUBG MobileJuly Store Update featuring new character 'Glasya', 'Contender' and 'Survivor Pass' content. ✓ VERIFIED

NOW CODMGodzilla x Kong and 'Eternal Prison' season visuals need to integrate trends and competitor analysis. ~ EST

🔥

STEAL THIS WEEK

3D & IMMERSIVE DESIGN

Hyper-Realistic 3D Visuals Drive Engagement

3D and immersive design continues to dominate, moving beyond gaming into broader branding and advertising to create premium looks and boost user engagement.

STEAL THISCreate key art and banners using CODM's brand colors (black, yellow, white) with hard angles and fragmented imagery, juxtaposing tactical soldier perspectives with colossal Kaiju elements for a gritty, realistic yet epic feel.

↻ CARRIED Dribbble

TYPOGRAPHY

Bold Minimalism for Clear Messaging

Clean layouts are paired with oversized, expressive typography to deliver confident messaging and establish strong visual hierarchy.

STEAL THISImplement bold, angular typography for event titles and critical UI notifications, using CODM's brand fonts (Refrigerator Deluxe/GUNAR) in high-contrast yellow and white against a black background.

↻ CARRIED

AI IN DESIGN

AI-Assisted Concept Generation

AI tools are increasingly used for rapid concept generation, layout suggestions, and initial visual creation, allowing human designers to refine for emotional impact.

STEAL THISUtilize AI tools to generate diverse visual concepts for character skins, weapon camos, and environmental details inspired by Kaiju themes, then refine these outputs with CODM's established angular and realistic design language.

↻ CARRIED

UI/HUD DESIGN

Futuristic & Thematic HUD Integration

Game HUDs are adopting futuristic and sci-fi aesthetics, often incorporating holographic elements and sharp angles, while maintaining strong readability and thematic consistency.

STEAL THISDesign UI elements that mimic 'containment field' motifs or 'containment breach' warnings using angular, segmented panels, high-contrast yellow/black, and subtle pulsing effects for special event modes.

↻ CARRIED Dribbble

MOTION DESIGN

Short-Form, Punchy Motion Graphics

Content under 60 seconds is preferred for social media, demanding quick, punchy, and visually led motion graphics and transitions.

STEAL THISCreate sharp, angular transitions for loading screens or event animations that incorporate CODM's hexagon/angle motifs, simulating Kaiju impact effects or tactical maneuvers with quick cuts and shatter effects.

↻ CARRIED Dribbble

COMPETITOR SKIN TRENDS

High-Tier Visuals & Thematic Skins

Competitors like Free Fire and PUBG Mobile are pushing visually impressive 'Ultimate-level' and 'Evo Vault' skins with detailed effects, alongside major collaborations.

STEAL THISDevelop weapon skins and character outfits for CODM's Godzilla x Kong and 'Eternal Prison' seasons that feature intense elemental effects (e.g., atomic breath, primal energy) and integrate CODM's signature angular design elements for a premium, impactful look.

↻ CARRIED PUBG Mobile

🕵️

COMPETITOR WATCH

FREE FIRE

Garena SEA

Fire Kickoff Campaign: Extensive football theme transforming maps and introducing unique mechanics like 'Pitch Showdown Revival'. Visuals are vibrant, dynamic, and sporty. ✓ VERIFIED @freefireofficial

Evo Vault July 2026: Rotation of high-tier weapon skins (Predatory Cobra MP40, Groza, P90, AK47). Visual direction is sleek, aggressive, and often elemental/futuristic with glowing effects. ~ EST

MOBILE LEGENDS

Moonton

No specific campaign or event details for July 2026 were found in the provided search results. ↻ CARRIED

PUBG MOBILE

Tencent Games

AESPA Collaboration: Outfits and items inspired by K-pop group AESPA, presented in a dark, edgy, cyberpunk/futuristic style. ✓ VERIFIED PUBG Mobile Official

Football World Cup Event: Global event leveraging FIFA World Cup excitement. Visuals are likely patriotic, energetic, using national colors and sporting themes. ↻ CARRIED PUBG Mobile Official

July Store Update: Includes 'Glasya' character (gothic/modern exorcist), 'Contender' and 'Survivor Pass' content. Pushing towards highly detailed customization options with 'Ultimate-level' and 'Mythic-level' sets. ✓ VERIFIED PUBG Mobile Official

🪞

OUR GAPS & OPENINGS

OPENING

Lack of 'Kaiju Scale' Visuals in Other Titles

While competitors focus on sports and music collaborations, few are visually depicting truly colossal, world-ending threats with the scale and intensity that CODM's Godzilla x Kong theme allows.

GAP

AI-Driven Concept Visualization

Opportunity to use AI tools to rapidly prototype and explore unique visual combinations of military realism and Kaiju aesthetics for skins and environments, a trend growing in prominence.

OPENING

Angular, Hard-Edged Motion Graphics

The trend towards sharp, impactful motion graphics and transitions is underserved in competitor events outside of core gameplay moments; CODM can own this for UI and promotional content.

GAP

Thematic UI Integration for Kaiju Events

No competitor is deeply integrating UI elements that visually represent 'containment' or 'breach' mechanics tied to massive, world-altering events, offering a unique thematic UI opportunity for CODM.

⚠ This section reports observable content patterns + opportunities only. Hard engagement %/reach figures are deliberately omitted — they aren't reliably fetchable from public sources. Pull real numbers from your own analytics before any brief decision.

🎯

BANNER CONCEPTS — START HERE

Leverage the 'Godzilla x Kong' and 'Eternal Prison' themes by integrating emerging design trends in 3D, AI-assisted workflows, and bold motion graphics with CODM's core military realism and angular aesthetic.

Kaiju Containment Breach UI

Angular UI panels and HUD elements resembling containment units.
Subtle 'breach' or 'warning' animations/visual cues integrated into health bars or ability icons during Kaiju-related events.
Dominant use of CODM's black, yellow, and white palette with hard angles and segmented designs.
Why: Integrates the 'Eternal Prison' theme with a futuristic UI trend, offering a unique visual differentiator in the market.

Colossal Threat Key Art & Motion

Key art and banners that emphasize the overwhelming scale of Kaiju against gritty, realistic military scenarios.
Use of hard-edged graphic elements and high contrast to depict Kaiju power (e.g., atomic breath, massive impacts).
Short-form, high-impact motion graphics for trailers and social media, using RT3D principles and sharp transitions.
Why: Aligns with the 3D/Immersive trend and competitor focus on impactful visuals, while distinctly showcasing the unique scale of CODM's Godzilla x Kong collaboration.