DS
DESIGN SCOUTCODM CREATIVES · SG / MY / PH
CLASSIFIED // INTERNAL
BRIEF · 2026-W37
Week of September 7, 2026

↻ NEW SINCE LAST WEEK

SIGNAL Competitors are heavily leaning into IP collaborations and anniversary celebrations with vibrant, fantasy, and anime-inspired visuals, presenting an opportunity for CODM to reinforce its tactical realism by integrating its Godzilla x Kong theme with gritty, military aesthetics.
🗓️

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)
NOW Free FireNaruto Shippuden Collaboration & Ferrari Collaboration active ↻ CARRIED
NOW Mobile Legends10th Anniversary Celebration begins, featuring new skins like Nana 'Stardust Dreamer' ✓ VERIFIED
SEP 02 Free FireExpected New Evo Gun Skin release ↻ CARRIED
SEP 07 PUBG MobileFerrari Collaboration ends ✓ VERIFIED
🔥

STEAL THIS WEEK

UI/UX

Asymmetrical & 'Broken' Grids

UI layouts are moving away from rigid structures, embracing asymmetrical and broken grids for more visually dynamic and less predictable interfaces, often enhanced with 3D depth and tactile elements.

STEAL THISDesign event pages or menus with sharp, angular borders and asymmetrical information panels, using dark, textured backgrounds that mimic rough stone or metallic plating, accented by subtle animated Kaiju-inspired overlays.
↻ CARRIED Awwwards
Key Art

AI-Assisted Generation & Hyperrealism

AI tools are increasingly used for asset creation and idea generation, pushing key art towards hyperrealistic detail, advanced lighting, and physically based materials, especially for AAA titles.

STEAL THISCreate key art by blending realistic soldier renders with a stylized, imposing monster silhouette (e.g., Godzilla) against a war-torn cityscape, using layer masks and selective color correction with gritty texture overlays for unification.
↻ CARRIED Behance
UI/UX

Dark Mode with Vibrant Accents

Dark mode remains dominant, with strategic use of vibrant accent colors to highlight crucial information and create strong visual contrast within interfaces.

STEAL THISImplement dark UI elements with sharp, angular borders, using CODM's signature yellow as a vibrant accent for critical buttons, notifications, and tactical HUD elements.
↻ CARRIED Dribbble
Key Art

Dynamic & Cinematic Banners

Banners are evolving beyond static images to incorporate motion and narrative, using animated elements and dynamic layouts to create a sense of depth and viewer engagement.

STEAL THISDesign event trailers that open with slow-motion, dramatic camera movements of CODM soldiers against colossal Kaiju threats, integrating hard-edged graphic overlays with CODM's yellow and black scheme for titles.
↻ CARRIED Dribbble
Motion Design

Quiet but Smart Animations

Motion design is focusing on subtle, rhythmic animations that enhance usability and responsiveness rather than being purely decorative, making interfaces feel more intuitive and alive.

STEAL THISIncorporate subtle, animated overlays of glowing Kaiju eyes or fractured energy lines behind main menu items, which activate upon interaction or hover to add a dynamic, thematic touch without distracting from usability.
↻ CARRIED Dribbble
🕵️

COMPETITOR WATCH

FREE FIRE

Garena SEA
Utilizes vibrant, chaotic energy with pop-culture IPs like Naruto Shippuden and Ferrari for skins and events. ↻ CARRIED @freefire
Continuously updates its Magic Cube Store and introduces new Evo Gun Skins, maintaining engagement through desirable cosmetic items. ↻ CARRIED Free Fire Official

MOBILE LEGENDS

Moonton
Focuses on fantasy-themed stylized realism, with a massive 10th Anniversary Celebration event featuring numerous new and returning skins, artbooks, and rewards. ✓ VERIFIED Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Official
Releases a steady stream of new and returning skins across various tiers (Collector, Starlight, Special) and thematic series (Zodiac, Aspirants). ✓ VERIFIED Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Official

PUBG MOBILE

Tencent Games
Combines military realism with collaborations like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Naruto Shippuden, while also running a Ferrari collaboration. ✓ VERIFIED PUBG Mobile Official
Introduces advanced 'Druvaen X-Suits' with unique looks and effects, and updates Mythic/Ultimate Crates with a 'dark-tech and futuristic' aesthetic. ✓ VERIFIED PUBG Mobile Official
🪞

OUR GAPS & OPENINGS

GAP

Monochromatic Tactical UI

While dark modes with vibrant accents are common, there's an opportunity to explore purely monochromatic UI schemes for event pages or specific modes, using texture and sharp angles to convey tactical depth without relying on color contrasts.

GAP

Environmental Storytelling in Key Art

Key art often focuses on character or direct action. There's room to explore key art that emphasizes the environment and scale of the 'Eternal Prison' or Godzilla x Kong theme, using atmospheric effects and intelligent composition to tell a story.

GAP

Interactive UI Elements

Beyond subtle animations, explore UI elements that offer minor interactive feedback tied to the theme, such as buttons that 'crack' or 'shatter' visually upon press, or progress bars that fill with a 'molten' effect.

GAP

Character-Grounded Kaiju Integration

While full monster skins are common in other games, CODM can differentiate by focusing on 'Kaiju-Infused' operator skins that subtly integrate thematic elements into realistic tactical gear, maintaining a grounded, tactical feel.

⚠ 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

Leveraging the Godzilla x Kong theme, CODM can differentiate itself from fantasy-heavy competitors by integrating the Kaiju threat within its established military realism, focusing on tactical adaptation and visually striking, angular design elements.

01

Kaiju Tactical Integration

  • Create 'Kaiju-Infused' operator skins with subtle visual cues like scale textures, glowing eyes on helmets, or armor mimicking monster plating.
  • Design weapon camos with thematic textures (volcanic rock, metallic plating) and sharp, angular patterns consistent with CODM's brand.
  • Develop key art that blends the primal scale of Kaiju with CODM's gritty military realism, showing soldiers reacting to colossal threats in war-torn environments.
  • Why: This approach reinforces CODM's core identity while creatively integrating the new theme, offering a unique differentiator against more fantastical competitor offerings.
02

Primal Fury UI/UX

  • Design UI elements with sharp, angular borders and dark, textured backgrounds (e.g., rough stone, metallic plating) to evoke a tactical, primal feel.
  • Incorporate subtle, animated overlays of glowing Kaiju eyes or fractured energy lines in menus for dynamic thematic reinforcement.
  • Explore asymmetrical and 'broken' grid layouts for event pages and menus to create visually engaging, less predictable interfaces.
  • Why: This concept leverages current UI trends while applying a specific thematic filter that aligns with the raw power of the Kaiju and CODM's angular aesthetic.