Commissioning a 3D game character: what game-ready means, the process, and 6 things that set the price
Before ordering 3D character modelling for your game: game-ready vs high-poly, poly budget, PBR textures, rigging, the process, delivery formats (FBX/GLB) and what drives the price. For Unity, Unreal and Godot.
Commissioning a character for your game is not "getting a nice model drawn". The character will run inside the engine, take light, play animation and must not stutter on a low-end machine. This post lists what to know before you order — we built Mafia Hippo and Protocol Zel with these steps.
What does game-ready mean?
A high-poly sculpt (millions of polygons in ZBrush/Blender) renders beautifully but does not run in a game. A game-ready character meets these conditions:
- Poly budget: mobile 5–15k, PC/console hero 30–80k triangles, NPCs/distant characters less. Set up front from target engine and platform.
- Clean topology: edge loops at the face and joints that deform properly; built at the retopo stage.
- UVs and textures: 2K or 4K PBR set — BaseColor, Normal, Roughness, Metallic, AO. Even texel density where needed.
- Scale and pivot: 1 unit = 1 metre, feet at origin, forward on the right axis. No giants or dwarfs when it lands in the engine.
- Rig-ready: T-pose or A-pose, symmetry, separate parts (clothing, hair, accessories) properly named.
- LODs (optional): 2–3 lower-poly versions by distance.
The process (how it runs with us)
- Brief. Reference images / concept, the character's role in the game, target engine (Unity, Unreal, Godot), platform (PC, mobile, web), poly budget, whether a rig is needed.
- Blockout. Proportions and silhouette; approved within a day.
- Sculpt / modelling. In stylised characters the form and character language are built here.
- Retopo. Game-ready topology; deformation areas handled carefully.
- UV + textures. PBR set; hand-painted or procedural — the style decides. The leather-wrapped thermos is fully hand-painted, Hippo is PBR.
- Presentation + delivery. Turntable render, wireframe view, FBX/GLB, texture pack, .blend if requested.
- Rig / animation (optional). Humanoid rig (Unity Mecanim / Unreal Mannequin compatible), basic set: idle, walk, run.
The 6 things that set the price
| Factor | Cheap end | Expensive end |
|---|---|---|
| Style | stylised / low-poly | realistic, skin and fabric detail |
| Detail | one outfit, few accessories | layered clothing, weapon, bag, hair grooming |
| Poly budget | mobile, single LOD | console quality + 3 LODs |
| Rig | none | full body + facial rig + blend shapes |
| Animation | none | idle/walk/run/attack set |
| Timeline | standard | rush delivery |
Every character is quoted per project; send reference images plus the target engine on WhatsApp and you get a firm price and timeline within 24 hours.
What to send when ordering
- Reference — concept art, moodboard or 3 "something like this" images
- Role — player character, NPC or boss (how close does the camera get?)
- Engine + platform — poly and texture budgets come from here
- Rig/animation needs — none means faster and cheaper
- Style lock — 2–3 of the game's existing assets if you have them; the character has to fit the world
For environments and props: Ordering 3D assets for Unity / Unreal. All game work: Game & 3D.
Frequently asked
1.What does game-ready 3D character mean?
A character optimised to run in real time inside a game engine — a sensible poly count (mobile 5–15k, PC/console 30–80k triangles), clean topology, proper UVs, a PBR texture set (BaseColor, Normal, Roughness/Metallic, AO), correct scale and pivot, and rig/animation-ready where needed.
2.How much does a 3D game character cost?
Six things set the price — style (stylised / realistic), level of detail, poly budget, rig and animation needs, number of clothing/accessory pieces and delivery time. At Creatune every character is quoted per project; send reference images and the target engine on WhatsApp and you get a firm number within 24 hours.
3.What formats do you deliver?
FBX (Unity/Unreal), GLB/glTF (web, Godot), and the .blend source on request. Textures as separate PNGs or packed the way the engine expects (ORM for Unreal, Metallic-Smoothness for Unity).
4.How long does a character take?
A single stylised character (base mesh → sculpt → retopo → UV → textures → presentation) usually takes 7–14 days; with rig and a basic animation set, 3–4 weeks. Time depends on how clear the brief is and on revision rounds.
