Step into the light with Yuki! From her start in 2D animation to her role today, Yuki shares her journey of growth—both as a creator and a person. Discover how she balances art and gameplay to modernize maps on Rainbow Six Siege, and how she found community by connecting with creatives across Ubisoft and co-leading Toronto’s API ERG.
Hey Yuki! Tell us more about what you do as a Lighter and what’s your favourite thing about your role?
My job is to make the game beautiful using anything that can be luminous — from time of day and weather to fog, fire, and artificial lights. I love that there is no single “right” answer. Every lighter interprets a scene differently—the placement, angle, tone—and it’s inspiring to see how many ways an idea can be expressed.
Lighting is often the final stage, so it has huge impact on how everyone’s amazing art comes together visually. And for me, that’s the best part! Helping bring everyone’s hard work to life, it honestly feels like magic!
Rainbow Six Siege X
We’ve heard you’re working on Rainbow Six Siege X. Can you shed some light (heh) on what you’ve been up to?
Lately, I’ve been modernizing some of Siege’s maps. My focus has been on following the artistic direction from Ubisoft Montreal and elevating the mood of each space through colour and style
For Nighthaven Labs, I focused on giving its clean and white map a heavier “lab” vibe. On its interior, a key change, guided by Art Direction, was contrasting the sterile lab environment by making the waterfall more luminous and softening the sharp skylight shadows to reduce visual noise and improve player visibility.
One challenge we had was managing our “shadow budget.” Lighting is very demanding on the game engine, and to preserve smooth performance in a competitive game like Siege, we have to be strategic. In this waterfall area by the staircase, players pass through quickly, so we opted to save our shadow resources for larger combat zones where players stay and fight.
As a Japanese person, I drew on personal experiences and many reference photos to rework Skyscraper. I realized the exterior should be more saturated and gave the map an orange glow more akin to its time of day, which is sunset. In its interior, I worked on the base lighting and swapped the soft pink light for a deeper neon pink tone to better match the energy and vibe of an actual Japanese karaoke bar.
And lastly for the throne room in Theme Park, a colleague’s mention of the movie “The Last Emperor” inspired me to blend some blue tones into the existing golden lighting, creating a grand yet lonely atmosphere.
Our team is taking our Art Director’s guidance to heart: “respect the original, but don’t be afraid to evolve.” This gives us the creative space to bring our own ideas to the table and make these iconic spaces feel refreshed.
What is the impact of lighting on a game like Siege? Were there any considerations you had to keep in mind when modernizing maps?
The biggest challenge is balancing beauty and function. For example, using strong global illumination may ensure clear sightlines, but guess what happens? That’s right, everything starts to look too flat! On the other hand, shadows are crucial for atmosphere but overusing them results in a poor gameplay experience. After all, if you can’t see your opponent, how can you win?
When I’m stuck between what “looks best” and what “plays best,” I have a simple guiding question: “What would make the player happier?” This helps me find a path forward. Sometimes it means letting go of my “perfect” version, but I never give up on finding that happy middle ground.
Career development
How did you pick up the skills for your role?
I actually didn’t plan to join the video games industry. I studied 2D animation at an art university and later picked up 3D animation skills. This foundation was key and taught me many essential skills I use as a lighter today.
I see lighting as the final “wrapping” on a gift, you have to understand what’s inside to present it well. In the same way, being able to understand what other artists are doing helps me better light their work and troubleshoot issues.
Beyond that, studying color theory and analyzing movies has been huge. I’ve built a mental library of visual ideas, which makes me faster and helps me communicate my vision more clearly with the team.
What are some tips you’d give to someone hoping to land a similar role to yours?
My biggest tip is to share your goals, even when it’s intimidating.
When I decided I wanted to be a Lighting Artist, I was working in Ubisoft Osaka and the role was rare in Japan. I had no idea where to begin! So, I started mentioning my interests in 1-on-1s with my manager and in networking career chats. When the first Senior Lighting Artist joined our studio, I simply asked her, “Could you please teach me?”
Because everyone already knew I was interested and passionate, they were incredibly supportive, and my transition from a general 3D Artist went very smoothly.
And if you’re not sure what you’re passionate about, say “yes” to trying new tasks! That’s how I discovered I loved lighting. There is no such thing as “wasted experience.”
Life at Ubisoft Toronto
Can you describe the lighting community within Ubisoft?
It’s incredibly warm and supportive! We have a global channel where lighters from all studios share tips and help each other out. Having access to that knowledge across projects and their various engines is super helpful and a huge boost for efficiency.
I also really enjoy my weekly virtual “tea time” with the Siege lighting team in Montreal and Saguenay. We share our approaches and work-in-progress shots—it’s so inspiring to see their process!
And here in Toronto, I get to learn from talented cinematic lighters. Their methods are quite different from my world lighting focus, so it’s a fantastic opportunity to grow.
You are also a co-lead of the Toronto studio’s API ERG. What part of that community and its impact is most meaningful to you?
The API ERG is like a calm, welcoming space in the middle of a busy workday. As someone who is always learning about culture, this group helps me grow both as a person and a creator.
In Osaka, where I was part of the majority in society but a minority in a studio of expats, I was constantly switching perspectives and wondering what was “right.” Through the ERG, I’ve learned you don’t have to pick a side. Toronto’s diversity showed me there’s a beautiful spectrum between, and that’s what makes us and our work special.
Our cultural backgrounds shape how we work, communicate, and solve problems. That diversity directly makes our games more interesting. I’m still learning, but I’m honored to serve as a co-lead and help create a space where everyone feels comfortable and proud of who they are.
People of Ubisoft Toronto is a series featuring studio members from a variety of projects and backgrounds as they share their experiences at our studio, perspective of the video game industry and, perhaps, even a sneak peek of what they’re working on!
Our studio values diversity and believes in embracing differences to build stronger and more creative teams. We welcome people who would like to join us and redefine the future of games. Visit our careers page for more information on open roles and how to apply. To know more about our studio members and culture, click here.
