Imagine this: your game is nearly ready, the mechanics feel tight, the systems are polished, but the visuals still don’t pop. In 2025, game art will play a huge role in defining a game’s success. Players today expect more than functionality; they want worlds that pull them in, characters they remember, and visuals that feel alive.
That’s where game art outsourcing comes in. Instead of overloading your internal team or scrambling for freelancers, you get access to a skilled external crew that brings your game visuals to life: fast, affordably, and without slowing your project down.
In this article, GIANTY will discuss with you why art outsourcing is becoming a game-changer and explore the pros and cons of this service.
What Is Game Art Outsourcing?
Game art outsourcing is when you team up with an external partner to create the visuals for your game: characters, environments, UI, animations, or VFX. This can be for both 2D art and 3D art and applied at any point in development.
Why Now Is the Time to Outsource Game Art?
Game development is moving at lightning speed, and studios around the world are under pressure to deliver top-tier visuals without blowing up their timelines or budgets. That’s where game art outsourcing is proving to be a powerful ally.
The game art outsourcing service market size was valued at approximately USD 0.55 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 1.09 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 9% from 2025 to 2033.
At GIANTY, we’re seeing more studios embrace this model because they don’t have time to wait around for new hires. They want skilled teams ready to jump in, adapt fast, and deliver consistent quality, and that’s exactly what outsourcing brings to the table.
Comparing In-House, Freelancers, and Game Art Outsourcing Studios
When planning how to produce game art, you’ve got three paths: build an in-house team, hire freelancers, or work with an outsourcing studio. All three have pros and cons, but more and more studios are choosing art outsourcing studios for long-term, scalable production.
- Full-service studios: End-to-end support from concept to game-ready assets
- Specialized art teams: Character art, environments, animation – high skill, focused results
- Freelancers: Great for individual assets or short-term help on a budget
Here’s how the three models stack up:
What Can Be Outsourced in Game Art?
Outsourcing studios can support you wherever you need help most with art production:
2D Game Art
- Character designs and concept art
- Splash screens, promo banners
- Environments and UI assets
- Spine or hand-drawn animation
- Social and store visuals
3D Game Art
- Stylized or realistic character models
- Game environments and props
- PBR materials, rigging, VFX
- Animation loops, cutscenes
- Unity/Unreal-ready asset packages
At GIANTY, we support both full pipelines and one-off projects, depending on what our partners need.
What Kinds of Games Outsourcing Works Best For
Outsourcing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, but it’s a powerful one for many genres. Some types of games simply demand more art, more variety, and faster delivery than an in-house team alone can handle.
- RPGs & Gacha: These games thrive on character-driven content and seasonal updates. With dozens (sometimes hundreds) of characters, skill effects, UI skins, and promotional banners to create, outsourcing offers a reliable way to keep up the pace.
One of our proudest case studies is Goken, an action RPG developed in-house, which showcases our anime-style art direction, stylized environments, and dynamic character design that resonate strongly with fans of Japanese-inspired worlds.
- Anime Visual Novels – These titles require a highly expressive, emotionally resonant Anime 2D art style, which is also the strongest of GIANTY.
- Live Ops & Seasonal Events – Releasing fresh content on a schedule takes serious production power. Outsourcing helps studios hit every deadline with quality assets and minimal stress.
- Casual & Hyper-Casual – These genres move fast. With UI-heavy design and ultra-polished visuals, teams often outsource key screens, icon sets, and animations to speed up launch cycles.
- 3D Open Worlds & MMOs – These titles involve massive environments, modular assets, and animated characters.
Benefits of Game Art Outsourcing for Studios
Like we mentioned earlier, when it comes to getting artists involved in your project, you typically have three choices. All of them can work depending on your situation, but if you’re aiming for quality, flexibility, an outsourced studio is usually the smartest move.
Let’s be honest: game art outsourcing isn’t just about saving money. It’s about solving real problems and giving your core team space to focus on what matters most.
- Faster Production, Fewer Delays: Good outsourcing studios can jump in quickly with ready-to-go teams. You get assets faster – no recruiting, no onboarding delays.
- Deep Talent in Key Areas: Need anime-style art or hyper-realistic 3D? Outsourcing gives you instant access to skilled pros without long training curves. GIANTY, for example, supports a wide range of styles, especially anime-inspired RPG visuals.
- Flexible Teams On-Demand: Need a bigger team to meet a tight deadline? Want to shift from 2D to 3D mid-project? A good studio can adjust team size and skill mix quickly.
- Cost-efficiency: Outsourcing enables game studios to optimize their budgets by paying only for the specific assets they need, rather than maintaining a full in-house team for every task.
- More Time for Game-making: Outsourcing lets your core team focus on building great gameplay, compelling stories, and unforgettable player experiences while your outsourcing partner takes care of the art pipeline.
How to Choose a Game Art Outsourcing Studio
Worried about quality? Concerned about timelines? Not sure if an outside team can capture your game’s vision? These are real concerns, and they’re exactly why choosing the right outsourcing partner matters so much.
The key is knowing what to look for, asking the right questions, and starting with a smart process that protects both sides.
Here’s what we recommend when choosing the right studio, you should look for:
- Visual Alignment – Does their work match your game’s look and feel? And if you’re building for anime markets, cultural accuracy matters
- Process and Clarity – A good studio has structure: milestones, meetings, reports
- Technical Fluency – Do they know Unity? Unreal?
- Security & Trust – NDAs, safe file handling, clean IP practices
- Trial Task Option – Start small before committing to a full-scale partnership
GIANTY Delivers Art That Stands Out and Lasting Impact
At GIANTY, we don’t just deliver game assets – we craft visual experiences that reflect your game’s soul. With more than 2 decades of experience supporting global developers, we’ve built a reputation on quality, flexibility, and a deep cultural understanding of what makes game art memorable. Check our portfolio to see how our art brings games to life.
Where we truly shine is anime-style art. Our roots run deep in Japanese visual storytelling, and our team, led by art directors with experience to create the perfect balance between expressive character design, fantasy-infused detail, and gameplay-optimized delivery.
Why Studios Choose GIANTY:
- Authentic Anime Expertise – Deep roots in Japanese visual design
- Flexible Engagement – Project-based or long-term partnerships
- Multilingual – EN/JP/VN-speaking
- Secure & Professional Delivery – NDA, version control, consistent updates
- Proven Track Record – Trusted by leading studios across Asia and beyond
Final Thoughts: Game Art Outsourcing Is a Creative Advantage
Outsourcing your game art isn’t about handing things off—it’s about unlocking what your team does best. It lets you focus on the game while trusted partners handle the visuals with speed, style, and precision.
At GIANTY, we’ve worked with studios of all sizes to deliver anime-style and stylized art that doesn’t just look great but also feels right. From splash screens to full character pipelines, we know what it takes to bring your world to life.
Ready to take your game visuals to the next level? Contact GIANTY today and let’s make something unforgettable.
