Riot Games Tree Projection Mapping Case Study

MELT Interactive was commissioned to create an immersive projection mapping system for a televised Riot Games competition environment. The centerpiece was a large fabricated tree designed to feel like it belonged inside the game world, then transformed into a responsive broadcast scenic element through precisely aligned video content.

The projection-mapping challenge

The physical tree combined an irregular trunk, branching geometry, and a broad leaf canopy. Those elements had to read as one environment on camera while remaining independently controllable. MELT built a precise 3D model of the fabricated scenic piece and treated the trunk and canopy as separate projection surfaces so content could register to the construction instead of appearing as a flat image laid over it.

System design and alignment

MELT worked with fabrication and production partners to identify projection angles, reduce visible misalignment, tune the response of the scenic surfaces, and preserve clarity under bright broadcast lighting. The finished system used six 32,000-lumen projectors and advanced media servers to drive more than 8K of mapped pixel space.

Show-ready visual states

The mapped content was designed as a flexible scenic system rather than a single loop. The tree could move between match-play looks, atmospheric transitions, and victory moments as the competition narrative changed. That approach allowed one physical centerpiece to carry multiple visual roles throughout the broadcast environment.

Project facts

Client: Riot Games
Production partner: Red Rock Entertainment / Live Nation Corporate
Environment: Televised competition set with a fabricated scenic tree
MELT role: 3D mapping, projection-system design, mapped content alignment, and show-state development
Projection system: Six 32,000-lumen projectors with advanced media-server playback
Mapped canvas: Independent trunk and leaf-canopy surfaces
Resolution: More than 8K of mapped pixel space