Meet our Cyberpunk box cover artist, Bence Beregi
If you've checked out Cyberpunk Legends at all, you've definitely seen the work of illustrator and concept artist Bence Beregi. You may not know his name yet but you should! He has contributed many illustrations to the project including character designs for the Netrunner and Solo character classes, some of our iconic Player and Upgrade cards, and the cover of our core box. In today's artist Q&A, we'll get to know him a little better and take a peek at some early drafts of our favorite illustrations.
—IM
Top: Cyberpunk Legends core box cover art, by Bence Beregi.
Below: Early draft sketches for the cover.
Irene, Night Crew Games: Hi Bence! Tell us about yourself and your work. What do you spend most of your time doing and what is a typical day or month like?
Bence Beregi: I live in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, and I’ve been working in the creative industry for over a decade. My background is quite diverse. I first got a taste of this world through filmmaking; I started out editing videos and co-founded a drone cinematography company with my best friend, where I worked as a camera operator.
After video editing, I quickly transitioned into 2D hand-drawn animation, which had been a dream of mine since childhood. I created animations and character designs for various commercials and a few cartoons. From there, I gradually shifted my focus almost exclusively to drawing. I felt that this was the medium where I could truly find fulfillment. Currently, I specialize in illustration, character design, and concept art.
Outside of work, I spend a great deal of time in nature. I’m obsessed with wildlife, particularly the ecosystems of rivers and lakeshores. You’ll often find me on the waterfront (or standing waist-deep in the water) with a fishing rod in my hand. Growing up on the banks of the Danube had a profound influence on me, which is still very much reflected in my life today.
When I’m not working or exploring the outdoors, I escape into the unique world of video games with my friends. I consider myself a dedicated gamer; these diverse and magical worlds are where I can truly find an escape from the grind of everyday life and reality.
Tell us about your background. Did you study art and illustration? Always knew you wanted to do this professionally? Or did you have a surprising path?
Drawing has been a part of my life since I was a child. For as long as I can remember, it’s always been the thing that captivated me the most. Once my parents recognized my talent, they took me to art teachers, and I ended up attending various graphic design and animation courses for over 15 years.
Despite all that, I was never entirely sure if I wanted to pursue this as a career. But in the end, things just fell into place, and it became clear that this is the profession where I truly belong. I’m so glad it turned out this way because I feel this is the medium where I can most authentically express myself.
Walk on Down the Hall, by Bence Beregi.
We met through Cold Castle Studios in Budapest. (By the way...we were drawn to your portfolio because these dinosaurs had SUCH cool attitude.) Can you tell us a little about how your business as an illustrator works behind the scenes?
First of all, haha, thanks! I’m so glad you liked the dinosaurs from the EXTINCT series.
This was actually my first collaboration with Cold Castle Studios, but I truly hope it won't be the last, and that we’ll get to work together on many more projects in the future.
Currently, I work as a freelance Illustrator and Concept Artist, which I really enjoy because of the flexibility and freedom it offers. Not to mention, I get to do everything from the comfort of my own cozy home office!
That being said, I’m definitely not closed off to the idea of a long-term collaboration. I’d be happy to commit to a company or studio if the right opportunity came along.
What’s your favorite thing about working on cyberpunk and sci-fi artwork? Is there something about Cyberpunk (the RPG or the genre as a whole) that especially attracts you? Or, just tell us about your favorite kind of art and imagined worlds to create.
What sparks my imagination the most in these themes is the human element: how people relate to these advanced technologies while remaining 'everyday' individuals at heart. In other sci-fi settings, I'm equally fascinated by the portrayal of different species and creatures, alongside the gadgets, spaceships, and hardware. Specifically, in this Cyberpunk project, I really enjoyed working with the four distinct [character] classes: the Solo, Netrunner, Nomad, and Rocker.
I loved how each of these four roles has its own unique visual characteristics—specific clothing, accessories, and color palettes that define them. Tailoring my illustrations to reflect these individual styles was a part of the process I found particularly rewarding.
Above: Fire Walk With Me. Below: Draft sketch for Fire Walk With Me; Draft sketch for Walk on Down the Hall. By Bence Beregi.
You ended up doing quite a lot of work on the Night Crew Games Cyberpunk Legends project. What are some observations or highlights from this project for you? What has been interesting? More challenging?
Yes, I’ve created quite a lot of illustrations for this project; I’m truly grateful to have been a part of it and I've thoroughly enjoyed bringing these cards to life.
I particularly loved the Character cards. When I’m bringing a character's features to life, I always imagine a colorful backstory for them in my head. Designing and drawing characters has always been the greatest joy in the creative process for me.
My two personal favorite cards I created were "Walk on Down the Hall" and "Fire Walk with Me."
The biggest challenges, on the other hand, were the triptychs—the "Bar Scene" in particular. Due to its sheer level of detail, complexity, and simply its size, it was a massive undertaking, but I enjoyed every minute of it as well.
Clockwise from top left: Rat tat, Keyboard Cowboy, Take Cover, and Kernel Panic bar. All artwork by Bence Beregi for Cyberpunk Legends.
If you want to see more from Bence, you can find him on Instagram...and in future expansions for Cyberpunk Legends.
