The Art of Unlimited

January 7, 2026  |  Written by Brian Greenzang

It has seemingly become law at this point that the Star Wars™: Unlimited trading card game is home to some of the best artwork in the industry today. With that said, it should come as no surprise that the upcoming set, A Lawless Time, continues to take the visuals of the game to a new level.

Steve Hamilton of the Star Wars: Unlimited art team offers up some insight on what it is we have to look forward to as they set forth the visual tone for this set: “Having the chance to focus on the fringe, outlaw elements of the Star Wars galaxy afforded us an exciting opportunity to lean a little more into the less orthodox elements of our talent pool. In A Lawless Time, you will see a wider array of approaches and interpretations, allowing newer artists to play to their strengths and give us something visually fresh and engaging.”

A Lawless Time also brings in some fan favorite side characters to the game. I could not be happier to share that we are finally getting Max Rebo in Star Wars: Unlimited. Known for his iconic band, he is brought to life through the artistic interpretation of veteran artist, Aitor Prieto. Aitor is known for bringing loads of personality to every piece he creates, and his rendition of Max Rebo is no different.

“There’s something special in taking those minor background characters and bringing them to the center stage,” says Hamilton. “It gives artists opportunities to inject their own flavor, as well as a wide range of moments to create from the ground up. I’d point at Ivan Shavrin’s amazing ‘Hunter for Hire’ as another great example, where an artist gets to fully embrace their work and give it depth and personality that comes across even at card size.”

Though we have some fun fringe characters coming to us in A Lawless Time, there is always room for the classic “main” characters to be reimagined by the great artists of Star Wars: Unlimited. EJ Dela Cruz, known for some of the most iconic pieces in the game, brings Luke Skywalker to A Lawless Time in a tense scene. The coloring and shadowing used in this illustration bring true depth and emotion to this wonderful piece of art.

The artists of Star Wars: Unlimited really have helped bring the collectability and general “vibe” of the game to new levels. Hamilton points out some of the greats who helped contribute to this set:

“I’d like to give a special shoutout to Stephen Zavala, who has been with us since day one and has been growing by leaps and bounds of late. His work for A Lawless Time shows a massive elevation of what was already awesome artwork, and he literally dropped jaws when we saw his finals turned in.

“Johnny Morrow takes the cake when it comes to sheer volume. He is part of a group of artists in our pool that we have complete trust in to deliver large contracts on time, and with difficult likenesses and challenging compositions to boot.

“In our internal metrics however, the crown goes to EJ Dela Cruz for this set. He delivered knockout hit after hit, effortlessly crushing briefs that would give heart attacks to most artists. I am constantly impressed by what this artist can do, and he really knocked everything out of the park.”

David Buisan has been a constant in the Star Wars: Unlimited artist roster and makes his mark as well in this set with a fan favorite, Ben Solo. For me, personally, I have been waiting for Ben to appear in the game and could not be more ecstatic. Buisan brings his artistic prowess to the forefront with this powerful rendition of Solo with his classic lightsaber at the forefront.

Though A Lawless Time features so many of the artists we have come to recognize and follow since the game’s debut, there are always newcomers making their way onto the scene. Hamilton lets us in on some of those new artists we should look out for:

“I’m very excited personally for the standard game line debut of Terry Wei, one of my absolute favorite artists. He contributed some killer propaganda Prestige artwork in Secrets of Power, but having him join the mainline was such a blast! We could all feel his energy and passion come through in his art, and I’m personally pining to see his work get the game mat treatment.

“We brought in a number of other new artists, including veteran talent Joshua Cairos, a prolific and deeply experienced artist who we are blessed to still see contributing heavily to our game.

“Konstantin Porubov makes his official debut as well, a recommendation of Ivan Dedov who blew us away with an unsolicited, overnight test illustration of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Aspiring artists, that can definitely get our attention!”

Hamilton continues, “I am also proud to announce the arrival of Manos Sparakis to our pool, who is a big player that you can expect to see more of in the future. He absolutely dominates in the areas of color and dynamic composition, bringing fresh energy and punch to everything that he does. I am so excited for him and the work that he’s doing, and I can’t wait to see how fans respond.”

As the game continues to grow, so does the talent behind it. The artists are a big part of the appeal to Star Wars: Unlimited, with many fans even beginning to have binders full of cards with the artwork of their favorite artists. Each artist really puts their own stamp on the game’s identity, breathing new life into characters who have been part of our lives for decades on end.

With the introduction of multi-aspect cards comes a new way for artists to show off their talents, particularly with truly dynamic color palettes that make it undeniable what aspects are within the card. On that note, Johnny Morrow, known for bringing his own twist to various staples of Star Wars: Unlimited, shows a stellar color palette with his rendition of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Somehow, through his artistic prowess, Mr. Morrow lets you see the various aspects of Kenobi just by looking at the illustration. Johnny gives him the stern, focused, and determined look we have all come to love over the years.

Another fan favorite returning for A Lawless Time is none other than Maul. The multi-aspect nature of this card shows right through with its powerful color palette, seemingly a perfect mix of the three aspects it represents (can you guess which ones?). Porubov—one of the artists we mentioned earlier—dips right into the Star Wars: Unlimited scene with some incredible illustrations this set, including this one.

With a menacing look, Maul is shown in mid-strike while wielding his classic lightsaber. The deep blacks and light brown of his garb mixed with the light muted background really make him seemingly pop right off the card.

The artists of the game really took it to another level with these cards. It will be very interesting to see how their styles evolve in the future.

One of my favorite things about Star Wars: Unlimited is the ability to not only collect the standard versions of the cards but to procure the Hyperspace variants as well. A Lawless Time is looking to set a precedent with some of the most beautiful pieces of art a collector could ask for, and Hyperspace variants let you see the true landscape of the piece that was created and not just the small frame within the standard version. Whether you are a competitive player, collector, or just an admirer of admirable artwork, it does not disappoint.

Now, as any fan of Star Wars: Unlimited knows, with the introduction of a new set comes the arrival of new Prestige variants. If you are new to the game, Prestige variants are a special set of unique alternate art and graphic design elements that can typically only be found in Carbonite Edition booster packs. These premium, limited-time packs are home to some of the most astonishing pieces of art ever created for the game. Whether you are a collector, a player, or both, these cards are must-haves.

As with every set, A Lawless Time brings with it a new twist on Prestige variants. This new set features a mix of classic characters, bringing them to the scene with a new gritty light. As you will see, the treatments put into these cards are like no other, and they make for an incredible pack opening experience filled with surprises.

Steve Hamilton lets us in on what went into this new wave of Prestige variants:

“There was a strong desire to create a unified visual look across all the Prestige cards in this unique set. Initial brainstorms and discussions, paired with the artists we had available, pointed us towards a massive collaboration with one very special artist.

“Vincent Dutrait is a legend in the board game space, who has created the artwork for over 200 individual board games in his illustrious career. He’s been involved in Star Wars: Unlimited since Jump to Lightspeed, with his distinctive style lending an edge of texture and vibrancy to everything he touches. The majority of his work process is done traditionally, which makes him all the more impressive amongst a pool of largely digital artists.

“Tackling on so many illustrations would be a daunting task for any artist, but Vincent is a consummate professional, who delivered powerful results right on schedule. When we saw his Salacious Crumb illustration for the first time, we were floored, and knew the project was going to be a hit.

“It will be very rare that we dedicate the entire Carbonite lineup to one theme, let alone one artist. In that sense, this is a very unique and special set. We are excited to see how fans react to his work, and to collect these colorful crews!”

The Prestige variants in this set are sure to bring both new and longtime fans plenty of excitement and intrigue. The Prestige art of Boba Fett in particular really pops out, shown in a classic, ready-to-strike pose by Dutrait. The gritty look of Fett in this art style fits his personality perfectly. The color palette used by Dutrait for these pieces leads to some true masterworks, showcasing these iconic characters in a way that just feels right.

This new set of Prestige pieces looks absolutely spectacular, and I personally cannot wait to begin opening up some of these packs! The Carbonite pack-opening experience is like no other, as each Prestige card comes with the ability to obtain one of three versions, including a serialized version.

Boba Fett though is not the only iconic character making their way to the Prestige set of A Lawless Time. You will also find a well-known droid making his Prestige debut in such a set: R2-D2! Everyone’s favorite astromech arrives in Carbonite booster packs with a hyper-realistic rendition, courtesy of Dutrait.

Portraying R2-D2 in his classic pose with his dome to the side, ready to help on the next mission, the coloring on this Prestige card will bring you right back to the very first time you saw him beeping and booping in the movies. Whether it was on the big screen or at home, the nostalgia factor is prevalent with this piece. Dutrait’s consistent renditions in this set are outstanding!

Whether you are new to the game, a collector, or a player, it goes without saying that the dedication of the art and design team is always at the forefront, and it shows with each and every piece. They continue to do everything in their power to make sure anyone who interacts with the game is left with a lasting impression of the hard work that goes into each and every card.

From the initial brief to the printed card at its completion, the hard work and dedication of this team truly shines through.

“Starting in A Lawless Time, our art director team also began employing aggressive new procedures designed to bring to the forefront the best quality of art possible,” Hamilton says. “This represents a tectonic shift in our approach to art for Star Wars: Unlimited, and the results speak for themselves. I can say with great confidence that A Lawless Time brings the biggest visual punch of artwork to date for Star Wars: Unlimited, marking a major milestone for our game.”

I have no doubt that as the years go by, no matter how good the art in Star Wars: Unlimited currently is, it is only going to continue to get more mind-blowing in the future. If A Lawless Time is your intro into the game, you could not have picked a better time to jump on board.