Skip to main content
PC Gamer PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • Hardware
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Video
  • Forum
  • More
    • PC Gaming Show
    • Software
    • Movies & TV
    • Coupons
    • Magazine
    • Newsletter
    • Community guidelines
    • Affiliate links
    • Meet the team
    • About PC Gamer
PC Gamer Magazine Subscription
PC Gamer Magazine Subscription
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$32.49
View
Popular
  • Amazon Prime Day Deals
  • Essential Hardware
  • Microsoft
  • AI
  • PC Gaming Show
Recommended reading
JC Denton is surprised
RPG Deus Ex devs say they weren't trying to make a statement when they made one of the most political games of all time: 'What I think is the right future for humanity is irrelevant. It's all about what each player thinks'
Deus Ex cover art
Games The game that would become Deus Ex originally starred Jake Shooter, supercop
JC Denton is surprised
RPG Deus Ex lead Warren Spector pops up to remind everyone he didn't make the game alone in a cave, wish you a happy 25th anniversary, and get me wondering if something Deus Ex-related is happening behind the scenes
Deus Ex cover art
RPG Deus Ex was a hard sell because, among other things, the Thief devs thought 'if you give players a gun, they won't sneak'
JC Denton emerges from the Helios supercomputer.
FPS The secret stand-out of Sony's State of Play was the bizarre resurrection of Deus Ex's PS2 version
A woman with cybernetic arms and a determined expression runs at full speed
Games The best cyberpunk games on PC
john romero noclip
Games You can thank John Romero's hard-partying ways for the suits giving Deus Ex the extra dev time it needed: 'These British guys would just get hammered with the Dallas team for three days straight'
  1. Games
  2. RPG
  3. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

The concept art of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Features
By Andy Kelly published 19 July 2016

The art behind Eidos Montreal’s grim vision of the future.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Building futuristic cities as atmospheric and intricate as those in Eidos Montreal’s Deus Ex games is a huge undertaking, but it all starts with concept art. Here I’ve collected some of my favourite pieces from Mankind Divided, which give you an idea of how these worlds are designed.

Page 1 of 20
Page 1 of 20

Mankind Divided’s world is a lot more fractured and uncertain than it was in Human Revolution, which gives the game a darker, more dystopian feel. All this striking concept image is missing is some music by Vangelis.

View full size

Page 2 of 20
Page 2 of 20

This is one of Jensen’s new experimental augmentations, the pulsed energy projection system, or PEPS for short. It’s a non-lethal projectile that, when upgraded, can target several enemies at once.

View full size

Page 3 of 20
Page 3 of 20

Elias Chikane is Jensen’s new pilot, replacing Human Revolution’s Faridah Malik. He flies a similar VTOL aircraft, but their relationship isn’t as cosy. Chikane is, like many others, suspicious of anyone with augmentations.

View full size

Page 4 of 20
Page 4 of 20

Prague’s blend of historical architecture and modern, brutalist structures is one of the game’s coolest visual ideas; almost as if the city itself is augmented. It’s also the first Deus Ex city hub we get to explore during daylight hours.

View full size

Page 5 of 20
Page 5 of 20

Golem City is a ghetto for augs on the outskirts of Prague. It’s inspired by the Kowloon Walled City, a densely populated settlement that existed in Hong Kong until its demolition in 1994. Here are some photos of the real thing.

Page 6 of 20
Page 6 of 20

Jensen hasn’t changed much—he still has his trademark pointy beard—but his wardrobe has been refreshed. The high collar here is reminiscent of Deckard from Blade Runner’s similarly stylish coat.

View full size

Page 7 of 20
Page 7 of 20

The makeshift streets of Golem City have been decorated with fluorescent lights, sculptures, and murals. An attempt by the residents, perhaps, to bring some life and personality to an otherwise grim, hopeless place.

View full size

Page 8 of 20
Page 8 of 20

Jensen arrives in Prague by train. Task Force 29, the Interpol-funded counter-terrorist group he now finds himself working for, are based in the city. Their HQ is underground, hidden beneath an ordinary-looking shop.

View full size

Page 9 of 20
Page 9 of 20

Jensen visits a commercial area in Golem City, where the streets are lined with market stalls. There’s also a heavily guarded prison nearby, and an optional side mission involves helping someone to break out.

View full size

Page 10 of 20
Page 10 of 20

Prague is at the centre of an extreme anti-augmentation prejudice sweeping the world. This mistrust is mirrored in their aggressive, militaristic police force, who look more like they’re waging war than keeping the peace.

View full size

Page 11 of 20
Page 11 of 20

Even though they’re living in a depressing cyberpunk future, the artists in Mankind Divided’s world have decorated the streets of their cities with beautiful, abstract sculptures like this. It’s the prettiest dystopia.

View full size

Page 12 of 20
Page 12 of 20

In Mankind Divided we witness the aftermath of the so-called Aug Event, in which augmented people around the world were driven violently insane and millions were killed. This explains why many fear the rise of the technology.

View full size

Page 13 of 20
Page 13 of 20

The city hubs in Mankind Divided are much larger and a lot richer in detail than those we explored in Human Revolution. In fact, Detroit and Hengsha feel positively tiny when compared to Prague and Golem City.

View full size

Page 14 of 20
Page 14 of 20

When Jensen arrives in Prague the train station is attacked by terrorists. He survives, of course, and later finds himself investigating the crime scene. Which would be easy if it wasn’t for the armed police guarding it.

View full size

Page 15 of 20
Page 15 of 20

A slightly redesigned version of Human Revolution’s combat rifle. The attention to detail in the game is remarkable, from its many futuristic weapons and vehicles, down to simple props like coffee cups and office furniture.

View full size

Page 16 of 20
Page 16 of 20

This cluttered bookshop in Prague is owned by Václav Koller, an underground augmentation specialist who Jensen helps out of a tight spot. The entrance to his illegal workshop is hidden, naturally, behind a bookcase.

View full size

Page 17 of 20
Page 17 of 20

A heavy police presence means tensions are always high in Golem City. As you walk the streets you’ll see augmented people pinned against walls being searched and hovering drones with spotlights scanning for trouble.

View full size

Page 18 of 20
Page 18 of 20

This is Viktor Marchenko, a member of the Augmented Rights Coalition. He’s believed to be behind numerous terrorist attacks, despite ARC’s founder, Talos Rucker, being opposed to violence.

View full size

Page 19 of 20
Page 19 of 20

The game’s prologue mission is set in Dubai, in this abandoned, half-built luxury hotel. It serves as a tutorial, reacquainting you with Jensen’s augmentations and giving you a taste of the slightly tweaked controls.

View full size

Page 20 of 20
Page 20 of 20
Andy Kelly
Andy Kelly
Social Links Navigation

If it’s set in space, Andy will probably write about it. He loves sci-fi, adventure games, taking screenshots, Twin Peaks, weird sims, Alien: Isolation, and anything with a good story.

Read more
JC Denton is surprised
Deus Ex devs say they weren't trying to make a statement when they made one of the most political games of all time: 'What I think is the right future for humanity is irrelevant. It's all about what each player thinks'
Deus Ex cover art
The game that would become Deus Ex originally starred Jake Shooter, supercop
JC Denton is surprised
Deus Ex lead Warren Spector pops up to remind everyone he didn't make the game alone in a cave, wish you a happy 25th anniversary, and get me wondering if something Deus Ex-related is happening behind the scenes
Deus Ex cover art
Deus Ex was a hard sell because, among other things, the Thief devs thought 'if you give players a gun, they won't sneak'
JC Denton emerges from the Helios supercomputer.
The secret stand-out of Sony's State of Play was the bizarre resurrection of Deus Ex's PS2 version
A woman with cybernetic arms and a determined expression runs at full speed
The best cyberpunk games on PC
Latest in RPG
A Khajiit cat person in Oblivion Remastered
Oblivion Remastered's newest patch aims to smooth out difficulty bumps, improve performance, and fix wonky Khajiit tails
Lea, from Lies of P: Overture, clutches a locket to her chest and tries to maintain her composure.
Lies of P isn't my favourite soulslike, but Overture is one of the best DLCs in the whole genre
An Elden Ring Nightreign character clad in full armor, rearing back what looks to be a small crossbow before firing.
FromSoftware scrambles for content to keep Elden Ring Nightreign players interested as it announces the return of the first three Everdark Nightlords
Wonder and Motoha Arai in Persona 5: The Phantom X
Persona 5: The Phantom X review – More of the same, for better or worse
A psycho in Borderlands 4 stands ready for battle.
Borderlands 4 certainly looks like it's taking its story more seriously: 'We wanted to go back to this sense of dread about the villain of our game'
A Diablo sorceress wearing red armor with a firey serpent behind her
'Infinite damage' strikes again as Diablo 4 players overthrow the tyranny of mathematics with an exploit that grants sorcerers the power of the gods: 'No way that they leave that in the game'
Latest in Features
Lea, from Lies of P: Overture, clutches a locket to her chest and tries to maintain her composure.
Lies of P isn't my favourite soulslike, but Overture is one of the best DLCs in the whole genre
Marvel Rivals Season 3 customisation issues: An upper-body shot of Phoenix with her arms out to the side.
If Marvel Rivals doesn't want to reward me with fancy skins for my hard work, then I hope it'll at least give me some of Season 3's new customisation features
Can you guess the PC game based only on the health bar?
A cyberpunk city with the PC Gamer logo
This brilliant dark and moody cyberpunk city builder is my kind of cosy game—and for less than $7 you might as well see if it's yours too
Phoenix screenshot
Marvel Rivals' next hero is the complete package, as Phoenix packs enough firepower to cut through any Strategist backline
Marvel Rivals Season 3 quality of life changes: An upper-body shot of Phoenix glowing as she flies forward.
Marvel Rivals' most exciting change in Season 3 is removing the need to grind the game every single day
  1. Nvidia RTX 5090 and XFX RX 9070 graphics cards
    1
    Best graphics cards in 2025: I've tested pretty much every AMD and Nvidia GPU of the past 20 years and these are today's top cards
  2. 2
    Best gaming laptop in 2025: I've put the best of this new generation head-to-head and we have a winner
  3. 3
    Best gaming chair in 2025: I've tested a ton of gaming chairs and these are the seats I'd suggest for any PC gamer
  4. 4
    Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
  5. 5
    Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I'd want in my next gaming laptop
  1. A cowboy robot carrying my dead body
    1
    Mycopunk Review: Long live wacky co-op shooters.
  2. 2
    Persona 5: The Phantom X review – More of the same, for better or worse
  3. 3
    NZXT N7 Z890 review
  4. 4
    NZXT N9 X870E review
  5. 5
    NZXT N9 Z890 review

PC Gamer is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...