Dominator 2026 – Fatal Fortune kicks off the year with a remarkable first: the official trailer was created using AI. This marks a historic moment for the organization, as no Dominator campaign has ever been built this way before. And while some might assume that AI makes the process easier, the opposite proved true – behind the scenes, the production turned out to be more intensive than ever.
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To capture the atmosphere of the risky Fatal Fortune casino theme, the creative team began with an extensive testing phase. Hundreds of prompts, concept shots and visual experiments were explored to find the right balance of darkness, tension and mystery. According to Brand Manager Nikita, this was anything but a quick shortcut. “I thought AI would make my life easier,” she laughs. “But the process turned out to be much more intensive than expected, because for us, our long-time partner Editz, and our newly involved partner Videostate, it was a completely new way of working. Thankfully, with full commitment from everyone involved, we achieved an amazing result.”
Rolling out hundreds of video clips of Angerfist, Miss K8, DRS and many others, all in full Dominator style
The biggest challenge was maintaining style consistency. AI generates images effortlessly, but rarely keeps the same visual tone or atmosphere. That unpredictability resulted in countless iterations, with every shot being refined again and again to safeguard Fatal Fortune’s visual identity. The imperfections that emerged along the way turned out to be surprisingly valuable, helping shape the mysterious, almost untrustworthy character of this year’s Dominator world.
Although the imagery came from AI, the trailer gained its true power during editing. Through color grading, sound design, rhythmic storytelling and carefully blending real Dominator footage, the AI-generated material transformed into a fully recognizable Dominator trailer.
Why AI works perfectly for this edition
Fatal Fortune revolves around illusions, risk, and dangerous choices – exactly the kind of world that AI can enhance with visuals that look real, yet never fully trustworthy. This trailer shows just how powerful AI can be when combined with human creativity. It sets a new benchmark for Dominator campaigns, and the result is without a doubt one of the most striking trailers the festival has ever released.
Dominator 2026 takes place on 17 and 18 July 2026 at E3 Strand in Eersel. The member sale starts on 2 December at 19:00, with members receiving a €10 discount. Regular ticket sales begin on 27 January. For tickets and more information, visit the official website.
Footage via: Dominator
