Streets of Rage 3 European Cover Artist Identified After 30 Years

Streets of Rage 3, Sega’s acclaimed beat ‘em up title, holds a prominent place in gaming history—not just for its gameplay, but also for its distinctive artwork.

Released in 1994 for the Sega Mega Drive, the game featured three unique covers for its regional editions: North American, Japanese, and European.

While the covers for North America and Japan showcased the fierce ensemble of playable characters, the European edition stood apart, spotlighting the cybernetic newcomer Dr Zan in the foreground, with fan favorite Blaze in support.

The European box art drew attention from fans and collectors alike, partly because it debuted in the UK's Mean Machines Sega magazine before the official game release.

For nearly three decades, the artist behind this iconic image remained a mystery, with only the initials 'SW' hinting at their identity.

Now, thanks to diligent research by the preservation group OriginalVideoGameArt, the talent behind the artwork has finally been revealed: Steve Weston. Steve Weston was a prolific game artist whose work graced the covers of numerous classic titles, particularly during his prolific tenure with Hewson Consultants from 1986 to 1989.

His visually striking contributions included artwork for games such as Uridium, Exolon, Nebulus, Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine, Eliminator, and Cybernoid II: The Revenge.

Weston’s style was further displayed in his memorable work for Hewson’s Astaroth: The Angel of Death—an art piece notable for a controversial depiction that led to a last-minute box art replacement after retailer objections. Beyond Hewson Consultants, Weston's artistry extended to publishers like Rainbird and Firebird, where he illustrated covers for The Pawn, Starglider 2, and Silicon Dreams.

He also provided artwork for Subterranean, released under Hewson's budget label, Rack-It.

Despite his prolific output, Steve Weston's association with the Streets of Rage franchise remained unacknowledged during his lifetime.

He passed away on December 29, 2010, at age 62.

According to his son Sam Weston, the artist neither kept a comprehensive record of his contributions nor archived his original works, leaving many more of Steve Weston's illustrations awaiting proper attribution. The formal identification of Weston as the creator of the Streets of Rage 3 European box art adds a significant chapter to the visual legacy of Sega’s classic titles.

It also highlights the important work done by art historians and game preservationists to ensure that contributors to gaming culture are recognized for their impacts.

Fans can now celebrate the rich artistic heritage of Sega Mega Drive games with newfound appreciation for the artist whose bold vision defined an era.

Sega Sega Mega Drive Streets of Rage Mega Drive Steve Streets of Rage 3 Steve Weston Hewson Consultants Mean Machines Sega Uridium Exolon Nebulus Cybernoid Firebird Rainbird