Bit Reactor is built on passionate people who bring their individual skills and perspectives to the table, and in that, we believe nurturing a culture of innovation and teamwork is at the core of everything we do. In this Dev Spotlight, we sat down with some of our emerging talent at the studio: Lee, associate producer; Chelsea, UI/UX designer; Bailey, rigging artist; and Bilkent, audio programmer, to discuss their journey into game development, and what excites them about the future of the industry.
Q&A
How did you get started in game development?
For many, the journey into game development starts with a love for games, storytelling, and technology. Each of our developers took their own unique path to get here.
Lee: “Like a lot of game devs, I grew up playing video games. I loved the ability to lose myself in a world and wanted to be part of making those experiences happen for others. I’ve always been a big fan of role-playing games, both digital and tabletop, and the idea of working with a team to bring a vision to life really drew me into production. One of my favorite things is how every person contributes to something bigger than any individual’s work. That’s what really excites me.”
Chelsea: “I was always interested in storytelling, but I didn’t play many games growing up. Instead, I loved movies and books. When I studied graphic design in college, I realized games combined everything I loved: storytelling, world-building, interaction design, visual art, you name it. During my senior year, I made a small point-and-click narrative game with a friend, and that project solidified my decision to pursue games. I remember working on it late at night, trying to make sure every detail contributed to the story we were telling. That experience made me fall in love with game creation.”
Bailey: “I originally thought I wanted to be a programmer, but in high school, I discovered rigging and fell in love with it. I saw an exhibit Pixar put together about the animation production pipeline, and rigging stood out to me. I thought it looked easy—it wasn’t—but I was hooked. I studied film and animation in college with dreams of working at Pixar, but when I had the opportunity to work in games, especially on a project like the one we’re building, it felt like the perfect fit.”
Bilkent: “I’ve always been interested in simulation and how to replicate aspects of reality in a virtual space—things like how wind systems work in games or how sound propagates. My background was in electrical engineering, but I also had a deep appreciation for music, which led me to study at Berklee College of Music. While there, I worked on research projects about ray tracing in audio, which caught the attention of one of our previous audio programmers. That led me to where I am today. One of the coolest moments was realizing that the technology I was researching could actually change how players experience sound in games. It wasn’t just theoretical, it was something real.”
What’s it like working here at Bit Reactor?
Bilkent: “One of the most rewarding things about working here is the freedom to explore different topics and do research. My work started with implementing audio in Unreal Engine, but I quickly found myself building tools for the VFX team and collaborating across departments. The flexibility and trust we’re given to solve complex problems are incredible. I remember when our audio director, Griffin, came to me with a problem about how footsteps were implemented in the game. It was a huge manual process, and he wanted to find a way to automate it. I had complete freedom to explore different solutions and eventually developed a dynamic footstep identifier system. It was a proud moment seeing it work and knowing it saved the team tons of time.”
Bailey: “The culture is what I love most. It’s fun, collaborative, and full of amazing people. We joke around, play games in the office—card games, even giant Crokinole tournaments—and organize things like potlucks. It makes coming to work enjoyable. We also love to play card games at the office, and it’s in those moments you realize, ‘Oh, this is just a bunch of people who really love games, and I get to be part of it.’ The support we get here is also incredible, there are people all around us who have our backs, and that makes a world of difference and helps spark our creativity and growth.”
Chelsea: “Moving from California to the Baltimore area for this job was a big shift, but everyone here has been so welcoming that it made the transition easier. Working in person is also a huge plus. When I worked remotely, I mostly talked to the UI team, but now I can walk over and see what the concept artists or animators are up to, which has been really inspiring. I love stopping by and peeking over at our concept artist’s screen and seeing the latest designs. It’s little moments like that that make being in the office great.”
Lee: “I feel like Bit Reactor is the perfect size—big enough to create AAA experiences but small enough to maintain a collaborative and personal culture. It’s rare to have a workplace where you can casually speak with the CEO and it doesn’t feel weird, we’ve even played games together. Plus, everyone’s voice is heard here, and that makes a huge difference. Having that kind of relationship with everyone at the company is really great, especially when you consider we’re all building the same game together. Everyone’s feedback is valued across departments, and in the end, it makes for a much better result.”
What are some lessons you’ve learned, or unexpected challenges you’ve had to face?
Starting a career in game development comes with its fair share of surprises.
Bailey: “I had to learn how to be flexible. When I joined, I was the only rigging artist, so I had to figure out a lot on my own. I also learned that it’s okay to ask for help—there was a point in time when I spent a considerable amount of time stuck on a problem that an engineer could solve in minutes. At first, I was hesitant to reach out because I thought my problems weren’t significant enough or that I should be able to figure them out on my own. But once I started asking for input from other teams, I realized how much knowledge-sharing can speed up the process. Another challenge was adjusting to the reality of production timelines, and balancing everything with the practical needs of shipping a game.”
Chelsea: “I didn’t expect how multidisciplinary my role would be. I work on UI, UX, motion graphics, prototyping, and even Unreal implementation. I also learned how to run playtests and extract feedback, which was completely new to me, but so valuable. I thought I’d be primarily focused on the visual aspect of UI, but I quickly realized that great UI/UX is about so much more than just how something looks—it’s about functionality and player intuition, and immersing the player in another world with seamless interactions that tell a story just as much as a character or an environment would. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that if UI/UX is done well, players may not always notice it, but if it’s done poorly, it can be one of the first things people point out. That attention to detail and thinking beyond just aesthetics is what makes UI/UX design so fun to me.”
Bilkent: “I thought audio programming was just about implementing sounds, but I’ve learned it’s highly interdisciplinary. I now build systems that impact multiple departments. For example, when I was working on the footstep sound system, I had to work closely with the animation team and VFX to ensure everything synced properly. I also had to consider technical constraints, like how to create something dynamic without causing performance issues. That’s something I didn’t fully appreciate before entering the industry. Another thing that stands out is the level of research and experimentation involved in game development. I didn’t expect to be given so much freedom to explore solutions and try new things, but that’s one of the aspects I’ve enjoyed the most.”
Lee: “Starting out, I felt like I was drinking from a firehose. There was so much information to absorb, and I had to quickly learn how to organize a part of the game that had been chaotic before. It was scary but rewarding. What surprised me most was how much trust I was given early on. I was expected to carry forward an entire section of the game, using only the knowledge I had gained thus far and what I’d picked up from my teammates. It was daunting at first, but I learned that asking the right questions and truly listening to feedback made a huge difference in how I adapted to my role.”
What advice do you have for aspiring game developers?
For those looking to break into the industry, our devs had this advice:
Bilkent: “Start by teaching yourself a bit. There are so many free resources available like YouTube tutorials and game engines like Unity and Unreal. When you build a game by yourself, you start to see how everything connects from audio to visuals to gameplay systems. It’s one of the best ways to grow an appreciation for different disciplines, which makes you a better team member down the line. Another piece of advice: don’t be afraid to experiment. Some of the best ideas in game development come from unexpected places, and the more you explore, the more you’ll discover what really excites you.”
Bailey: “Make small projects, iterate fast, and get feedback from strangers—not just friends. The faster you fail, the faster you improve. When I was starting out, I made short projects just to practice and get quick feedback. I forced myself to finish them fast instead of trying to perfect every detail. It helped me learn way more than if I had spent months obsessing over a single thing. Also, put your work in front of people who aren’t familiar with you. Friends will often be nice about your work, but strangers are more likely to give you the honest critique you need to grow.”
Lee: “Passion and persistence are key. The industry is tough, and it took me three years out of college to land my first job. Keep learning and pushing forward. I know how discouraging it can be when applications don’t get responses, but the truth is that timing and networking play a huge role. Stay engaged with the industry—go to events where you can, connect with people online, and keep honing your skills. Also, don’t be afraid to critically analyze the games you love. Ask yourself why a mechanic works the way it does, or why a particular feature makes a game feel immersive. That analytical mindset will help you in ways you might not expect.”
Chelsea: “Figure out what role you want and tailor your portfolio to it. Also, reach out to people in the industry—many developers are happy to chat and offer insights. When I was job hunting, I found that reaching out and having conversations with people in the industry gave me a much better understanding of what studios are looking for. It also helped me refine my approach to presenting my work. My advice is to not just showcase final products but to include thought processes, iterations, and problem-solving examples. Employers want to see how you think and adapt, not just the polished end result.”
What do you see ahead for the future of our industry?
Lee: “The last few years have been rough in terms of stability, and I think we’re seeing the consequences of decisions made at the highest levels. My hope is that the industry learns from this and pivots toward more sustainable business models—smaller teams working on passion-driven projects rather than all massive studios stretching themselves thin. I also think we’ll see a rise in more imaginative and niche games that don’t have to cater to the broadest audience, which is really exciting.”
Bailey: “It’s no secret that the past couple of years have been tough for big studios. But the upside is that we’re seeing more indie development and smaller teams forming out of necessity. The accessibility of game engines and tools means that more people can make games, and I think we’re going to see a wave of new ideas from creators who might not have had a chance to break into traditional studios before. That means more diversity in game design, new art styles, and fresh gameplay ideas.”
Bilkent: “I think we’ll see tools that allow smaller teams to create more complex and polished games with fewer resources, including AI. That means we might not need massive teams to accomplish what AAA studios did in the past. At the same time, I hope studios are careful about how they implement AI—it should be a tool to assist, not replace creativity. Beyond that, I think we’ll see more dynamic and immersive audio experiences in games. As technology improves, I’d love to see more emphasis on realistic sound propagation and interactive audio systems that make worlds feel truly alive.”
Chelsea: “I think more game studios are focusing on making projects they’re genuinely passionate about, rather than just following market trends. When a team deeply cares about a game, you can see it in the final product. I’m also interested in how UI and UX will evolve—games are getting more immersive, and I think we’ll see new ways of interacting with digital spaces that feel more seamless and intuitive.”
If you can’t tell, we’re proud to have such talented individuals shaping our future. Seeing the growth in these developers is a testament to what makes game development so rewarding.
Thanks for following along, and stay tuned for more from the studio!