Role: Character Art Producer Team Size: ~300 Development Time: 4 years Released: May 21, 2024 Engine: Snowdrop Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S Location: San Francisco Studio (Remote)

XDefiant is a free-to-play first-person-shooter featuring a variety of factions and classes with unique abilities and weapons. Maps and characters are based on multiple Ubisoft titles including The Division, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs. Players engage in fast-paced, team-based multiplayer matches across a variety of maps and game modes.

During this project, I was the Character Art Producer for the final two years of development which included both pre-launch development and post-launch live support. As the Character Art Producer, I worked closely with both in-house artists and external vendors to ensure timely delivery of seasonal content every three months. I helped scope work based on available time and manpower, tracked the progress of assets through completion, and provided reports to stakeholders.

Along with a team of eight in-house artists, I coordinated with external vendors regarding future work orders, feedback and iteration, and retroactive meetings to discuss the ongoing process and address any needs from either team. I maintained a strong relationship with our external vendors, clearly communicated through writing and face-to-face video meetings, and helped to balance and prioritize work between the internal and external teams.

The team made use of Flow (previously called Shotgrid/Shotgun) to track complex asset development that required coordination between multiple teams and stages, including concept, modeling, texturing, shaders, vfx, rigging, and animation. The team also made use of Flow to submit files and provide feedback and iteration. For greater visibility for stakeholders, we also tracked asset progress in Jira through a combination of a bridge tool from Flow to Jira and manual upkeep by production.

Additionally, I created an Excel tool to streamline scoping and cost estimates, improved the overall development pipeline and communication across teams, and identified potential risks and presented long-term solutions.