About

Role: Character Art Producer

Team Size: ~300

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Development Time: 4 years

Location: San Francisco, CA (Remote)

Released: May 21, 2024

Engine: Snowdrop

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.

Overview

During my time at Ubisoft, I worked as an Art Producer on XDefiant, a fast-paced live-service shooter requiring a high volume of consistent, high-quality assets delivered on tight timelines. My responsibility was to ensure the art team could operate efficiently at scale while maintaining alignment with design and technical constraints.

Challenge

As production ramped up, the team faced several common but critical issues:

  • Asset pipeline were not fully optimized for scale

  • Cross-discipline dependencies (Art, design, engineering) created bottlenecks

  • Outsourced assets required tighter integration and quality control

  • Milestone pressure increased as deliverables needed to meet live-service expectations

Without intervention, these challenges risked delays, rework, and inconsistent asset quality.

Approach

Pipeline Optimization

I helped refine the art production pipeline from concept through implementation. This included clarifying handoff points, reducing ambiguity in task ownership, and improving visibility across departments.

Workflow Structuring

Using structured task tracking systems, I organized backlogs, prioritized deliverables, and ensured the team had clear sprint goals. This improved predictability and reduced last-minute fire drills.

Cross-Team Coordination

I acted as the bridge between art, design, and engineering, ensuring alignment on requirements and minimizing rework caused by miscommunication or late changes.

Outsourcing Management

I supported the integration of external vendors by establishing clearer feedback loops, tracking deliverables, and ensuring assets met quality and style expectations before implementation.

Results

  • Improved asset output by reducing pipeline friction and clarifying workflows

  • Increased on-time delivery of art milestones

  • Reduced rework through better cross-team alignment

  • Enabled smoother integration of outsourced assets into the main production pipeline

Key Impact

My work helped stabilized and scale the art production process, allowing the team to deliver consistently under the demands of a live-service game. By introducing structure without slowing down creativity, I enabled artists to focus on execution while maintaining production reliability.

Takeaways

  • Clear pipelines are essential when scaling art production

  • Cross-discipline alignment prevents costly rework

  • Outsourcing requires structure integration, not just asset delivery

  • Production adds the most value when it removes friction, no adds overhead

How This Applies to Future Projects

I bring AAA production practices and adapt them to team of different sizes, helping studios:

  • Built scalable art pipelines

  • Deliver assets on time without chaos

  • Integrat internal and external teams effectively

This experience is especially valuable for indie and mid-sized teams preparing to scale or hit critical milestones.