Defiant Studios was an amazing experience. It was a company that I was part of molding from the start to the end. I was the first developer that David Grijns and Roland Lesterlin hired at their startup. We knew each other from our time together at Avalanche Studios. And they trusted me with all the opportunities and responsibility that I asked for. I was involved in hiring every person in what would become a 35 developer strong studio. In addition to programming and implementing systems. I created our production methodologies and processes, managed budgets, pitched to publishers and led the entire team in their day-to-day work. It taught me a lot about how to create and run a games company.
We grew slowly but steadily, between 2016 and 2018. Picking up smaller contracts and consultation work, while pitching and prototyping a larger AAA title. During this time, I got to work with Rockstar on L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files. Once again with Starbreeze on Megalodon VR. And Digital Extremes on Warframe, to name a few. Eventually, in 2018, we signed with CI Games to become the developer for Lords of the Fallen 2. Unfortunately, this would become the downfall of Defiant Studios. In May 2019, CI Games pulled the plug on Lords of the Fallen 2. We had poured all our resources into it (and then some) over the past year. So, when CI Games stopped paying us, we couldn’t stay afloat for long. But Defiant Studios is a wonderful experience that I am happy to always carry with me.
Information
Location: New York City, USA
Date: December 2016 to May 2019
Roles: Lead Gameplay Programmer, Senior Project Manager
Released Games: L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, Megalodon VR
Other Games/Projects: Lords of the Fallen 2, Rune 2 (consultation work), Warframe (contracting work)