Interview: BattleCry seeking new recruits

Why are you expanding your studios? What are you recruiting for?

Our studio was established almost a year ago, with the goal of developing AAA online games. We’re ramping up on development for an unannounced project with a goal to build a tightknit team. We’re currently recruiting designers, artists, animators, programmers, platform engineers, QA, and web developers. 

How many staff are you currently looking to take on? And from what fields?

We’re looking for talent across a variety of specialties, and will be adding new positions over the coming months. We are currently focusing on finding the best artists and programmers.

What type of applicants are you looking for and what will they be working on?

We’re looking for people with experience and passion for making games. We are looking for people that are driven. We want people who are smart, easy going and who like working in a team environment. We can’t say exactly what we’re working on but we’re focused on making a world class FTP game. 

What skills or experience will they require?

The skills people need are specifically tied to the job they are applying for. Our jobs website, http://jobs.zenimax.com, has details for each position we’re currently hiring for. 

How can they impress you/stand out from the competition?

We look for smart, passionate game developers who fit the requirements. Our culture is a big part of who we are as a studio. Having a great attitude is a prerequisite. Fitting in with our team is essential for catching our attention. 

How are you searching/reaching out to these applicants?

We post our open positions on professional game development sites, and also browse through LinkedIn to find prospective candidates. As we’re local to Austin, and it’s a hotbed for game development talent, we also participate in local community events. Folks can also apply through our jobs site at: http://jobs.zenimax.com. 

Why would people be interested in working for you? What are the benefits?

At BattleCry, we have a great team environment in a growing studio that feels new and fresh. Our parent company, ZeniMax Media, supports and encourages our creative vision, and we benefit from having one of the strongest publishing arms in the industry working with us to make sure that everyone will know what we’re up to – when the time is right.

We’re ideally located in Austin that has a creative culture – a great city to be in for game development. Plus our project is really cool!

What can you tell us about your first project? What type of game will it be, and how will you make it stand out from similar titles?

We’re working on an unannounced free-to-play game. Aside from that we aren’t talking about our project just yet, but will keep you posted when the time comes.

What is the ethos of Battlecry? Are you focused on one type of game, or games for one format, or do you plan to develop a mixture?

We were formed to develop triple-A games for the connected world.

How does Battlecry fit in with/complement Zenimax’s other studios?

BattleCry fits in with ZeniMax’s development studios very well. Each of our sister studios share the core goal of developing amazing games that are fun and engaging, and that’s our vision as well as. It’s great to be able meet with the talented folks from each studio at our yearly get-togethers, and to share ideas and experiences.

What pressures do you face when working on your first project? How can you prove yourselves?

The pressure we feel is from ourselves more than anything else. We want to make sure we reach the bar that everyone expects from Bethesda, and everyone at BattleCry is up for the challenge.

What past experiences are you and your team drawing on for your first project?

It all starts with building a great core team and our core experience drives the team. We have incredibly talented folks with experience that spans the industry including design, art, programming, and production leads from games such as Half-Life 2, Halo, Call of Duty, and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

This feature is part of New Year, New Job 2014, Develop’s month-long guide to games recruitment. You can read more at www.develop-online.net/jobs2014.