It is estimated that over half a million people are directly employed in the gaming industry worldwide, with many times more in the wider gaming ecosystem. It takes a variety of job roles to bring a game to life, requiring expertise on all different levels, as well as the structure to bring them all together.
Games, of course, come in all shapes and sizes. A AAA game like the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI has a budget rumored to exceed one billion dollars and will employ a small army, whereas simple mobile games may have a single developer. Social casino games may be developed by a single studio, whereas some major console games may employ numerous studios and production companies. It all depends on the game.
Yet, if we are talking about a typical video game for commercial release, we can list some of the major job roles that are required on the project. Every cog is important, so if you are interested in gaming, you might see something that suits your skill level. Regardless, it is interesting to see just how many elements combine to make a video game, and, in truth, we are just scratching the surface:
Game Director / Creative Director
The person steering the overall vision of the game. Just like a movie director, they decide what the game is trying to be, how it should feel, and help keep all departments moving.
Producers / Project Managers
They keep the whole thing on track. Producers manage schedules, budgets, communication, deadlines, and so on.
Game Designers
Designers create the game itself. There will be a pecking order of designers, including the lead designer, but they look at the mechanics, progression, balance, missions, and other things that create the architecture of the game.
Programmers / Software Engineers
They build the systems that make the game function, usually by putting into code what the designers outlay that they want.
Artists / Visual Designers
Artists create the game’s visual world, including characters and overall style. They will take their lead from designers and the intellectual property the game is based on.
Technical Artists
An important job. These are the bridge between art and code, basically acting as the go-between for implementing the artists’ vision and the code to bring it to life.
Level Designers
They build the spaces where gameplay happens. Again, these act as a kind of glue between artists, coders and designers, helping format the space of the game.
Animators
While there is some overlap with artists, the best way to describe the animator role is that they bring the art to life by allowing it to function in game.
Writers / Narrative Designers
Gaming now has much more depth than ever before, with meaty stories and lore behind the action. The writers fill a crucial role, designing the plot to engage with players.
Audio Designers / Sound Designers / Composers
Anything under the audio bracket – sound effects, ambiance, voice implementation, and music – is provided by a variety of musicians and audio experts.
QA Testers / Quality Assurance
QA roles find bugs and anything else that could possibly go wrong. They are vital to ensuring the game is stable and enjoyable before release.
UI/UX Designers
They make sure players can understand and use the game easily. Like any application, the role of the UI/UX designers is to make sure everything makes sense from the players’ standpoint.
Community Managers / Live Ops Staff
Especially important for online games. They manage stuff like player communication, feedback, updates, events, and ongoing engagement after launch.
Marketing / PR / Publishing Staff
They are not building the game moment-by-moment, but they are crucial to its commercial success. They help position, promote, and eventually sell the game to the public.
Voice Actors / Performance Capture Actors
These roles matter most in cinematic or narrative-driven games. There is some suggestion that these roles are becoming endangered by AI.
Localization Specialists
They adapt the game for different languages and regions. This is very important for global releases.
Customer Support Staff
Particularly important for multiplayer and live-service games. They help players with technical issues, account problems, and post-launch support.
