Piers Duplock
@piersduplock.bsky.social
Game Producer @ Bethesda.
I talk openly about production, studios, publishers, and building sustainable game teams.
Former Ubisoft, Codemasters.
I talk openly about production, studios, publishers, and building sustainable game teams.
Former Ubisoft, Codemasters.
Pinned
Piers Duplock
@piersduplock.bsky.social
· Apr 17
I'm Piers, video game producer, consultant, and speaker. I help teams stay creative by removing barriers and improving workflows.
Links:
Work: www.linkedin.com/in/piersd/
Consultancy: piersduplock.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@PiersDuplock
Talk to me about video games!
#GameDev #IndieDev
Links:
Work: www.linkedin.com/in/piersd/
Consultancy: piersduplock.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@PiersDuplock
Talk to me about video games!
#GameDev #IndieDev
Passion used to open doors in game dev. Now it is the default.
The industry professionalized and hiring expectations followed.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
The industry professionalized and hiring expectations followed.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
February 13, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Passion used to open doors in game dev. Now it is the default.
The industry professionalized and hiring expectations followed.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
The industry professionalized and hiring expectations followed.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
Tutorials are great for learning but they’re terrible as a portfolio strategy.
Studios want to see decisions, problem-solving, and scope when recruiting.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
Studios want to see decisions, problem-solving, and scope when recruiting.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
February 12, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Tutorials are great for learning but they’re terrible as a portfolio strategy.
Studios want to see decisions, problem-solving, and scope when recruiting.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
Studios want to see decisions, problem-solving, and scope when recruiting.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
I got into the games industry through a radio ad looking for untrained QA testers.
That was normal back then.
It doesn’t exist now and a lot of advice ignores that shift.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
That was normal back then.
It doesn’t exist now and a lot of advice ignores that shift.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
February 11, 2026 at 3:04 PM
I got into the games industry through a radio ad looking for untrained QA testers.
That was normal back then.
It doesn’t exist now and a lot of advice ignores that shift.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
That was normal back then.
It doesn’t exist now and a lot of advice ignores that shift.
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameDevAdvice
Most game dev advice fails today because the industry changed and the advice didn’t.
What advice do you think is most outdated?
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameJobs #GameDevAdvice
What advice do you think is most outdated?
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameJobs #GameDevAdvice
February 10, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Most game dev advice fails today because the industry changed and the advice didn’t.
What advice do you think is most outdated?
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameJobs #GameDevAdvice
What advice do you think is most outdated?
#GameDev #GameIndustry #GameCareers #GameJobs #GameDevAdvice
Entry level in game dev doesn’t mean learning on the job anymore.
It means owning a small piece of work and delivering it without hand holding and this is where a lot of applicants get stuck.
What do you think entry level should mean?
#GameDev #GameCareers #GameJobs
#IndieDev #AAAGames
It means owning a small piece of work and delivering it without hand holding and this is where a lot of applicants get stuck.
What do you think entry level should mean?
#GameDev #GameCareers #GameJobs
#IndieDev #AAAGames
February 9, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Entry level in game dev doesn’t mean learning on the job anymore.
It means owning a small piece of work and delivering it without hand holding and this is where a lot of applicants get stuck.
What do you think entry level should mean?
#GameDev #GameCareers #GameJobs
#IndieDev #AAAGames
It means owning a small piece of work and delivering it without hand holding and this is where a lot of applicants get stuck.
What do you think entry level should mean?
#GameDev #GameCareers #GameJobs
#IndieDev #AAAGames
ArtStation portfolios work best when they show process, not just final images. I go into a bit more detail about that in my latest video youtu.be/GyneBHaN_ok
How much of your workflow do you usually show?
#gamedev #artstation #portfolio
How much of your workflow do you usually show?
#gamedev #artstation #portfolio
Why Your Game Dev Portfolio Is Being Ignored (And How to Fix It)
Are you looking for portfolio help? Book a consultation call with me: https://calendly.com/piers-piersduplock/1-on-1-strategy-session-career-project-guidance
If you are looking for more advice for…
youtu.be
February 7, 2026 at 3:45 PM
ArtStation portfolios work best when they show process, not just final images. I go into a bit more detail about that in my latest video youtu.be/GyneBHaN_ok
How much of your workflow do you usually show?
#gamedev #artstation #portfolio
How much of your workflow do you usually show?
#gamedev #artstation #portfolio
Showing design documentation is tricky.
Do you think feature-focused pages work better than full design documents in portfolios?
Check out my thoughts on YouTube - youtube.com/shorts/ZRVFz...
#gamedev #gamedesign #portfolio
Do you think feature-focused pages work better than full design documents in portfolios?
Check out my thoughts on YouTube - youtube.com/shorts/ZRVFz...
#gamedev #gamedesign #portfolio
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
youtube.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Showing design documentation is tricky.
Do you think feature-focused pages work better than full design documents in portfolios?
Check out my thoughts on YouTube - youtube.com/shorts/ZRVFz...
#gamedev #gamedesign #portfolio
Do you think feature-focused pages work better than full design documents in portfolios?
Check out my thoughts on YouTube - youtube.com/shorts/ZRVFz...
#gamedev #gamedesign #portfolio
Final renders look great, but they don’t explain much on their own.
How much of your process do you usually show in your portfolio?
#gamedev #portfolio
How much of your process do you usually show in your portfolio?
#gamedev #portfolio
February 5, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Final renders look great, but they don’t explain much on their own.
How much of your process do you usually show in your portfolio?
#gamedev #portfolio
How much of your process do you usually show in your portfolio?
#gamedev #portfolio
Portfolio UX matters more than people realise.
If someone has to click just to understand what they’re looking at, that’s friction.
What’s the first thing your homepage actually shows?
#gamedev #portfolio
If someone has to click just to understand what they’re looking at, that’s friction.
What’s the first thing your homepage actually shows?
#gamedev #portfolio
February 4, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Portfolio UX matters more than people realise.
If someone has to click just to understand what they’re looking at, that’s friction.
What’s the first thing your homepage actually shows?
#gamedev #portfolio
If someone has to click just to understand what they’re looking at, that’s friction.
What’s the first thing your homepage actually shows?
#gamedev #portfolio
Reapplying with an unchanged portfolio is more common than you’d think.
How often do you actually revisit yours after getting feedback?
#gamedev #portfolio
How often do you actually revisit yours after getting feedback?
#gamedev #portfolio
February 3, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Reapplying with an unchanged portfolio is more common than you’d think.
How often do you actually revisit yours after getting feedback?
#gamedev #portfolio
How often do you actually revisit yours after getting feedback?
#gamedev #portfolio
About Me pages are tricky.
It’s tempting to write personal stories, but from a hiring perspective they rarely help.
What do you think an About Me should actually communicate?
#gamedev #portfolio
It’s tempting to write personal stories, but from a hiring perspective they rarely help.
What do you think an About Me should actually communicate?
#gamedev #portfolio
February 2, 2026 at 3:02 PM
About Me pages are tricky.
It’s tempting to write personal stories, but from a hiring perspective they rarely help.
What do you think an About Me should actually communicate?
#gamedev #portfolio
It’s tempting to write personal stories, but from a hiring perspective they rarely help.
What do you think an About Me should actually communicate?
#gamedev #portfolio
Happy 35th to id Software 🎉
As a huge fan of Doom, id’s work was a massive part of what pulled me into games in the first place.
Getting to work at Bethesda now and seeing the respect between these teams up close is genuinely special.
#gamedev #doom #idsoftware
As a huge fan of Doom, id’s work was a massive part of what pulled me into games in the first place.
Getting to work at Bethesda now and seeing the respect between these teams up close is genuinely special.
#gamedev #doom #idsoftware
February 1, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Happy 35th to id Software 🎉
As a huge fan of Doom, id’s work was a massive part of what pulled me into games in the first place.
Getting to work at Bethesda now and seeing the respect between these teams up close is genuinely special.
#gamedev #doom #idsoftware
As a huge fan of Doom, id’s work was a massive part of what pulled me into games in the first place.
Getting to work at Bethesda now and seeing the respect between these teams up close is genuinely special.
#gamedev #doom #idsoftware
Your portfolio is a living document.
New work gets added. Old work gets clearer. The site itself gets better over time.
If it’s been a while, this is your reminder.
#gamedev #portfolio
New work gets added. Old work gets clearer. The site itself gets better over time.
If it’s been a while, this is your reminder.
#gamedev #portfolio
January 31, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Your portfolio is a living document.
New work gets added. Old work gets clearer. The site itself gets better over time.
If it’s been a while, this is your reminder.
#gamedev #portfolio
New work gets added. Old work gets clearer. The site itself gets better over time.
If it’s been a while, this is your reminder.
#gamedev #portfolio
Recruiters do not compile your project.
They read your README. If it doesn’t guide them, they move on.
Write for humans, not just engineers.
#gamedev #github #portfolio
They read your README. If it doesn’t guide them, they move on.
Write for humans, not just engineers.
#gamedev #github #portfolio
January 29, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Recruiters do not compile your project.
They read your README. If it doesn’t guide them, they move on.
Write for humans, not just engineers.
#gamedev #github #portfolio
They read your README. If it doesn’t guide them, they move on.
Write for humans, not just engineers.
#gamedev #github #portfolio
Your portfolio is judged instantly.
Homepage should be the work.
GIFs should prove gameplay.
Labels should explain your role.
How fast can someone understand yours?
#gamedev #portfolio #uxdesign
Homepage should be the work.
GIFs should prove gameplay.
Labels should explain your role.
How fast can someone understand yours?
#gamedev #portfolio #uxdesign
January 27, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Your portfolio is judged instantly.
Homepage should be the work.
GIFs should prove gameplay.
Labels should explain your role.
How fast can someone understand yours?
#gamedev #portfolio #uxdesign
Homepage should be the work.
GIFs should prove gameplay.
Labels should explain your role.
How fast can someone understand yours?
#gamedev #portfolio #uxdesign
Game jams are not shipping experience. Shipping starts after the jam ends.
If you want real portfolio value, extend your jam project for two weeks and treat it like a studio release.
What would you fix first after a jam ends?
#gamedev #indiedev #gamedesign #careeradvice #gamejams
If you want real portfolio value, extend your jam project for two weeks and treat it like a studio release.
What would you fix first after a jam ends?
#gamedev #indiedev #gamedesign #careeradvice #gamejams
January 24, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Game jams are not shipping experience. Shipping starts after the jam ends.
If you want real portfolio value, extend your jam project for two weeks and treat it like a studio release.
What would you fix first after a jam ends?
#gamedev #indiedev #gamedesign #careeradvice #gamejams
If you want real portfolio value, extend your jam project for two weeks and treat it like a studio release.
What would you fix first after a jam ends?
#gamedev #indiedev #gamedesign #careeradvice #gamejams
2025 was the year of Obsidian Entertainment and now 2026 is the year of Playground Games. I love it
Absolutely here for Fable and Forza this year!
Absolutely here for Fable and Forza this year!
Fable finally gets a release window following Xbox Developer Direct, will launch in Autumn 2026
www.eurogamer.net/fable-finall...
www.eurogamer.net/fable-finall...
January 22, 2026 at 8:20 PM
2025 was the year of Obsidian Entertainment and now 2026 is the year of Playground Games. I love it
Absolutely here for Fable and Forza this year!
Absolutely here for Fable and Forza this year!
Designers, here’s a smart portfolio move people ignore.
Wiki contributions ARE real experience.
You’re documenting systems, explaining mechanics, and proving design thinking publicly.
That’s valuable.
#GameDesign #GameDev #GameDesignCareer #GameDesigner #PortfolioBuilding
Wiki contributions ARE real experience.
You’re documenting systems, explaining mechanics, and proving design thinking publicly.
That’s valuable.
#GameDesign #GameDev #GameDesignCareer #GameDesigner #PortfolioBuilding
January 22, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Designers, here’s a smart portfolio move people ignore.
Wiki contributions ARE real experience.
You’re documenting systems, explaining mechanics, and proving design thinking publicly.
That’s valuable.
#GameDesign #GameDev #GameDesignCareer #GameDesigner #PortfolioBuilding
Wiki contributions ARE real experience.
You’re documenting systems, explaining mechanics, and proving design thinking publicly.
That’s valuable.
#GameDesign #GameDev #GameDesignCareer #GameDesigner #PortfolioBuilding
Most portfolios show what you built.
Great portfolios show what you understood.
Reverse engineering a movement controller proves you can identify constraints, timing, and design intent.
That’s recruiter gold.
What mechanic would you try to reverse engineer first?
#GameDev #GameDesign #IndieDev
Great portfolios show what you understood.
Reverse engineering a movement controller proves you can identify constraints, timing, and design intent.
That’s recruiter gold.
What mechanic would you try to reverse engineer first?
#GameDev #GameDesign #IndieDev
January 20, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Most portfolios show what you built.
Great portfolios show what you understood.
Reverse engineering a movement controller proves you can identify constraints, timing, and design intent.
That’s recruiter gold.
What mechanic would you try to reverse engineer first?
#GameDev #GameDesign #IndieDev
Great portfolios show what you understood.
Reverse engineering a movement controller proves you can identify constraints, timing, and design intent.
That’s recruiter gold.
What mechanic would you try to reverse engineer first?
#GameDev #GameDesign #IndieDev
Most people wait for permission to get experience.
QA testers don’t.
If you can find bugs, document them clearly, and show evidence, you’re already valuable to a dev team. That’s how you build real QA experience.
What game would you test first?
#GameDev #GameCareers #QA #IndieDev #GameTesting
QA testers don’t.
If you can find bugs, document them clearly, and show evidence, you’re already valuable to a dev team. That’s how you build real QA experience.
What game would you test first?
#GameDev #GameCareers #QA #IndieDev #GameTesting
January 18, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Most people wait for permission to get experience.
QA testers don’t.
If you can find bugs, document them clearly, and show evidence, you’re already valuable to a dev team. That’s how you build real QA experience.
What game would you test first?
#GameDev #GameCareers #QA #IndieDev #GameTesting
QA testers don’t.
If you can find bugs, document them clearly, and show evidence, you’re already valuable to a dev team. That’s how you build real QA experience.
What game would you test first?
#GameDev #GameCareers #QA #IndieDev #GameTesting
New World shutting down is genuinely sad to see.
An MMO that took real risks and a world that clearly had a ton of love poured into it. Not perfect, but ambitious in ways the genre badly needs.
Massive respect to the devs behind New World. Shipping at that scale is no joke
#GameDev #GameIndustry
An MMO that took real risks and a world that clearly had a ton of love poured into it. Not perfect, but ambitious in ways the genre badly needs.
Massive respect to the devs behind New World. Shipping at that scale is no joke
#GameDev #GameIndustry
New World: Aeternum delisted today, shutdown confirmed for January 31st, 2027
New World: Aeternum delisted today, shutdown confirmed for January 31st, 2027
Amazon Game Studios provided an update on Thursday afternoon with new details about their plans to sunset New World: Aeternum which they first announced last October. Alongside the news is confirmation that the game has been delisted from all platforms including Steam, Amazon, Xbox, and PlayStation. The next milestone will
delistedgames.com
January 16, 2026 at 10:57 PM
New World shutting down is genuinely sad to see.
An MMO that took real risks and a world that clearly had a ton of love poured into it. Not perfect, but ambitious in ways the genre badly needs.
Massive respect to the devs behind New World. Shipping at that scale is no joke
#GameDev #GameIndustry
An MMO that took real risks and a world that clearly had a ton of love poured into it. Not perfect, but ambitious in ways the genre badly needs.
Massive respect to the devs behind New World. Shipping at that scale is no joke
#GameDev #GameIndustry
You don’t need permission to get experience.
Do the work a studio would assign and suddenly you’re production ready.
What’s one “real” task you could add to your portfolio this week?
#gamedev #careeradvice #gamedevcareer #indiedev
Do the work a studio would assign and suddenly you’re production ready.
What’s one “real” task you could add to your portfolio this week?
#gamedev #careeradvice #gamedevcareer #indiedev
January 16, 2026 at 2:45 PM
You don’t need permission to get experience.
Do the work a studio would assign and suddenly you’re production ready.
What’s one “real” task you could add to your portfolio this week?
#gamedev #careeradvice #gamedevcareer #indiedev
Do the work a studio would assign and suddenly you’re production ready.
What’s one “real” task you could add to your portfolio this week?
#gamedev #careeradvice #gamedevcareer #indiedev
Co-development is a career superpower when done right.
Some of the best games out there are made through tight collaboration between studios, not in isolation.
Have you worked on a co-dev project before? What was your experience?
#gamedev #gameindustry #careers #indiedev #AAAdev
Some of the best games out there are made through tight collaboration between studios, not in isolation.
Have you worked on a co-dev project before? What was your experience?
#gamedev #gameindustry #careers #indiedev #AAAdev
January 15, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Co-development is a career superpower when done right.
Some of the best games out there are made through tight collaboration between studios, not in isolation.
Have you worked on a co-dev project before? What was your experience?
#gamedev #gameindustry #careers #indiedev #AAAdev
Some of the best games out there are made through tight collaboration between studios, not in isolation.
Have you worked on a co-dev project before? What was your experience?
#gamedev #gameindustry #careers #indiedev #AAAdev
You don’t need to ship a game to prove game design skill.
System breakdowns, formulas, AI behavior, and clear documentation are real design work.
Use it in your portfolio.
#gamedev #gamedesign #gamecareers
System breakdowns, formulas, AI behavior, and clear documentation are real design work.
Use it in your portfolio.
#gamedev #gamedesign #gamecareers
January 13, 2026 at 2:45 PM
You don’t need to ship a game to prove game design skill.
System breakdowns, formulas, AI behavior, and clear documentation are real design work.
Use it in your portfolio.
#gamedev #gamedesign #gamecareers
System breakdowns, formulas, AI behavior, and clear documentation are real design work.
Use it in your portfolio.
#gamedev #gamedesign #gamecareers
Publisher marketing gets misunderstood a lot.
Here’s what publishers actually do for that 30% when things are working well.
#gamedev #indiegames
Here’s what publishers actually do for that 30% when things are working well.
#gamedev #indiegames
January 8, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Publisher marketing gets misunderstood a lot.
Here’s what publishers actually do for that 30% when things are working well.
#gamedev #indiegames
Here’s what publishers actually do for that 30% when things are working well.
#gamedev #indiegames