Ben Wheatley
SENIOR LEVEL DESIGNER
Creating levels for over 10 years, I started Level Design in 2015 creating maps for Counter Strike Global Offensive, having fun learning as I went. A rewarding part of the process was playing with friends and adjusting using their feedback, bringing everyone along for the ride.
I've always wanted to create a sequence or moment that stays with a player for years to come.
SKILLS
RAPID
PROTOTYPING
OPEN WORLD DESIGN
TACTICAL SHOOTER DESIGN
LEVEL
PACING
UNREAL ENGINE 5
CRYENGINE
SOURCE 2
INDIVIDUALLY
DRIVEN
MENTORSHIP
PROGRAMS
TEAM
PLAYER
MAYA
ASSET CREATION
RELEASED
PROFESSIONAL WORK
Star Citizen - Space Combat
CryEngine - Lumberyard
BROKEN MOON
Rework Released 2021
Sole Level Designer responsible for
re-design ideation, pitching and director vision alignment.
Working with the lead artist to define clear orientation targets like the planet and asteroid belt to allow for callouts and distinct zones helping ease navigation and create POIs.
Junior Level Designer
Firesprite Games & CIG
Star Citizen - Space Combat
CryEngine - Lumberyard
DYING STAR
Rework Released 2021
Sole Level Designer responsible for
re-design ideation, pitching and director vision alignment.
Working through rounds of feedback to deliver a preview of the Pyro system. The new Gas cloud tech required input from art to achieve the visual target.
My work consisted mainly of cleanup and maintaining gameplay elements.
Junior Level Designer
Firesprite Games & CIG
Star Citizen - PU Event
CryEngine - Lumberyard
SC ALPHA 4.1
Repurposed 2025
My earlier work on "Theaters of War" from 2019 through to 2021 was repurposed into a PU event in 2025
(Star Citizens MMO side)
Gameplay elements were added to allow the event to function, but the Space Station layout and some grounding buildings on the planet are visibly my own layouts.
Cloud Imperium Games
Star Citizen - Combined Arms Mode
CryEngine - Lumberyard
"THEATERS OF WAR"
July 2019 - December 2021
Worked as part of a small feature team charged with bringing 'combined arms' gameplay to Star Citizen. Led the pitching, blockout and iteration of a large gameplay area that focused on the interaction of ground troops and ships. A part of regular play test and feedback sessions with QA and CIG Directors.
The map was later added in Alpha 4.1 in 2025 to be played in the Arena Commander portion of SC. An arcade PVP setting. The Theaters of War gamemode was not included.
Graduate & Junior Level Designer
Firesprite Games & CIG
Horizon Call of the Mountain (Support)
Unreal Engine 4
PSVR2 LAUNCH TITLE
(SUPPORT)
October 2022 - Feburary 2023
Brought on to maintain a mission until release. Overhauling the level streaming setup to ensure the level would perform as optimally as possible. Acclimatised to VR workflows and slotted into the new team quickly. Mostly bug fixing and QOL changes to improve level flow based off of direction from the Design Lead, ensuring work was checked before being submitted.
Level Designer
Firesprite Games & Guerilla Games
UNRELEASED
PROFESSIONAL WORK
Preproduction First Party Sony IP
Unreal Engine 5
UNANNOUNCED GaaS TITLE
January 2022 - February 2024
Sole Level Designer in pre-production exploring blockouts for potential mechanics. Working to find the best balance between contrasting systems through level exploration.
Later, the team expanded, in the following months I helped onboard the new Level Designers, including my new Lead, and made myself available to help as much as possible. My work was chosen multiple times to represent our game in deliverables to Sony XDEV.
Level Designer
Firesprite Games
AAA Open World Tencent IP
Unreal Engine 5
LAST SENTINEL
June 2024 - Present
Working alongside Lightspeed LA to support the world building of their upcomming AAA title Last Sentinel.
Meshing into a fresh team presenting work to clients, delivering work to a high standard. Trusted to create multiple POIs in the world ready for handover to art. Working with artists to maintain gameplay intent. Assisting other members of the team with technical problems, championing the level design team.
Mid & Senior Level Designer
Lucid Games & LSLA
PERSONAL WORK
Counter Strike 2
Source 2
CS2 PRACTICE
Februrary 2024
With CS2 releaseing, I chose to reimagine Quaints' layout as
a starting point to learn Source 2 and play around with the new toolset.
Source 2 is a joy to work in. Its two parts modelling tool and level editor. This was a really nice step back into Counter Strike design, if I remade Quaint for CS2, I'd start from scratch using what I learnt.
Level Designer
Personal Practice
Counter Strike: GO
Source Hammer Editor
DE_QUAINT
August 2018 - December 2018
Built for my University Final Year Project, alongside being entered into a community competition. 'Quaint' was my third CSGO level, and represents the culmination of all my work up until that point. I worked through over 40 versions, running playtesting, gathering feedback and iterating to develop the layout. I also detailed the level based off of reference I had gathered locally.
Student Level Designer
Final Year Project
Counter Strike 2
Source 2
DE_KENDO
March 2024 - June 2024
Taking some time between my roles at Firesprite and Lucid Games to work on a defuse layout for CS2.
I entered this into a community competition to get feedback. Kendo was featured on the Mapcore Hubs for a week and playtested in over 30 games.
I withdrew my entry when I started my new role to not distract from my work.
Level Designer
Mapcore Big Adventures
Counter Strike: GO
Source Hammer Editor
DE_TOMB
April 2016 - August 2017
My second 5v5 competitive map. I spent more time working on theming than I had done previously. The main focus was A site. A in Tomb is a layered bombsite with a waterfall rush spot. I was experimenting with fun dynamics that would make my map unique over recreating the standard layouts you would usually see in CSGO.
Student Level Designer
Personal Defuse Layout
Far Cry 5
FarCry 5 Arcade Editor
FARCRY OUTPOST
June 2018
The result of a weekend challenge I set myself, structured to accommodate multiple play styles. I wanted to create a single player outpost to show I can make more than just multiplayer levels. Using the rule of thirds to frame my objectives from a raised vantage point as shown above. Theming sections based on the narrative of the space, like the 'Prison' spawn and 'Camp' side path.
Student Level Designer
Single Player Outpost
Counter Strike: GO
Source Hammer Editor
CS_DISTRICT
April 2015 - September 2015
My first map! A 5v5 hostage rescue level. I chose to make this as one large project to learn from rather than starting and stopping lots of smaller levels. It took a while to finish, but it was a great starting point. This is much smaller than most maps which allows for really fast rotates that promotes aggressive plays from both teams.
Student Level Designer
Personal Hostage Layout
EDUCATION OUTREACH
Introduction to Unreal
Liverpool FACT Workshop
INTRODUCTION TO UNREAL
January 2025 - April 2025
As part of the Lucid Games educational outreach program,
I took part in planning an "Intro to Unreal" workshop for the students at the FACT studio. Working alongside a Principle Artist to deliver a foundational course into the workings of Unreal.
I pitched that we could show the steps of blocking out complex ideas, breaking reference into key shapes and building wide before focussing on details. We intro'd by explaining this workflow, moving into basics like camera and UI navigation, then ended with free form creation of the students individual castle scenes.
A key step was spending the creation stage sitting 1 to 1 with the students to advise them when they got stuck and discuss how they can achieve what they found interesting rather than dictating a checklist to follow.
Level Designer
Lucid Games
Level Design Mentorship
Staffordshire Alumni Outreach
LEVEL DESIGN MENTOR
Feburary 2025 - Present
As a Staffordshire University Alumni with industry experience I was able to sign up to offer my advice to current students wanting to study level design.
The student I'm working with wants to transition from Gameplay programming into level design. Considering this, my work with them has involved suggesting reading / GDC materials to work through and getting them up to speed with general theory.
I set them a brief to get them started building on a level concept they had made previously. Choosing to build it in the UE Fortnite editor to allow them to play it as easily as possible. Early on we setup a weekly meeting to discuss their progress and I've been advising them since February 2025.
Level Designer
Personal Commitment
15 GAMEJAMS SINCE 2018
Global Game Jam 2025
Unreal Engine 5
"Bubble"
APOTHECRAZY
January 2025
You mix potion ratios to guestimate the right values in your cauldron. I took time to vary the ingredients we had, making the mesh match which stats we needed.
The lighting came together last minute but I'm really happy with it. Its a clear improvement from LeRetour, a similar night theme, and is only possible thanks to my work on Curio.
Cabin Constructor
48 Hours
Epic Mega Jam 2023
Unreal Engine 5
"Antiquated Future"
CURIO
COLLECTOR
September 2023
Curio is my favourite jam. I had a week to plan, itterate & light our world.
I made the best tutorial sequence yet, and was able to have fun with my POI's.
See a dedicated page here:
World Builder
7 Days
Epic Mega Jam 2022
Unreal Engine 5
"As above, so below"
VLADS DECENT
September 2022
This was the first jam that I collaborated with another level designer. We split the level into two halves. I took the top and they took the bottom.
I then focussed on the tutorial, pacing our combat encounters and managing the overall level structure while they were able to put alot more time into all the smaller details.
Realm Moulder
5 Days
Global Game Jam 2021
Unreal Engine 4
"Lost and found"
ADRIFT
January 2021
I love Adrift. It was made with just 3 of us which forced us to work to a smaller scope. I spent my time working on the visuals, tutorial and island placement.
The goal was to have the player feel like their rafts shape was precarious while leaving pathways wide enough to not comepletely gate the experience.
Passage Charter
48 Hours
Transfuzer Jam 2019
Unreal Engine 4
"Junk"
OVERJUNKED
March 2019
The transfuzer jam was made with a new group of people bar my consistent collaborator Callum. Some disagreements between members meant we had fewer people than we expected come back past the first day.
My level work wasn't great here, but it was a nice lesson to be mindful who you opt to work with in a stressful situation.
Warehouse Planner
3 Days
Game Makers Toolkit 2024
Unreal Engine 5 + MAYA
"Built to scale"
PUFF
August 2024
A momentum based platformer where you swap sizes to climb a tower.
Before I made CSGO levels in 2015, I grew up playing Little Big Planet. I could never quite make a platformer that felt fun. Being able to create something our group actively enjoyed speed running was really rewarding.
Grounds Keeper Bueno
4 Days
Game Makers Toolkit 2023
Unreal Engine 5
"Roles Reversed"
LE RETOUR
July 2023
We decided to make a game about a reverse art theif, returning paintings rather than stealing them. The narrative fit the theme, but mechanically its not doing anything that interesting when compared to a regular stealth game.
I built the gallery, placed the cameras and spent some time dabbling with lighting the level.
The Gallery Architect
4 Days
Global Game Jam 2022
Unreal Engine 5
"Duality"
KOKO N DILLO
January 2022
This was the first jam I used an asset pack to mesh the environment with. Building on some of the tutorialisation I'd tried in Adrift.
I created a few gameplay moments to showcase our Duality mechanics. I like how this turned out, but it feels stretched too thin. The quality definitely lowers the less time I had to finish it off.
Box Placer
48 Hours
Epic Spring Jam 2020
Unreal Engine 4
"What is hidden in snow,
comes forth in thaw"
SOAR
June 2020
Two disappointing jams in a row had me suggest we go back to creating the gameplay from Feather, but building on what made that so fun to play.
I feel in hindsight this was also a mistake. The scope of the space increased massively from Feather and I don't feel I was able to execute on the theme as well as I could have.
Planet Cracker
5 Days
Global Game Jam 2019
Unreal Engine 4
"What home means to you"
FEATHER AWAY
FROM HOME
January 2019
The result of every member having a role and excelling in it. I meshed a ravine generated in Houdini, planning routes for the bird to fly.
Feather won the SideFX made with Houdini competition which nabbed us all some UE4 merch a year later.
Ravine Diver
48 Hours
Global Game Jam 2024
Unreal Engine 5 + MAYA
"Make me laugh"
FOR YOUR
ENTERTAINMENT
January 2024
The theme really threw us here. We decided to make a single screen sandbox similar to older flash games you'd see in the mid 2000s. I used this as a chance to develop my MAYA skills and built each of the tool meshes you use in the game.
MAYA Wrangler
48 Hours
Global Game Jam 2023
Unreal Engine 5
"Roots"
DRAGON
DAYCARE
January 2023
I created a system of interconnected vines between islands using splines.
The asset pack was unexpectivly expensive which led to low FPS. Although frustrating, it was a nice chance to learn UE's size map tool and optimise the jam to playable levels.
The Vine Tangler
48 Hours
Epic Mega Jam 2021
Unreal Engine 4
"Running out of space"
STICK IT TO EM
September 2021
Without a traditional level to build I spent my time creating a suite of tetris evidence shapes for us to link to our suspects.
A fun dynamic I liked with this was the ability to link suspects with evidence already on the board. We care about convictions, not accuracy!
Evidence Collector
5 Days
Global Game Jam 2020
Unreal Engine 4
"Repair"
BACK ON TRACK
January 2020
After Overjunked didn't go to plan, the core from Feather returned the year later believing we'd cracked the code to game jam creation.
We then made every mistake possible, massively overscoping a time looping puzzle game with PBR textures and photo real environments. This also ended poorly.
Ticket Checker
48 Hours
Global Game Jam 2018
Unreal Engine 4
"Transmission"
THE DEEP
January 2018
My first gamejam! In 2018 I wasn't too sure if I'd be able to contribute to a jam. I'd only ever worked on levels solo.
Myself and my teammates dubbed ourselves "Team Low Expectations". I got distracted making an intro animation, and the game wasn't the best. But the important part was that we made something!
