Ben Various Breads Wheatley
LEVEL DESIGNER
2024
Unannouced GaaS title
Unnanounced GaaS Title (Jan 2022 - Feb 2024)
Unreal Engine 5
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.
2023
PSVR2 Launch Title (Oct 2022 - Feb 2023)
Unreal Engine 4
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.
2022
2021
Promoted to Level Designer
Star Citizen (2021)
Cry Engine - Modified Lumberyard
Sole Level Designer responsible for re-design ideation, pitching and director vision alignment.
Took both maps from blockout through to final release, iterating based on playtest feedback and data.
Working closely with two artists to ensure visual quality met the gameplay intent.
Star Citizen (July 2019 - Dec 2021)
Cry Engine - Modified Lumberyard
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.
2020
Promoted to Junior Level Designer
2019
Hired by Firesprite as Graduate Level Designer
Graduated with First Class Honours Degree
Computer Gameplay Design and Production
2018
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Aug 2018 - Dec 2018)
CSGO SDK
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 and lit the level based off of reference I had gathered locally.
Far Cry 5 (June 2018)
Dunia 2 - Far Cry 5 Arcade Editor
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.
2017
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (April 2016 - Aug 2017)
CSGO SDK
My second 5v5 competitive map. I spent more time working on theming than I had done previously. The main focus however 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.
2016
Unreal Tournament Editor (Sep 2016 - Dec 2016)
Unreal Engine 4
An Unreal Tournament CTF Level made at University. Having only played Unreal Tournament a few times, I spent the first week researching professional play and playing the game myself. Making notes of what routes they took, how they played fights and which maps were favoured. I then looked at existing maps to see how they weighted their pickups.
I decided to create a fortress that would be tricky to push into, but once you had the flag, you can slide into the trench in the front. Escaping from the flag room, but placing you into a more vunerable escape path. I made sure there were plenty of slanted surfaces for players to use the wall jump off and some high risk jump pads for flashy kills.
Started at Staffordshire University
Computer Gameplay Design and Production
Acheived D*DD
Game Development College Course
2015
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Nov 2014 - April 2015)
CSGO SDK
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.
Started at Loughborough College
Studying Games Development
benwheatley98@hotmail.com