Combat Designer • Technical Game Developer

Combat worth mastering.

I design and implement responsive 3Cs, weapons, abilities, enemies, and the feedback that makes every action land.

View selected work Download resume
5+ Years combat design
50+ Weapons & variants
50+ Mobs & boss fights
5+ AAA + Indie Shipped titles

Selected Work

Combat design in practice.

Three projects that best show how I combine hands-on implementation, player-focused iteration, and combat ownership.

Legacy Steel and Sorcery combat artwork Shipped on Steam

Notorious Studios

Legacy: Steel & Sorcery

Combat Designer

Designed and implemented player-character combat across melee and ranged class kits, weapons, abilities, tools, and traps using Unreal Gameplay Ability System and Blueprints.

  • Character-class combat for melee and ranged player characters
  • Weapon systems, abilities, tools, traps, and supporting interactions
  • Behavior Tree design and implementation; shipped 50+ mobs and a boss fight
View on Steam ↗
Odyssey unannounced survival game artwork AAA Development

Activision Blizzard

Unannounced Survival Game — Odyssey

Combat Designer & Gameplay Scripter

Built designer-facing combat pipelines and tuned moment-to-moment gameplay in close collaboration with directors, engineers, and product owners.

  • 30+ weapons authored and shipped to the project
  • Modular weapon and consumable authoring systems
  • Playtest leadership, balance, prototyping, and iteration
FIFA Heroes promotional artwork Recent Production Work

Enver Studio

FIFA Heroes

Game Feel Designer / Engineer

Delivered game feel, multiplayer match flow, and production features directly with product owners and C-suite stakeholders.

  • Camera, character, controller, haptics, and shake tuning
  • 2 new game modes and networked match flows
  • In-match social feature with core monetization integration, using earned or purchased emojis
Complete Experience View all 10 projects and detailed responsibilities
SDK Media logo Stealth / In Dev
Game Designer & Developer
SDK Media: Stealth Project
Developing an unannounced game project.
Platforms: Unannounced
Unity View SDK Media Unity Assets
May. '25 - Present
SDK Media Logo
FIFA Heroes
Game Feel Designer / Engineer - Contract
Enver Studio: FIFA Heroes
Developing new features on a production-stage project directly with product owners and C-suite stakeholders.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox
Nov. '25 - Apr. '26
Enver Studio Logo

    Responsibilities

  • Critiqued, iterated, and implemented camera, character, and controller feedback, behavior, and feel through haptics and camera shakes tuned for accessibility, intensity, and fun.
  • Stood up 2 new game modes and their gameplay and UI match flow for "Unannounced GameMode" and "World Cup," including networked lobby state, character selection, ready-up timers, coin toss flow, stage progression, and rewards.
  • Implemented an Emoji Spam feature earned on goals, letting the scoring player taunt opponents with earned or purchased emojis as part of the app's monetization strategy.

Images

FIFA Heroes mobile promo
Mobile Promo
FIFA Heroes horizon shot
Horizon Shot
FIFA Heroes gameplay horizon shot
Match Horizon
FIFA Heroes trick shot
Skill Moves
FIFA Heroes tornado ability
Tornado Ability
FIFA Heroes goal celebration
Goal Celebration
FIFA Heroes field view
Arena View
FIFA Heroes victory screen
Victory Screen
Off Trail Games unannounced multiplayer puzzle action
Senior Game Designer - Contract
Off Trail Games: Unannounced Multiplayer Puzzle Action
Building core functionality and iterating intentional player experience with product owners and C-suite stakeholders.
Platforms: Unannounced
Jun. '25 - Jul. '25
Off Trail Games Logo

    Responsibilities

  • Prototyped and iterated 4+ world hazard systems including electricity, gas, fire, and water to expand gameplay variety and challenge.
  • Built 10+ networked features spanning AI behavior, stateful hazards, doors, switches, cuttable and freeable attachment points, a precision cutting tool, and leakable fuel pipelines.
  • Delivered rapid iteration cycles in a short contract setting, submitting code to main on day one and responding to 20+ rounds of player and team feedback to drive polish and engagement.
  • Critiqued and improved 12+ core mechanics across camera behavior, character movement, player input, grabbing, throwing, object use, tool interactions, and player systems such as energy and stamina.
Legacy Steel and Sorcery
▶
Combat Designer - Contract
Notorious Studios: Legacy Steel and Sorcery
Delivering iconic combat identity for an adrenaline-fueled 3rd person action PvPvE Extraction RPG.
Platforms: PC - Steam
Steam View on Steam
May. '24 - May. '25
Notorious Logo
Combat preview
Hunter Player Class
Combat preview
Warrior Player Class
Combat preview
Priest Player Class

    Responsibilities

  • Implemented and iterated third-person action combat in Unreal Engine (including accessible FPS and Elden Ring–style melee) using Gameplay Ability System and Blueprints.
  • Refined combat and player experience by implementing camera shakes, adjusting animation timings, collaborating on VFX/audio cues, rule consistency, and overall feedback loops.
  • Designed, pitched, implemented, and iterated weapons, abilities, combat mechanics, AI behaviors, and world systems in a networked live-service environment.
  • Led AI/NPC development from concept to implementation, adjusting designs based on player feedback.
  • Served as DRI for enemy AI/NPC development and balance, creating more responsive, challenging, and immersive combat encounters.
  • Built, iterated, and shipped 50+ mobs and a boss fight, each with unique movesets and behaviors for diverse player skill requirement.

    • Gameplay

    Images

    Legacy Steel and Sorcery 1
    Skeletons
    Legacy Steel and Sorcery 2
    Goblins
    Legacy Steel and Sorcery 3
    Gemlin
    Legacy Steel and Sorcery 4
    Wolves
    Legacy Steel and Sorcery 5
    Spiders
    Legacy Steel and Sorcery 6
    Arcane Eye
    Legacy Steel and Sorcery 7
    Ogre King & Ogre
    Legacy Steel and Sorcery 8
    Animated Armor
    Legacy Steel and Sorcery 9
    Banshee
    Legacy Steel and Sorcery 10
    Wraith
Odyssey
Combat Designer & Gameplay Scripter
Activision Blizzard: Unannounced Survival Game - Odyssey
Developing industry-leading moment-to-moment gameplay.
Platforms: Canceled Console & PC
Nov. '22 - Apr. '24
Blizzard Logo

    Responsibilities

  • Collaborated with Directors, Product Owners, and team members to elevate overall player feel.
  • Engineered a modular, designer-friendly weapon authoring system and shipped 30+ weapons, including advanced behaviors (controllable rockets, God of War–style axe).
  • Documented hundreds of consumable items and weapons, and partnered with Engineering to build a flexible consumable item pipeline (supporting hunger/thirst, throwables, channelables, deployables, etc.).
  • Owned and maintained weapon and consumable pipelines, creating and updating combat balancing sheets to identify weaknesses and power spikes.
  • Led dozens of playtests with stakeholders to iteratively refine game feel and maintain balanced combat.
Bladework Games
Combat Designer & Programmer
Bladework Games: Unannounced Action Combat Game
Prototyping and implementing the core game loop and cutting-edge moment-to-moment action combat.
Platform: Unreleased Console & PC
Mar. '21 - Nov. '22
Bladework Logo

    Responsibilities

  • Implemented and iterated core systems in Unreal 4 (C++ & Blueprints) and Unity (C#), including advanced player movement (vaulting, climbing, dashing, double jumping), projectile physics, melee combat, networked player states, and interactive elements.
  • Prototyped and shipped features for a strictly server-authoritative, networked environment.
  • Created functional prototypes for executives and product owners, with documentation detailing cross-departmental requirements.
  • Organized and led stakeholder playtests to refine gameplay and align design goals.
Detour Bus
Lead Game Designer & Gameplay Scripter
Detour Bus: Detour Bus
Take on the challenges of a nostalgic and wacky VR road trip!
Platforms: PC - Steam VR, Meta Quest
Steam View on Steam
Apr. '20 - Mar. '21
Detour Bus Logo
Detour Bus Carnival
Carnival Minigames!
Detour Bus Volcano
Lava Level!

    Responsibilities

  • Documented experience goals, core loops, level design, and player feedback requirements.
  • Concepted, implemented, and iterated accessible VR movement/interaction mechanics based on playtest insights.
  • Created 8 in-game event sequences, 4 levels, 8 carnival mini-games, and a boss fight, incorporating goal communication, particle effects, and a cohesive puzzle vibe.

    • Gameplay

    Images

    Mechanic Design Sketches
    Mechanic Design Sketch
    Hot Air Balloon
    Hot Air Balloon
    Momma
    Momma
    Destination Marker
    Destination Marker
    Knotted Roads
    Knotted Roads
    Impact Particles
    Impact Particles
    Explosion
    Explosion
    Explosion 2
    Explosion 2
    Explosion 3
    Explosion 3
    Jumping Fish
    Jumping Fish
    Destination Hint
    Destination Hint
    Destination Hint 2
    Destination Hint 2
Beasts of Maravilla Island
Lead Producer & Unity Developer
Banana Bird Studios: Beasts of Maravilla Island
Discover the wonder of Maravilla Island in this magical wildlife photography game.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Playstation, Steam
Steam View on Steam Nintendo eShop View on Nintendo eShop Xbox Store View on Xbox Store PlayStation Store View on PlayStation Store
Aug. '19 - Sep. '20
Banana Bird Studios Logo
Beach
Beach Area

    Responsibilities

  • Tracked and managed more than 3000 hours of tasks from early game conception to release.
  • Reviewed and critiqued art, design, and engineering deliverables to ensure experience goals were met within a feasible roadmap.
  • Organized and led team sync-ups to maintain productivity—especially during remote transitions.
  • Worked in-engine to develop and maintain the visual style of Beasts environments.
  • Implemented, tested, and iterated on core and extraneous gameplay systems and features.
  • Led outreach for a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising over $25k in total.
  • Built and maintained scene management and performance optimization systems; helped squash critical bugs.
  • And much more!
Jungle 1
Dense Jungle
Jungle 2
Jungle Temple
Jungle Gif 1
Jungle Exploration
Jungle Gif 2
Note Book
Jungle 5
In The Banyan Trees
Temple
Mountain Top Temple
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Game Designer & Gameplay Scripter - Intern
Treyarch: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
AAA Design Documentation, Collaboration, Prototyping, and Implementation using proprietary software and programming languages learned as needed.
Platforms: PC, Xbox, PS4
May '19 - Aug. '19
Treyarch Logo
Treyarch Interns E3
Treyarch Interns E3
Treyarch Interns
Treyarch Interns

    Responsibilities

  • Collaborated with level design interns to develop and iterate multiple ship-ready maps using the proprietary engine, code base, and scripting language.
  • Designed, documented, and iterated 9 features aligned with studio gameplay goals; pitched 2 finalized features to studio leads.
  • Concepted, documented, and iterated a new battle royale game mode experience.
  • Prototyped a custom map game mode by repurposing existing assets and systems to achieve design document goals.
  • Worked across departments to streamline AI encounter implementation and pushed changes to the code base after code review.
  • Implemented and iterated on unique encounter designs for a gameplay prototype reflecting the design leads’ vision.
  • Supported a prototype game mode with map setup, spawn placement, playtests, and iterative feedback in Radiant.
  • Connected with team members from all disciplines to learn workflows, philosophies, tools, and professional insights.
Plasticity
3D Environment Artist & Unity Developer
Plasticity: Plasticity
Responsible for background level art throughout 70% of the game and assisted the development of 2 minor scripted sequences.
Platforms: PC - Steam
Steam View on Steam
Jan. '19 - Aug. '19

    Responsibilities

  • Served as the 3D artist responsible for both environment and character art, shaping the visual identity of the game.
  • Contributed assets and polish across the game to support its emotional and narrative goals around environmental awareness.
  • Helped deliver a cohesive visual message supporting the game’s social commentary on pollution and ecological neglect.
    • Plasticity City
    Polluted City
    Plasticity Suburb
    Tortured Suburbs
    Plasticity Beach
    Final Beach Sequence

Project Timeline

2015 - 2026 rough work periods

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Prior indie dev projects Plasticity BO4 Maravilla Detour Bus Action Combat Odyssey Legacy OTG FIFA SDK Media — Stealth

Developer Stats

Career Profile

Combat / Systems / Technical Design

Skylar Kelley
5+
Years Combat Design
8+
Years Game Design
AAA Indie Contract Multiplayer Technical
Bio Design philosophy

Skylar Kelley, also known as Sky, is a passionate Game Designer and Developer in his mid-20s with a broad range of interests from psychology and engineering to art, history, and beyond. As a Combat Designer, Sky's mission is to deliver memorable, impactful, and industry-leading moment-to-moment experiences that resonate with players.

Sky thrives at the intersection of technical design, feel-driven gameplay systems, and cross-discipline collaboration, working alongside top-tier engineers, designers, and artists to build unforgettable combat.

Skylar's design philosophy is rooted in rapid prototyping in engine, using his programming experience to find and follow fun fast. He believes in testing early, iterating with player feedback, and staying relentlessly focused on player experience to achieve tight, responsive, and satisfying gameplay.

Education USC / IMGD / Programming

Aug '17 - May '21

University of Southern California: Los Angeles, CA

Princeton Review's #1 rated game design program

BA: Interactive Media & Games Design - School of Cinematic Arts
Overall GPA: 3.52
Applied Work GPA: 3.93

  • Design implementation, theory, documentation, and communication
  • Pitching, critique, iteration, and collaboration
  • Theme park design, cinematography, and film theory

Minor: Video Game Programming

  • C++, C#, Java, algorithm design, vector math, physics, and data management

Projects

Project / Studio / Status

SDK Media logo
Stealth Project
SDK Media
In Dev
Enver Studio logo
FIFA Heroes
Enver Studio
In Dev
Off Trail Games logo
Unannounced Multiplayer Puzzle Action
Off Trail Games
Stealth
Notorious Studios logo
Legacy Steel and Sorcery
Notorious Studios
Shipped
Blizzard logo
Unannounced Survival Game - Odyssey
Activision Blizzard
Canceled
Bladework Games logo
Unannounced Action Combat Game
Bladework Games
Unreleased
Detour Bus logo
Detour Bus
Detour Bus
Shipped
Banana Bird Studios logo
Beasts of Maravilla Island
Banana Bird Studios
Shipped
Treyarch logo
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Treyarch
Shipped
Plasticity
Plasticity
Shipped

Tools

Engine / Code / Systems

  • EnginesUnreal, Unity, Radiant, and Synapse
  • CodeBlueprints, C#, C++, and visual scripting
  • SystemsGAS, HUD, AI / NPCs, and multiplayer support

Shipped Work

Systems and Scope

  • 1P + 3PCombat and ability systems
  • 50+Weapons and weapon variants
  • VariousCharacter controllers, paired animation systems, and advanced movement including climbing, sliding, and crawling
  • VehiclesCars, motorcycles, boats, trains, mounts, and hover bikes vehicle systems
  • 50+Mobs and boss fights

Spec'd Skills

Senior Combat Focus

  • 3CsCamera, character, and controls tuning
  • ReadabilityCombat clarity, telegraphs, and player response
  • FeelImpact, feedback, timing, and pacing
  • IterationRapid prototyping, playtesting, and tuning

Contact

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