From Musicals to Coding: Meet Gustav Bok, Junior Technical Game Designer
Gustav Bok initially went through four years of musical studies with singing, dancing, and theatre before his love for AI and designing systems made him do a significant career change.
“I’ve always had this dream of working in the games industry, and since Massive is the biggest games company here in Malmö I knew it was there I wanted to go,” says Gustav.
Gustav started at Massive in 2015 as an intern at the Games Lab. Since then, he has gone from intern to Junior Tools Programmer to Associate Game Designer. Today, Gustav works as Junior Technical Game Designer on Tom Clancy’s The Division 2.
“I think being in an AAA-company puts me in a unique position. One week I can work with level design, another week I can work with game design pitch, and next the week I might build AI bosses for a game,” explains Gustav, and continues:
As a game designer at Massive, you have a lot of freedom when it comes to coming up with great ideas for what we want to implement in our games.
“As a game designer at Massive, you have a lot of freedom when it comes to coming up with great ideas for what we want to implement in our games. You’re supposed to be the source of all the things that we think will be the next generation of ideas, which is really exciting.”
One thing that Gustav highlights as one of the best things about working at Massive is the studio’s corporate social responsibility initiatives – something he himself actively partakes in.
“Massive has taken a huge stance on actually having a working social corporate responsibility program – everyone has three days every year which we can spend on doing anything that helps the community.”
“For example, you can help pouring soup for people, or you can go out to schools and have a lecture. Or you can, as I have, be part of an organization that helps kids learn how to program.”
Gustav also says that he appreciates the friendly environment at Massive, which he explains takes shape in a general open-mindedness among everyone in the studio.
Work aside – being at Massive also means that you’re a part of a very large family.
“Work aside – being at Massive also means that you’re a part of a very large family. Everyone’s taken in with open arms, and that’s an incredible environment to be in.”
