François Cloutier has 15 years of experience in the gaming industry, working on everything from mobile to AAA titles, which he uses to mentor others at Gameloft Montréal!
He joined the studio back in 2006 but left a few years after on other adventures before coming back in 2019 because he missed our human-sized teams.
Learn more about him and his passion for making games below!
Hi, François! Tell us about yourself.
I'm the studio’s lead technical game designer at Gameloft Montréal.
I started my career in 2006 as a tester right here at Gameloft before getting promoted to level designer. After that, I moved around a bit in Montréal working at Behaviour, EA, and Ubisoft before going back home to Gameloft in 2019.
This gave me the chance to see all types of productions, and I was a level designer for half that time before switching to a more technical role.
Apart from video games, I love to cook. I love using new ingredients and finding interesting ways to use and combine them and seeing my friends’ faces when they taste the results. I guess cooking is like making levels!
What is your role, and what do you enjoy most about your job?
My role as the studio lead is twofold. I oversee and mentor the team of level designers and technical game designers, having one-on-ones with the team and making sure everyone is well supported.
I really like discussing with everyone on the team about video games and how they're made, and I feel like I can use my diverse experience to help guide them.
I also work on a project as a product owner. I help design the game, organize the workflow, and prioritize what needs to be done. It’s really fun working with the team and seeing the evolution of our game as we near release.
What are some of your most memorable moments at Gameloft?
I remember in 2007 working as a level designer for the first time and knowing I was doing something I loved surrounded by a team of friends all heading in the same direction—to make an amazing game.
What’s great is that I feel the same way today almost 15 years later with a new team of passionate people all giving their best to make incredible games.
What advice do you have for people who wants to work in gaming in a similar role?
Take your time, make sure you enjoy the tasks that you have to do, and have fun with your colleagues.
If you want a leadership position, I really think it’s important to have a broad knowledge of many subjects, like how to work on small and big teams and how to ship console and mobile games.
This body of knowledge will be very helpful and allow you to be more confident when you have to make calls on a project.
And finally, trust the people around you. We all want to make great games!
Come and make great games with industry veterans like François! Gameloft Montréal is working an exciting, new cross-platform project and has multiple open positions. Apply for them here, and stay tuned for the next edition of Humans Behind the Game!
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