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Game Dev Career Advice, Starting a Studio & AI in 2026 | Rushdown Studios
Kirk Becker and Hunter Fortuin of Rushdown Studios join JP for a wide-ranging conversation on breaking into games, advancing your career, building a co-dev studio, AI's real impact, and what 2026 looks like from inside the industry.
KEY TOPICS
• Breaking into the games industry in 2026
• The "brag book" strategy for career advancement
• Networking, portfolios, and increasing your surface area of luck
• Co-development studio culture and ownership mindset
• AI in game dev: what's real, what's hype, and what to do about it
• Why NOT hiring junior talent due to AI is a long-term danger
• UEFN, Roblox, Godot, and the new wave of accessible game development tools
• Sustainable game development vs. big-budget gambles
TIMESTAMPS
0:30 — Introductions & where in the world are you?
0:39 — Current roles at Rushdown Studios
1:17 — What early career work taught Hunter the most
2:24 — Career advice that turned out to be wrong
10:41 — Mistakes game devs make when trying to advance their career
24:32 — AI: Why every game dev needs to learn to leverage it now
24:47 — What's overhyped vs. what AI actually does well
26:03 — JP's take: using AI every day & the retired engineer who wakes up excited to build
28:22 — When did joining/starting Rushdown feel like the right move?
39:44 — The most dangerous sentence in game development
40:28 — How Rushdown protects team health & sustainability
46:42 — Hard lessons learned from managing and leading teams
49:58 — What concerns you most about the games industry in 2026?
53:52 — AI: The real risk — will executives use it to stop hiring junior talent?
55:57 — AI: "It's like having an intern with a PhD in everything" — Kirk's take
57:02 — AI in practice: yelling at a computer & the Simpsons meme moment
58:26 — A game dev renaissance? Why AI + small teams = reason to be optimistic
1:03:45 — Funniest early career mistake (Kirk's League of Legends potato mode story)
1:05:35 — Final advice: build relationships before you need them + go try AI tools yourself
ABOUT THE GUESTS
Hunter Fortuin has worked in games for over a decade and has worn a lot of hats, though his specialty is in online multiplayer games. Having worked in co-development for all of his time in the industry he's gotten to see the good, the bad, and the ugly across many different studios. He's currently acting as Technical Director at Rushdown Studios where he works to support indie, AA, and AAA titles.
Kirk Becker is the Studio Director and Co-Founder of Rushdown Studios, a U.S.-based co-development studio focused on multiplayer games. He co-founded Rushdown in 2021 alongside fellow industry veterans after years of programming together on games like PUBG, League of Legends, and more. He leads the studio based in Saratoga Springs, NY.
LINKS & RESOURCES
Rushdown Studios: https://www.rushdownstudios.com
UEFN / Fortnite Creative: https://www.fortnite.com/developer
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: https://www.expedition33.com
Godot Engine: https://www.godotengine.org
Claude AI: https://www.claude.ai
Look North World: https://www.looknorth.world
Amir Satvat: https://www.asgc.gg
FOLLOW GAME DEV ADVICE
Website: www.gamedevadvice.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gamedevadvice
Hotline: (224) 484-7733
View all episodes
By The HP Video Game Podcast Network - John JP Podlasek
5
5050 ratings
Kirk Becker and Hunter Fortuin of Rushdown Studios join JP for a wide-ranging conversation on breaking into games, advancing your career, building a co-dev studio, AI's real impact, and what 2026 looks like from inside the industry.
KEY TOPICS
• Breaking into the games industry in 2026
• The "brag book" strategy for career advancement
• Networking, portfolios, and increasing your surface area of luck
• Co-development studio culture and ownership mindset
• AI in game dev: what's real, what's hype, and what to do about it
• Why NOT hiring junior talent due to AI is a long-term danger
• UEFN, Roblox, Godot, and the new wave of accessible game development tools
• Sustainable game development vs. big-budget gambles
TIMESTAMPS
0:30 — Introductions & where in the world are you?
0:39 — Current roles at Rushdown Studios
1:17 — What early career work taught Hunter the most
2:24 — Career advice that turned out to be wrong
10:41 — Mistakes game devs make when trying to advance their career
24:32 — AI: Why every game dev needs to learn to leverage it now
24:47 — What's overhyped vs. what AI actually does well
26:03 — JP's take: using AI every day & the retired engineer who wakes up excited to build
28:22 — When did joining/starting Rushdown feel like the right move?
39:44 — The most dangerous sentence in game development
40:28 — How Rushdown protects team health & sustainability
46:42 — Hard lessons learned from managing and leading teams
49:58 — What concerns you most about the games industry in 2026?
53:52 — AI: The real risk — will executives use it to stop hiring junior talent?
55:57 — AI: "It's like having an intern with a PhD in everything" — Kirk's take
57:02 — AI in practice: yelling at a computer & the Simpsons meme moment
58:26 — A game dev renaissance? Why AI + small teams = reason to be optimistic
1:03:45 — Funniest early career mistake (Kirk's League of Legends potato mode story)
1:05:35 — Final advice: build relationships before you need them + go try AI tools yourself
ABOUT THE GUESTS
Hunter Fortuin has worked in games for over a decade and has worn a lot of hats, though his specialty is in online multiplayer games. Having worked in co-development for all of his time in the industry he's gotten to see the good, the bad, and the ugly across many different studios. He's currently acting as Technical Director at Rushdown Studios where he works to support indie, AA, and AAA titles.
Kirk Becker is the Studio Director and Co-Founder of Rushdown Studios, a U.S.-based co-development studio focused on multiplayer games. He co-founded Rushdown in 2021 alongside fellow industry veterans after years of programming together on games like PUBG, League of Legends, and more. He leads the studio based in Saratoga Springs, NY.
LINKS & RESOURCES
Rushdown Studios: https://www.rushdownstudios.com
UEFN / Fortnite Creative: https://www.fortnite.com/developer
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: https://www.expedition33.com
Godot Engine: https://www.godotengine.org
Claude AI: https://www.claude.ai
Look North World: https://www.looknorth.world
Amir Satvat: https://www.asgc.gg
FOLLOW GAME DEV ADVICE
Website: www.gamedevadvice.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gamedevadvice
Hotline: (224) 484-7733
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