Zaven Haroutunian

“I have had the opportunity of working with Zaven over many years on several different project and have watched him grow from a talented developer with an unparalleled expertise in the creation of dungeons into an a great leader. Not every talented individual contributor is able to make the leap into a lead role and Zaven did so seamlessly. Even in situations of uncertainty he kept his cool and made sure that his team continued to produce top quality work - and he did this while contributing his own work and leading by example. Zaven also brings a wealth of enthusiasm to the design team in general and cares deeply about the success of the projects he works on. He always provides pointed feedback and works tirelessly to provide any assistance other parts of the team may need. His graciousness goes beyond the design team and he interfaces very effectively with engineering and art by bringing a respectful attitude to every conversation as well as a deep reservoir of knowledge. It would be my honor to work with Zaven again I hope to have that opportunity.”

“As a gameplay engineer working with designers, having designers that are pragmatic and thoughtful about the technical needs relative to their design goals is crucial. Zaven exhibits both of these things in spades, and the team he leads exhibits these this as well. Zaven's thoughtfulness on data pipelines and content creation and his inclusion of engineering in all discussions has directly led to some of the best randomization and encounter pipelines i've seen to date. This, combined with fantastic design sense makes me wish I could recommend Zaven 100x, or clone him to make more. ”

“Zaven is a very dependable leader and designer. He gives clear direction, while being friendly and approachable. He is always open to sourcing the group for ideas, which makes working with him an enjoyable and comfortable experience. Articulate and creative, he can rally the team to execute a vision, and builds the excitement to achieve it. He has an unprecedented awareness of what the team needs to succeed, be it tools and tech, or design philosophy and principles. As you play and enjoy the dungeons of Diablo IV, you will have to remember to thank Zaven for all his great work! I would definitely work with him again!”

“Zaven and I spent 3 years working together on many projects during our tenure at Mt. Sierra College. He is an amazing team player who is willing to do whatever is needed to get the job done. This is aided even more by the fact that he is an extremely capable, multifaceted designer. I have never run into a task too big for him and his ability to rise to a challenge is unparalleled. I can think of no one I would rather have on a project.”