Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Ryan Lastimosa of Los Angeles

Ryan Lastimosa shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
This is a very interesting question. I feel like my calling has been, without a doubt, to Seek Adventure. I have three values that have brought me success and happiness throughout my career as a game developer and visual effects artist: Create, Give Back, and Seek Adventure.

To Create, I used to be all about sinking hours into making art. Now, creating a healthy and thriving culture is my canvas. Creating opportunities for other developers to shine is what drives me to create. The canvas got bigger, along with my aspirations.

To Give Back is about paying it forward to the world in my career and in life. It means to have a mentor and be a mentor. Contribute and help the world around you, to make things just a little bit better than how you found it.

To Seek Adventure is what I’ve been called to do. It means to take the road less traveled and find an adventure. I feel I’ve been called to this as the video game and entertainment industry have gone through a massive shake up in the last few years. Hundreds of thousands of people have been laid off, game studios have shut down, and massive projects have been canceled. I feel like there is no time better than now to find out what our new normal is. To Seek Adventure is to find a new way to tell stories and share experiences through the medium of video games and beyond.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an Art Director and Game Development Consultant with nearly 25 years of experience in AAA game development and feature film visual effects. I have led world-class art teams, large and small, in some of the biggest blockbuster titles in gaming history.

My film visual effects career started in 2002, where I refined my visual skills in Hollywood, contributing to the visual effects (VFX) pipeline for films such as XMen 2, Constantine, The Day After Tomorrow, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Batman Begins, and Bad Boys 2. Working in film was an amazing experience, which allowed me to travel sets and locations all over the world.

My gaming career began at Infinity Ward in 2006, where I specialized in weapons art for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series. This foundational work allowed me to significantly contribute to the franchise’s signature look and establish a standard for the grounded realism it is known for.

Following my time there, I spent over a decade at Respawn Entertainment, helping to shape some of the studio’s most critically acclaimed projects.

I advanced through the ranks, serving as a Senior and Lead 3D Artist on both Titanfall and Titanfall 2.

Subsequently, I moved into senior art leadership on Apex Legends, where I was instrumental in defining its visual style, particularly its kinetic sci-fi aesthetic and overall worldbuilding.

My leadership style is centered on collaboration and the deep-seated belief in designing cohesive, believable worlds. This work ethic has led to recognition in industry publications. Notably, a tribute to my contribution, multiple weapons across the Titanfall and Apex universes bear my name, acknowledging my role as both a key digital artist and a creative leader.

Currently, I’ve started up my own private video game consultancy company “Secret Weapon Unicorn” where I operate as a fractional art/creative director, concept artist, and consultant for game development studios large and small. I’m currently working on a handful of some exciting projects that will hopefully see the light of day. My objective is to get the best ideas in games into the hands of players worldwide.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I’m on a constant progression of self-improvement, which is a simple way to say that I’ll always be a “work-in-progress”. I have to say, the moment that shaped how I now see the world happened 16 years ago. In 2009 I was overweight. A heavy smoker and drinker, I suffered from Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). At 30 years old, my condition was in the red zone for a stroke or a heart attack. While sleeping, I stopped breathing for minutes at a time due to severe snoring. I had to use a BiPAP machine to assist my breathing while asleep. At the time I downplayed my condition, ignoring that if left unchecked it could be fatal. My health became a limiting factor in life.

In 2009 I chose to correct my OSA. I underwent a painful operation, Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). I had my tonsils, adenoids, and uvula surgically removed. The recovery was horrendous. With a background in MMA, I always thought I had a high pain tolerance. I was wrong. I experienced new levels of pain at a sustained intensity. I hated being on painkillers for my recovery and was bedridden for a few weeks. It was gnarly, but my snoring was gone. I had a new lease on life, one that broke through mental and physical boundaries. I dropped 50+ lbs and chose a healthy lifestyle. Once I recovered from surgery, I needed a goal to hit: complete a sprint triathlon.

Fast forward to 2022. I just completed my 13th Ironman at the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona. My career has greatly exceeded my expectations. I have added quality years to my life. My kids have a father who is fit and active. I plan to be in their lives for a very long time. I plan to keep hammering. A small goal turned into a once in a lifetime chance to race alongside the very best in the world. It all started with the drive to want something more out of life.

It’s now 2025. I’ve had multiple surgeries and I’m slowly, but surely, recovering. It’s a lot harder to start from scratch, but I’m being consistent and showing up everyday. Rain or shine. Tens of thousands in the game industry, entertainment, and tech have experienced layoffs, game cancellations, and studio closures, but we’re still making things happen. The hustle doesn’t stop. I’ve been to more funerals than I care to admit, which is a reminder that each day isn’t extra credit, it’s an exam.

Looking back 16 years ago I ask myself “Would I do it all again?” My answer is simple: “Damn right I would.” I would do it again and go even harder. We only get one shot, so might as well go as hard as you can. When I reach those pearly white gates, I don’t want to be well fed, rested, and presentable. I want to be sunburned and beat up with a smile on my face. A lot can happen in 16 years.

You can look at life through a microscope, or have the visibility from the stratosphere. What a precious and wonderful trip it’s been so far.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
We all eventually lose someone special in our lives. At times, those losses can be overwhelming. For me, I was hit with the sudden loss of my cousins, AJ and Chris, and my Uncle Rudy, who was a father-figure to me. I used to drown my pain in busy work and partying, but I realized nothing was healing. I worked hard and played hard, which meant I burned the candle on both ends. When I started training in endurance sports, I had the motivation to run somewhere. At first, it was running away. Then it became an opportunity to run FOR something. Training and racing became an opportunity to do something bigger than myself. I started fundraising for causes in memory of my loved ones. I found a deep well of power hidden in pain.

I speak often about the last 2 miles of an Ironman. The only word that can best describe it is “magic”. After 138 miles of swimming, cycling, and running it all comes to an end in just 2 more miles. All the hard work, sacrifice, and pain amount to a few moments where you are alone with your own humanity, devoid of ego. Random people will cheer you on because they see the pain, and they want you to succeed. I think the people who have left us are there at those last 2 miles. The people who have made an impact so significant to our lives that have passed away live in the random faces that tell you to “Keep going, you’re almost there.” Every high five or cheer comes from that place where the people you love and have lost, now exist. For a brief moment in time, I’m with them again. They’re there smiling and cheering me on as they would do if they were still alive on this earth. It’s magic.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
It’s difficult to admire someone for their character because there are so many people in my life I’d like to name. I would like to mention someone who I admire that I only met once. I was racing Ironman Coeur d’Alene in 2015. That year, the temperature got to 108F. It wasn’t pretty, at times it was downright miserable (and dangerous for some). At about mile 20 of the marathon (120 miles into the overall race), I walked through an aid station to hydrate and take in some nutrition. I was walking alongside a woman, where we joked about how we paid actual money to wear lycra outfits and suffer for 12+ hours in the Idaho summer heat.

I jokingly said “Where else would I be?”

She said, “Starting chemotherapy.”

“What?” I asked in surprise.

She mentioned that she was diagnosed with stomach cancer and was supposed to start chemotherapy the day of the race. She postponed her cancer treatment to race in one of the most grueling endurance events in the world. Shocked, impressed, and inspired, I told her “We’re getting you to that damn finish line.”

We jogged together for the last few miles. It was extremely difficult, but knowing that she had a much larger battle to face kept me moving forward. She eventually met some friends and family shortly before the finish line. We gave each other high fives and I carried on to finish the race. She came in a few minutes after I did. We were exhausted and beat up, I don’t even think I got her name. That was 10 years ago. I think about that race and what became of her often.

Its the random people that I meet that have a story greater than I can imagine, whom I admire the most. Everyone had a story, you just need to share some space with people to find out what drives them. I admire the people that don’t quit. The ones that share a Dixie cup full of flat cola with you on the surface of the sun and laugh at the thought they are still alive.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What will you regret not doing? 
I mentioned before my three core values: create, give back, seek adventure. I will regret living a life not worth living. Not doing the things that make life a beautiful and amazing journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/brockhaurd
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brockhaurd/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlastimosa/
• Twitter: https://x.com/brockhaurd/