Life & Work with Sherry Fan of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherry Fan.

Hi Sherry, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After getting a computer science degree from National University of Singapore, I came to the U.S to attend graduate school at Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University where I got a lot of learnings and practice of the cross-disciplinary nature of game development. From there I got a game design internship at Electronic Arts which converted to a full time job in the game industry as a designer in the AAA First Person Shooter Genre. Today I work as a game designer on VALORANT at Riot Games.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Overall I was very lucky with the opportunities I encountered in my journey so far. Occasionally the struggles have been the balance between fitting into new cultures and finding my inner voice as a creative.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a game designer and game developer currently at Riot Games. I specialize in combat system and technical gameplay design. I’m known for designing gameplay within big IPs like battlefield and VALORANT.
I’m most proud of my abilities to develop creative solutions to difficult game design problems. I think what sets me apart is my unique blend of background in both tech (coding) and creative direction.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Definitely a lot of AI talk and influence right now even though there hasn’t been a real AI breakthrough in a creative gaming project yet but many AI tools are already very close to the development pipeline.
Another trend is the new dynamic between traditional big game companies (AAA) and indie studios or even individual creators.

Contact Info:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shesherryfan/