Harrison Evans

Please tell us about your role with Rockstar, and what a typical day looks like for you?

My role with Rockstar is honestly like a dream come true as I, along with the other members of the team, essentially try to ensure our projects are of the highest quality attainable by the time of release and throughout development. We go through our allocated test plans, testing the builds as they come in and ensure the content/features within are working as intended and the builds are in the best place they can be, we also give critical analysis and feedback to the teams in regards to the general quality of the game.

QA is involved from some of the earliest stages of development and our priorities shift as the development progresses through certain milestones and landmarks. Out of all of the development team, we are the ones who spend the most time in-game, so finding and accurately reporting issues, tackling revision, and testing implemented fixes are all major parts of our role, all to ensure that the builds are the healthiest they can be throughout each stage of development.

How do you feel your studies at Solent helped prepare you for your career?

Well, not only do I believe that having this degree helped me land my current role, my studies at Solent also did wonders to help prepare me for my career at Rockstar. From learning about real-time rendering pipelines, asset and environment creation, to FX work and characters. Almost everything I learned at Solent has helped inform my understanding of these topics, and has provided the basis of what technical skills and knowledge I would need for this role. The course is just tailor-made to learn about the foundations of multiple disciplines within these industries, and it's proven invaluable.

What advice would you give to future students wanting to follow in your footsteps?

To never give up on your goals, getting rejected over and over is a completely normal part of the process, especially when you're just starting and you're fresh out of University and trying to break in to the industry. It took me nearly a year to even land my first interview with a studio, every other place rejected me right out of the gate, until I applied to Rockstar, they gave me my first interview and they were willing to take a chance on me - never be afraid to apply for a studio that seems out of your reach.

You need to work incredibly hard and constantly improve in your chosen area, even after your studies are done, the industry is ridiculously competitive and fast-moving, so to get to, and remain at industry-standard is incredibly important if you want to enter the AAA scene.