2026-08-14 · paper-digest
Randelshofer et al.: Fifteen UX Leaders in AAA Studios on Pre-Production Decisions — Fukai Reads
A qualitative study by Ivana Randelshofer (Ubisoft Düsseldorf) and colleagues at the University of Waterloo HCI Games Group and elsewhere. Semi-structured interviews with 15 senior UX leaders from AAA studios (Blizzard, EA DICE, Guerrilla, Larian, Remedy, Ubisoft, and others) analysed with reflexive thematic analysis. Findings: pre-production decisions blend theory, experience and instinct; cross-functional structures (strike teams, competency teams) align player needs with production constraints; academic frameworks work best as discussion starters, not prescriptions. arXiv preprint posted August 2026, not peer reviewed. A rare look at what game production actually feels like from the UX side.
