Game Director · Bladework Games

HughShelton

Two decades of designing heroes, classes, systems and teams. Game Director on Marked for Mayhem. Previously Lead Hero Designer for Heroes of the Storm, Lead Class Designer for WildStar, Lead Game Designer for Titanfall: Assault, and Design Lead & Design Manager on Madden NFL.

01Now
Marked for Mayhem key art

Bladework Games · 2022 – Present

Marked for Mayhem

Competitive 4-player action dungeon runner. The mission is shared. The glory isn't.

I joined Bladework when we were 10 people. We’re now 40, and together we’ve built an original game that does something different by mixing competition with co-op.

As Game Director I support our CEO, who is also the creative lead and lead designer, and do whatever I can to help move the project forward, from prioritizing features and load balancing the team to building analytics dashboards and doing hands-on work in editor.

  • Joined at 10 people, now a team of 40
  • Game Director (Apr 2025 – Present)
  • Design Director (Apr 2022 – Apr 2025)
  • World premiere at the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct 2026
  • First public playtest in November 2026
  • Coming to Steam & the Epic Games Store in 2027

PressPC GamerGamesBeatMassively OP

World Premiere Trailer — PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct 2026
Official Developer Overview
Introducing Marked For Mayhem
02Selected work

Also

  • Golf Cart RangerLead Game Designer on Golf Cart Ranger (iPhone - Released November 5th, 2010).
  • Kingdoms of Amalur MMOCreated areas with bustling NPC populations, engaging quests, and immersive events. Also prototyped dungeon and boss encounters for this unreleased PC MMORPG.
  • Surface to Air MayhemTech Designer on Surface to Air Mayhem (iPhone).
  • 2D roguelite strategy gameJumped back into hands-on development by building a 1st playable version of an original 2D roguelite game. Along the way I picked up new knowledge in areas of project planning, programming, business, outsourcing, art, and general software development.
03In my words
This is a character that might allow some new team compositions to work. Teams that are built around that poke, that disengage … just wearing them down from staying further back.
Heroes of the StormJesse Cox, BlizzCon 2015 interview, Nov 2015 ↗
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04Career

Two decades of designing games

Started as a tech designer at n-Space in Orlando in 2007 and worked through systems, gameplay, content, class & hero design into leading and managing design teams. In 2021 I jumped back into hands-on development by building a 2D roguelite strategy game. Today I'm Game Director at Bladework Games.

Since
2007
Studios
8
Genres
MOBA · MMO · Sports · RTS · Action
Expertise
Gameplay Design · Systems Design · Technical Design · Combat Design · UX Design
Education
University of Central Florida, B.A. Digital Media
  1. 2022 – PresentRemote

    Bladework Games

    I joined Bladework when we were 10 people. We’re now 40, and together we’ve built an original game that does something different by mixing competition with co-op.

    As Game Director I support our CEO, who is also the creative lead and lead designer, and do whatever I can to help move the project forward, from prioritizing features and load balancing the team to building analytics dashboards and doing hands-on work in editor.

    • Game DirectorApr 2025 – Present

      Marked for Mayhem

    • Design DirectorApr 2022 – Apr 2025

      Marked for Mayhem

  2. 2021 – 2022United States

    Independent

    • Solo Game DeveloperAug 2021 – Apr 2022

      Built a 1st playable version of an original 2D roguelite game, picking up project planning, programming, business, outsourcing, art, and general software development

  3. 2017 – 2021Orlando, FL

    Electronic Arts

    • Associate Game Design Director (Creative Lead)Feb 2020 – Aug 2021

      EA Sports PGA Tour: Road to the Masters. Creative Lead crafting the vision, controlling design quality, and driving priorities for launching EA back into golf

    • Senior Game Designer (Design Lead & Manager)Dec 2017 – Feb 2020

      Madden NFL 19, 20 & 21. Designed audience-growing features, managed dozens of designers, and led multiple feature teams

  4. 2015 – 2017Orlando, FL

    Particle City

    • Senior Game Designer (Gameplay, Systems, Tech & Economy)Dec 2015 – Nov 2017

      Lead Game Designer, Titanfall: Assault. Hands-on design and balancing for an Apple Editor’s Choice free-to-play RTS

  5. 2014 – 2015Irvine, CA

    Blizzard Entertainment

    • Senior Game Designer (Systems & Gameplay)Sep 2014 – Dec 2015

      Lead Hero Designer, Heroes of the Storm. Led dozens of developers to create playable characters from concept to completion

  6. 2012 – 2014Orange County, CA

    Carbine Studios

    • Senior Game Designer (Systems & Gameplay)Jun 2012 – Sep 2014

      Lead Class Designer, WildStar. Led a 6 person team creating playable classes, abilities, and progression systems

  7. 2011 – 2012Providence, RI

    38 Studios

    • Game Designer (Tech & Content)Feb 2011 – May 2012

      Kingdoms of Amalur MMO (shelved). Created areas, quests and events, and prototyped dungeon and boss encounters

  8. 2007 – 2010Orlando, FL

    n-Space

    • Game Designer (Systems, Gameplay & Tech)Jul 2007 – Oct 2010

      Led all game design on Tron: Evolution – Battle Grids and Golf Cart Ranger; designed levels and encounters for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2; tech design on two shelved Wii titles

  9. 2008Orlando, FL

    Iron Square Mobile

    • Game Designer (Tech), contract2008

      Surface to Air Mayhem

05Contact

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