The Maestros is a fast-paced action-RTS set in a whimsical fantasy world where armies of transforming minions clash in chaotic, punchy skirmishes. Developed at USC Games with a team of 40+ cross-disciplinary students, it eventually released on Steam and I'm proud to have been part of it.
My role
I joined as a Network Gameplay Programmer, working on systems to support multiplayer combat in an RTS environment. Later, I transitioned to Gameplay Programmer, taking on more design-adjacent tasks.
Some of the features I contributed to:
- Fog of War system for dynamic visibility and stealth
- Multiplayer Team Logic and match-based state management
- Spectator Mode for casting, replays, and playtests
- Tons of gameplay polish, testing, and support across systems
Why it mattered
Working on The Maestros was my first time contributing to a large-scale game that actually shipped. It taught me how to work in a big collaborative environment, adapt to changing team structures, and own systems that real players would use in live matches.
It was also a ton of fun — watching people play and yell and cheer at events made all the grind totally worth it.