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Showing 7 essays · L02 Operator · Game DesignCLEAR ALL ✕
Under the Hood of Call of Duty’s Matchmaking System and MMR With Charlie Olson
· THEORY· GAME DESIGN

Under the Hood of Call of Duty’s Matchmaking System and MMR With Charlie Olson

Olson spills the beans on the original COD matchmaking rating (MMR) system that he authored, before hanging out his own shingle with colleagues in 2022

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis Ward
Thad Sasser Loves Learning, Smart Risk-taking, Fun, and MERICA, Part 1
· PROFILE· GAME DESIGN

Thad Sasser Loves Learning, Smart Risk-taking, Fun, and MERICA, Part 1

The vet FPS studio exec and current creative director of COD Warzone opens up about his break into gaming, why QA is a “great path for developers,” and skiing in Tribes

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Editorial DeskJUN 24, 2026
Mediating Irreconcilable Differences with Behavioral Game Economist Catalin Alexandru, Part 2
MEMBERS
· THEORY· GAME DESIGN

Mediating Irreconcilable Differences with Behavioral Game Economist Catalin Alexandru, Part 2

The consulting vet offers hot takes on what’s derailed Web3 gaming, SDT’s upsides, and the importance of bridging the gap between game design and production processes

L02 OperatorDESIGN +2
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardMAY 26, 2026
Navigating Irreconcilable Differences with Behavioral Game Economist Catalin Alexandru, Part 1
MEMBERS
· PROFILE· GAME DESIGN

Navigating Irreconcilable Differences with Behavioral Game Economist Catalin Alexandru, Part 1

He’s always surfing the next big, sexy, dangerous, and psychologically meaningful logarithmic or asymptotic curve

L02 OperatorDESIGN +2
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardMAY 15, 2026
GDC 2026: Riot Games’ Stone Librande on Game Design
MEMBERS
· FIELD NOTES· GAME DESIGN

GDC 2026: Riot Games’ Stone Librande on Game Design

The veteran designer helped lead workshop participants through two exercises that connected video game design elements to positive emotional and psychological outcomes for players.

L02 OperatorDESIGN
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardAPR 2, 2026
A Discussion With James Au, Author of Making a Metaverse That Matters
MEMBERS
· PROFILE· GAME DESIGN

A Discussion With James Au, Author of Making a Metaverse That Matters

The 20-year metaverse vet shares his thoughts on what's gone right and what's gone wrong relative to the Snow Crash vision

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +3
↳ 3 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardFEB 11, 2026
Nine Seconds to Fun
MEMBERS
· PROFILE· GAME DESIGN

Nine Seconds to Fun

Mark Otero built Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes into a $1.4B mobile franchise by obsessing over one metric: time-to-fun. Tracing his path from a South Korean village to EA Capital Games reveals how personal obsession, financial modeling, and a camera-angle insight reshaped the collectibles RPG genre.

L02 OperatorDESIGN +2
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardDEC 29, 2025