Sean Korzeniewski
Game Designer, Austin TX. 5 Years Experience in AAA console games.
Overviews - Shipped Games
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Title :
Senior DesignerRoles :
Cinematic Camera design and implementation for new and exciting modes such as NBA2K Virtual Rivals.Lead and organized playtesting efforts for Virtual Rivals mode on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Sole Designer for Live events on NBA2K24 for Xbox Series and PlayStation 5. Fully designed events such as the “Become a Pro Series”, “Era Challenge”, “Poseidon’s Reef”, “Rumble on the Cay” and other unreleased events.
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Title :
Senior DesignerRole :
Lead the Live-Ops design team to design novel, compelling game modes for NBA2K24. Game modes included, “Power-Up”, “Onslaught”, “Badge Hunter”, “Wizard’s Duel” and “Serving Greens”.Subject matter expert on design and implementation of cinematic camerawork for the critically successful “Jordan Challenge” game mode.
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Title :
Senior DesignerRole :
Assisted with meeting strict release deadlines by debugging and implementing fixes for the “Create a Superstar” system.Scroll down for more information on the project details.
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Title :
DesignerRole :
Cinematic camera design and implementation for all game modes within NBA2K22 on Xbox X and PS4.Assisted with designing new and exciting gameplay for Live-Ops events. New game modes included Fire and Ice, Sink or Swim, Big Top, and Vacation Days.
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Title :
DesignerRole :
Utilized robust and custom script tool for use in dynamic gameplay presentation effects. Including cinematic camera creation, implementation and debugging for NBA2K21 on PC, XB1 and PS4. -
Title :
DesignerRole :
Cinematic Camera creation, implementation and debugging for Live Broadcast ESport, 2KLeague.Scroll down for more information on the project details.
NBA2K24 XBX/PS5
Event 1. Rumble on the Cay
Description :
Rumble on the Cay is a multiplayer event in NBA2K for PS5 and Xbox X. Rumble incorporates some variant rules to mix up the typical 2K gameplay. Games can end early via a ‘Skunk’ or ‘Mercy’ rule. If a team is outscoring the other by a large margin the game immediately ends. In addition, teams receive boosted attributes based on the score differential. This facilitates dynamic swings in gameplay moments near the end of tight games.
My Title :
Senior Designer
My Role :
I was the sole designer on this particular event. Ideation was a collaborative effort based on previous ideas from my design tea. I pitched the overview and fully designed the systems and features through iteration and feedback.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following link showcases gameplay from members of the community.
2K24 Event 2. ERA Challenge
Description :
The Era Challenge is a Live Event in which Users team up to take down some of the toughest, most legendary players from Basketball history. Users face-off against computer controlled opponents that have been hand-picked for their noteworthy skills and abilities. Only available on XBX and PS5.
My Title :
Senior Designer
My Role :
I was the sole designer on this particular event. I re-imagined the concept for the mode based on a previous idea created by my design team on the previous gen product, pitched the overview and fully designed the systems and features through iteration and feedback. I also designed and implemented cinematic camera work for before and after gameplay takes place.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following is a link to a community member playing through the game mode.
2K24 Event 3. Become a Pro Series
Description :
The Become a Pro Series is a hyper competitive event in which players compete for a spot on the draft roster for the 2KLeague Esports team. Only available on XBX and PS5.
My Title :
Senior Designer
My Role :
I was the sole designer on this particular re-release of the event. I worked with the rest of the events team to design new scoring features and leaderboard tracking that would elevate the level of play seen in this event. This was necessary as winners of this event would go on to become draft eligible for Esports teams. It was imperative that we design leaderboard tracking in a way that only the best of the best (by League standards) would end up winning the event.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following is a link to a community member playing through the game mode.
2K24 Event 4. Poseidon’s Reef
Description :
Poseidon’s Reef is an online mode where users compete against each other to earn the highest win streaks possible. This particular event was a re-design of a previously released event that had numerous technical issues at launch. Following a quick redesign, the release of Poseidon’s Reef went smoothly and has since become a fan favorite event.
My Title :
Senior Designer
My Role :
I was the sole designer on this redesign. My approach towards addressing some of the design issues from the previous iteration was straightforward- get users interested in playing together, as a team, so that they can not only win matches, but also win the event. The simple solution is to count win-streaks as the primary scoring metric. This enforces teamwork oriented behavior because users are being graded on a team basis for leaderboard qualification.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following is a link to a community member playing through the game mode.
WWE2K23 XBX/PS5
Feature 1. Create a Superstar
Description :
Create a Superstar is the character creation system present within WWE2K. Within the character creator there are an enormous amount of clothing options, from hats, to gloves, to boots, to jackets, and all manner of layering garments and props as well. One of the difficult aspects of having such a complex and creative system is the explosion of interactions that emerge from the multitude of combinatorics.
My Title :
Senior Designer
My Role :
I worked with a team of other designers to identify item interaction issues in the create a superstar system, log those issues in data and restrict combinations that would break the game due to conflicting geometry. This was a laborious task requiring an eye for small details and constant attention to what would be best for the player, without appearing to be an unfinished product.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following is a link running through some of the features contained within the Create a Superstar system.
NBA2K23 XB1/PS4/NS
Feature 1. Jordan Challenge
Description :
The Jordan Challenge is a re-design of a fan favorite game mode from NBA2K11. It was brought back for 2K23 due to Jordan’s number being the same as the yearly release. The Jordan Challenge for 2K23 was favorably reviewed and helped earn the title a nomination for Sports Game of the year at the Game Awards.
Players engage in pre-constructed challenges that highlight key moments from Michael Jordan’s storied career. Players must enact Jordan’s specific accolades for each game, playing as Michael Jordan and completing the same feats that he did. Players earn stars based on their performance in the game mode, and receive rewards based on accumulation of stars.
My Title :
Senior Designer
My Role :
I worked to provide scripting support for creating custom cameras and presentation effects. Many key issues with in-game script actions were solved by me and my personal experience and knowledge of the scripting tools used on the project. The game mode presents many different aspects of gameplay that were not present in previous releases, as such a lot of new features had to be implemented. I was a key resource in the process for getting this game mode to release.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following is a link to a community member playing through the game mode.
Feature 2. 2K Virtual Rivals
Description :
2K Rivals is a game mode where users play against hand crafted AI Basketball players as part of a narrative questline. Users earn rewards for completing specific basketball goals until ultimately the questline leads to a ‘Boss Fight’ with a Virtual Rival. Each Rival played differently and challenged users to change up their approach each time they went into one of these matches.
My Title :
Senior Designer
My Role :
I was a supporting designer on the 2K Rivals mode, helping to solidify presentation effects and custom cameras in the multiplayer hub and boss arena.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following is a link to a community member playing through the game mode.
Event 1. Power Up
Description :
Power Up is an online PVP matchmaking event where a subset of players get ‘Powered Up’ every quarter period of gameplay. This was immediately enjoyed by the userbase and has become a fan favorite, so much so that it was redesigned for next gen consoles with improvements.
My Title :
Designer
My Role :
I was the Lead Designer on this event mode, my team consisted of two other direct report designers. We collaborated together in order to plan out playtests, gather data and iterate on what level of player character boosting was most effective for enjoyment. We also worked to incorporate cinematic effects into the pre and post game sequences.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following are links to YouTubers playing through the event.
Event 2. Badge Hunter
Description :
Badge Hunter is an event that rewards users with a specific type of experience that is used to purchase ‘badges’, badges function like perks, or additional passive abilities. Badge Hunter rewards users for playing during the event with Badge Progress multipliers in specific attribute categories such as Defense, Shooting, Playmaking and Finishing. This is a fan favorite event considering it offers a way for users to earn Badge Points in a more efficient way than was previously present in game. We also designed and integrated a leaderboard scoring system for competitive players who wanted to see who could earn the most badge points during this event.
My Title :
Designer
My Role :
I was the Lead Designer on this event mode, my team consisted of two other direct report designers. We collaborated together in order to plan out playtests, gather data and iterate on what level of player rewarding was appropriate for this event. We went through iteration, pitch and development to see this event come to life.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following are links to YouTubers playing through the event.
Event 3. Serving Greens
Description :
Serving Greens is a multiplayer community focused event where users work together to accumulate as many “Green” shots as they can before the event ends. Participating users earn prizes based on their individual contribution to the community score.
My Title :
Designer
My Role :
I was the Lead Designer on this event mode, my team consisted of two other direct report designers. We collaborated together in order to plan out playtests, gather data and iterate on what level of player rewarding was appropriate for this event. We went through iteration, pitch and development to see this event come to life.
Event 4. Onslaught
Description :
Onslaught is a multiplayer PVE event where users face off against increasingly difficult waves of basketball players. Teams must work together in order to reach the highest possible score they can during the match. Matches end early if too many turnovers occur. Leaderboard prizes available for users who reached the highest waves during the event.
My Title :
Senior Designer
My Role :
I was the Lead Designer on this event mode, my team consisted of two other direct report designers. We collaborated together in order to plan out playtests, gather data and iterate on what level of player rewarding was appropriate for this event. We went through iteration, pitch and development as a team to see this event come to life.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following are links to YouTubers playing through the event.
Event 5. Wizard’s Duel
Description :
Wizard’s Duel is a PVP event in NBA2K for the PS4 and Xbox 1. Wizard’s Duel gave users the opportunity to grab in-game boosts and use them at their behest during gameplay. This even gave users a new level of strategic decision making in game that had never been seen before in NBA2K. Different types of magical runes spawn on the court, each one granting a set of different abilities and powers. Rune powers are temporary, and more can be acquired and used throughout the game. Rune powers also increase in strength and availability as the game nears it’s end, facilitating intense clutch-time gameplay.
My Title :
Designer
My Role :
I was the Lead Designer on this event mode, my team consisted of two other direct report designers. We collaborated together in order to plan out playtests, gather data and iterate on what level of player rewarding was appropriate for this event. We went through iteration, pitch and development as a team to see this event come to life.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following are links to YouTubers playing through the event.
NBA2K22 XB1/PS4/NS
Event 1. Fire and Ice
Description :
Fire and Ice is a PVP online Matchmaking event for NBA2K on PS4 and Xbox 1. Fire and Ice gave users immediate ‘Takeover’ which boosted their players attributes and abilities. Catch being that once they score, their takeover immediately goes away and they are put into the ‘Cold’ state which lowers their attributes and abilities.
My Title :
Designer
My Role :
I assisted the Live Ops development team in getting this event live through testing, tuning and cinematic development.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following are links to YouTubers playing through the event.
Event 2. Sink or Swim
Description :
Sink or Swim is a 5v5 competitive multiplayer event where users must got undefeated in order to win the top prize. Implementing this event was difficult as it included mechanics for removing users from the matchmaking pool so that they would effectively be eliminated from the tournament style gameplay.
My Title :
Designer
My Role :
Sink or Swim was designed by another Visual Concepts studio, our team at VCA worked to implement the feature into NBA2K22 for the Xbox 1 and PS4. I helped with the construction of presentation cameras, debugging said cameras, and coaching other designers through the camera creation process.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following link showcases gameplay from a member of the community.