About Killer Instinct: Anniversary Edition

Killer Instinct is a 2.5D fighting game centered around performing large combos on opponents. Killer Instinct was originally released in 2013 as a launch title for the Xbox One. The Anniversary Edition of Killer Instinct, released in 2023, includes a gameplay update, improved matchmaking, and improved support for the Xbox Series X.

Technical Details

  • Interned on the project for 2 months (total development cycle was 9 months)

  • 15 developers on the Anniversary Edition (original game had 100+ developers)

  • Hex Engine (propriety engine made by Double Helix Games), C++, Actionscript, and Lua

Postmortem

My Responsibilities

  • Rearchitect various multiplayer and platform-level systems to use the Microsoft GDK and Playfab APIs.

  • Debug various issues across multiple platforms in C++, Lua, and Adobe ActionScript

  • Deploy, test, and debug the game on Xbox One and Xbox Series X devkits

Lessons Learned

  • Use Visual Assist and other codebase search tools to understand how systems interact

  • Spend time reading systems and building a plan before starting to code

  • Utilize in-person teammates and cross-studio group chat to strategize on the best solutions