I make games run
blazingly fast

Senior Performance Engineer and educator helping developers break into game development, optimize their games, and ship successful projects through strategic mentorship and technical expertise.

View My Work Let's Work Together
Lukas Gustafson
10+ Years Experience
FPS
Load Time
Stability
MTBC

Core Engineering Pillars

Two fundamental areas where performance engineering creates the most impact for game development teams.

Runtime Efficiency

Performance + Memory Management

The engine's ability to execute within strict hardware constraints. Ensuring your game runs at target specs, at scale, on fixed hardware.

CPU/GPU Performance

Frame time determinism and rendering optimization

Memory Strategy

Allocation strategies and fragmentation control

Streaming Systems

Streaming-aware memory usage and asset loading

Cache Efficiency

Memory bandwidth optimization and data locality

Core Question: Can the engine run the game at target specs, at scale, on fixed hardware?

Operational Robustness

Stability + Reliability + Debuggability

The engine's ability to behave predictably and be supportable in production. Building systems you can trust and efficiently diagnose when issues arise.

Crash Resistance

Deterministic behavior and long-session stability

Validation Systems

Assertion frameworks and runtime validation

Diagnostics

Telemetry, logging, and tracing infrastructure

Debug Workflows

Reproducible debugging and error analysis

Core Question: Can we trust the engine in production and efficiently diagnose failures?

Cross-Platform Excellence

Performance optimization across the platforms that matter most to your game's success.

Console Platforms

PlayStation

Performance optimization and memory management

Xbox

Frame rate optimization and system integration

Nintendo Switch

Hardware constraint optimization

PC & Server Platforms

Windows PC

Hardware scaling and driver optimization

Linux Servers

Server optimization and deployment scaling

Performance Parity

Consistent gameplay experience across different platforms and hardware configurations.

Porting & Migration

Efficient strategies for moving games between platforms while maintaining performance.

Multi-Platform Testing

Performance validation and regression testing across target platforms.

Selected Work

Real projects, measurable results. Here's how I've helped teams ship optimized games across platforms and engines.

March of Giants
Performance & Stability

March of Giants - Closed Alpha

Performance engineering and stability improvements for March of Giants on Windows PC, implementing targeted optimizations to achieve consistent frame rates and crash-free gameplay.

Windows PC Platform optimized
Stability Crash-free achieved
Frame Rate Optimization Stability Engineering Windows PC
Assassin's Creed Shadows Rainbow Six Siege
Engine Development

Anvil Pipeline - Engine Core

Core performance engineering on Ubisoft's Anvil Pipeline engine, focusing on multi-platform stability and performance systems that power AAA titles including Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six franchises.

2 AAA Franchises supported
Multi-platform Engine architecture
Anvil Pipeline Engine Core Multi-Platform
Unity Engine Development
Engine Core Development

Unity Engine - Audio & Video Systems

Core performance engineering on Unity Engine's audio and video systems across 11 release cycles, ensuring multi-platform compatibility and performance optimization for millions of developers worldwide.

11 Cycles Release contributions
Global Impact Millions of developers
Unity Engine Audio & Video Multi-Platform
Thief of Thieves
Nintendo Switch Port

Thief of Thieves - Nintendo Switch

Lead AI Programmer for the Nintendo Switch port of Thief of Thieves, optimizing AI systems and performance for handheld and docked performance modes while maintaining gameplay quality.

Lead AI Programming role
Dual Mode Handheld & docked
Nintendo Switch AI Programming Performance Modes

BreakIntoGameDev

Coming Soon: A comprehensive platform to empower the next generation of game developers through education and mentorship.

Break the Barriers; Enter the Industry

I'm developing BreakIntoGameDev to bridge the gap between aspiring developers and the game industry. The platform will provide structured pathways for newcomers, career changers, and those seeking specialization.

  • Planned: Industry Entry Track - Comprehensive curriculum designed for newcomers to break into game development
  • Planned: Career Transition Path - Specialized guidance for professionals moving into game development
  • Planned: Custom Engine Development - Build engines from scratch to understand core systems

The platform will offer hands-on projects, industry mentorship, and specialized training paths designed to deliver real results for aspiring game developers.

  • Planned: Specialization Tracks - Deep-dive training for physics programming, engine development, and technical roles
  • Planned: Portfolio Projects - Industry-ready projects that demonstrate professional-level skills
  • Planned: Mentorship Network - Direct access to industry professionals and career guidance
Coming Soon - Stay Tuned

Additional Training & Mentorship

Beyond BreakIntoGameDev, I offer specialized training programs for teams and individuals looking to master advanced game engine and performance engineering concepts.

Team Training Workshops

Intensive workshops covering performance profiling, optimization techniques, and engine architecture best practices.

  • Custom curriculum based on your tech stack
  • Hands-on profiling and optimization exercises
  • Team-specific performance challenges

Individual Mentorship

One-on-one mentoring for engineers looking to advance their performance engineering and engine development skills.

  • Personalized learning path
  • Code reviews and architecture guidance
  • Career development in performance engineering

Specialized Topic Training

Deep-dive sessions on specific performance engineering topics tailored to your project's immediate needs.

  • Memory optimization strategies
  • Multi-platform performance tuning
  • Rendering pipeline optimization

Partnership Models

Strategic engagements designed around your project's critical performance milestones and technical challenges.

Ready to ship faster?

Let's talk about your performance challenges. I'll help you identify the biggest wins and create a plan that fits your timeline.

Available for new projects
Typical response within 24 hours
Remote-first, global availability