AAA RACING FRANCHISE
PROJECT OVERVIEW
PROJECT TYPE
AAA Racing Game PC & Xbox
CLIENT
Confidential
DISCIPLINES
Co-development · Engineering · Tools
TIMELINE
2019-2023
THE BRIEF
Members of our core team played a key role in modernizing quality engineering and automation systems for a globally recognized AAA racing franchise developed by a major first-party platform studio.
The project required scaling test automation, improving CI/CD efficiency, and reducing release risk across a complex, high-fidelity production environment. The title was developed using a proprietary engine and launched globally to strong critical reception.
Attribution note (important): This case study describes the experience of our senior technical leaderhip while embedded within a major AAA racing franchise developed by a first-party platform studio, delivered through a multi-year co-development partnership. No endorsement or partnership is implied. No confidential or proprietary information has been disclosed.
OUR ROLE
Summary: The team led by our CTO started by rebuilding a reliable CI/CD foundation for an ambitious sequel, then scaling into embedded co-development and artist-facing tools.
It began by leading a small, specialized test automation team to revive an abandoned automation pipeline. Over time, the partnership expanded significantly, and it transitioned into broader technical leadership across multiple core tech sub-teams, while remaining hands-on leading Tools work that supported the content creation pipeline.
Responsibilities included:
- Transformation of predominantly manual QA workflows into scalable automated testing frameworks.
- Designed and implemented structured test tiers (pre-submission, nightly validation, milestone stabilization).
- Improved CI/CD reliability and reduced build verification turnaround time.
- Introduced telemetry-driven diagnostics to increase defect detection efficiency.
- Collaborated cross-discipline with engineering, production, and release management teams.
- Scaled the automation function from a small embedded unit into a structured, multi-disciplinary capability.
THE CHALLENGE
The initial mandate focused on rebuilding a production-ready automated testing framework integrated into the studio’s proprietary engine and build pipeline.
A developer task force was formed to design, build, and operationalize the system.
The goal was broad coverage across major game systems: Gameplay, Multiplayer, Online Services & UI.
1
Proprietary engine required rapid mastery of complex internal systems and workflows.
2
Artist tools integrated with both proprietary internal tools and industry-standard DCC applications.
3
Work spanned several programming languages across engine, tools, and automation.
4
The partnership spanned multiple stages, including pre-production, production, and live operations.
Tests were designed to run at multiple stages of the CI/CD pipeline depending on cost and runtime complexity:
Pre-submission
Fast validation gates enabling early regression detection before code submission.
Continuous validation (“gauntlet”)
Expanded coverage validating new changes through ongoing automated execution.
Nightly builds
Long-running automated tests validating complex end-to-end scenarios.
Where applicable, tests implemented “golden path” player flows that simulated real user journeys, such as:
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vehicle customization flows
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decal and livery editing
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gameplay validation through automated on-track scenarios
Execution varied by test type.
Some tests ran headless, while others drove automated interactions within a running game instance on build machines.
Failures were instrumented with telemetry to provide rapid insight into failure location and probable cause.
PHASE 2 - EXTENDED CO-DEV
The success of the initial phase of work resulted in the engagement expanding into a multi-year embedded co-development partnership.
What began as a small automation team grew into a large cross-disciplinary group.
The operating model evolved to full integration with the client studio:
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Engineers embedded directly into internal feature teams
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Participation in sprint planning and daily development syncs
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Code reviews conducted through the studio’s source control workflows
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Adherence to internal engineering standards and development practices
Over time, the co-development team gained increasing ownership of key systems within the codebase, driven by consistent delivery quality and strong technical collaboration.
OUTCOME & IMPACT
Across a multi-year engagement, our core leadership helped support the development of a major AAA racing franchise by:
Reviving an abandoned automated testing pipeline and rebuilding it into a CI/CD-integrated test framework
Scaling delivery from a small pilot team into a large embedded co-development partnership
Providing technical leadership across multiple core technology domains
Delivering artist-facing tooling supporting large-scale procedural content workflows
Establishing a scalable engineering culture built on strong code review and onboarding systems
