In this episode of Dev to Dev – the podcast about everyday video game developers and why they do what they do every day – I speak with Chris Peters, former QA Lead.

Chris grew up in “Pencil Tucky,” a blue-collar corner of Pennsylvania, where gaming meant LAN battles with his dad and GameCube marathons with friends. A welder by trade, he never imagined a future in games until a friend’s connection opened the door to QA at a major AAA studio — a leap that completely reshaped his life.

Chris shares the culture shock of moving from welding shops to testing Elder Scrolls Online, and how QA became more than bug-hunting—it was a way to probe systems, break rules, and learn the craft of game-making. He speaks candidly about impostor syndrome, the challenge of leadership as an introvert, and how personal struggles became powerful motivators rather than setbacks.

Music also plays a big role in his story. Chris draws vivid parallels between arranging songs and designing levels, each built around flow, rhythm, and surprise. That connection fuels his ambition to move from QA into level design, bridging creativity with technical insight.

What shines through is Chris’s honesty: his reflections on fear, confidence, and resilience; how being an introvert shaped his leadership style; and how QA deepened his love of games rather than diminishing it. It’s a reminder that the industry is made up of people who often take unexpected routes, carrying their personal histories and struggles into the craft.

This is a funny, thoughtful, and deeply personal conversation about resilience, identity, and the creative spark that lives in unlikely places.

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Find Chris at:

• Christopher Peters | LinkedIn

• https://sites.google.com/view/chrispetersleveldesign/home

• Instagram: @camohand

• Bluesky: camohand.bsky.social