Microsoft & Xbox Game Studios
Three internships across PM, SWE, and TPM roles at Microsoft and Xbox Game Studios, spanning internal tooling redesigns, AI platform engineering, and audio pipeline development.
01Overview
Over three consecutive summers at Microsoft and Xbox Game Studios, I held three distinct roles: Program Manager, Software Engineer, and Technical Program Manager. Each internship built on the last, giving me a rare 360-degree view of how large-scale game development and internal tooling ships at one of the world's biggest tech companies.
02Problem
PM '25: The internal bug-filing platform used by 250+ testers across 20+ game titles was outdated, slow, and caused significant productivity loss. Testers were spending more time filing bugs than finding them.
SWE '24: Halo Studios needed autonomous AI agents that could simulate real player behavior for large-scale testing.
Explore '23: The audio team lacked integrated testing tools within Unreal Engine, forcing manual audio validation workflows that slowed the development pipeline.
03Solution
PM '25: Authored comprehensive specs and led the end-to-end technical redesign of the bug-filing platform, recovering an estimated 200+ hours/month in tester productivity.
SWE '24: Built the core B2B Utility AI platform in C++/C#, enabling autonomous player simulation that could navigate game worlds, make strategic decisions, and surface bugs that scripted tests missed.
Explore '23: Developed an Unreal Engine audio testing plugin and led sprint planning as TPM, coordinating between audio designers and engineers to ship the tool on schedule.
04Process
Each role required adapting to a different function while maintaining the same rigor. As a PM, I ran user interviews with testers and synthesized pain points into prioritized requirements. As a SWE, I dove deep into C++ game engine code and AI architecture. As a TPM, I coordinated across teams and managed the sprint cadence.
The common thread: understanding the user, reducing friction, and shipping on time.
05Outcomes
PM '25: Specs approved and in development; projected 200+ hours/month savings.
SWE '24: AI platform adopted by Halo Studios for ongoing autonomous testing.
Explore '23: Audio plugin shipped and integrated into the team's Unreal Engine workflow.
06Reflection
Three roles at one company taught me that great products come from empathy regardless of your title. Whether I was writing specs, shipping code, or running standups, the work that mattered most was understanding what the people using these tools actually needed.
The gaming industry moves fast and tolerates zero ambiguity. It trained me to be precise, to scope ruthlessly, and to always tie my work back to measurable outcomes.