Keeping Legacy Projects: Why Old Maps and Demos Can Win You a Job in Game Dev

Keep the old maps: How legacy projects can win you a job in game dev

Hook: You have months or years of old maps, demos, and half-finished game jams gathering dust — but recruiters and lead designers are still looking for the story behind them. In 2026, the smartest candidates turn legacy work into proof of growth, systems thinking, and hireability.

The bottom line up front

Don't delete or hide your legacy projects. Instead, curate them. With studios like Embark Studios publicly reminding players and creators to "not forget old maps" as new content arrives for Arc Raiders, level designers and generalists can use older assets to show iteration, resilience, and design judgment. A well-curated archive of legacy work — annotated, versioned, and packaged — often performs better in hiring pipelines than a single new flashy demo.

Why legacy projects matter in 2026

By 2026 hiring in game development favors evidence of sustained craft over one-off polish. Recruiters and studios face higher hiring volume, faster pipelines, and increasing use of AI-assisted screening tools. That amplifies two truths:

• Signal over novelty: Recruiters look for repeatable patterns of problem-solving — which legacy projects reveal.
• Context matters: Hiring teams want to see how you learned, not just the finished product. Version history and postmortems make learning visible.

Arc Raiders' 2026 roadmap conversations, where developers teased multiple new maps while urging the community not to forget earlier locales, highlight a larger industry pattern: long-running titles and teams increasingly value continuity. For candidates, that continuity is a chance to show domain expertise — especially in map design and systems-level thinking.

What hiring teams really want

When a recruiter or lead designer views a portfolio, they quickly ask:

• Can this person solve the problems we have now?
• Do they show clear decision-making and trade-offs?
• Are they coachable and able to iterate on feedback?

Legacy projects answer these in ways a shiny demo often can't. A map you iterated on for months shows how you react to playtests. A demo you shelved and later revisited demonstrates persistence. A version history with annotated commits shows discipline.

Lessons from Arc Raiders and the 'dont forget old maps' principle

Arc Raiders' conversation in early 2026 about balancing new and legacy maps is useful for candidates. Studios keep older content to preserve player knowledge, meta strategies, and level identity. For portfolio builders, older maps serve the same purpose: they demonstrate command of specific spaces and how those spaces evolved.

Dont forget the old maps — they show design lineage, player learning curves, and the kinds of trade-offs you make when space, sightlines, and encounters matter.

Translate that into portfolio language: old maps are artifacts of process. They document your capacity to design within constraints, react to community feedback, and maintain a systems-aware perspective.

Step-by-step: Curating legacy projects for recruiters

Below is a practical, repeatable workflow you can use this week to turn dusty files into hireable artifacts.

1. Audit and select

1. Gather everything in one place: old builds, screenshots, maps, code, spreadsheets, text docs, and playtest notes. Create a temporary folder labeled LegacyAudit_YEAR.
2. Use quick triage: keep projects that meet any of these criteria: introduced a novel mechanic, evidences iteration, had notable player feedback, or taught you an important lesson.
3. Discard low-value junk. If something is truly unrecoverable or legally problematic, note it and move on.

2. Distill the story — 3-slide case study format

Recruiters skim. Give them a compact narrative for each retained project:

• Problem: One sentence describing the design or technical challenge.
• Approach: Tools, constraints, and key decisions (engine, team size, timebox, constraints like memory or input).
• Outcome & learning: Results, what you changed, metrics if available, and what you would do next time.

Example for a map: "Problem: Players funneled into chokepoints leading to stale encounters. Approach: Introduced vertical bypass and alternate sightline blockers using low-cost assets. Outcome: Reduced choke incidents by qualitative playtest reports; learned that verticality needs clear signposting."

3. Document version history and decision points

Recruiters value evidence that you iterate. Create an accessible version history for each project:

• Chronological list of major builds with dates.
• Before/after screenshots or short clips showing the change.
• Annotated diffs or commit messages that explain why changes were made.

If you used Perforce, Git, or a drive folder with timestamps, include links (or screenshots) of those logs. If not, reconstruct the timeline using file metadata and your memory. Even a simple numbered list is powerful when paired with reasoning.

4. Produce micro-assets for fast consumption

Busy studios prefer bite-sized evidence. For each legacy project create:

• A 30-60 second showreel clip that highlights the problem and resolution.
• A 1-page PDF case study with the 3-slide narrative above.
• Playable micro-builds when possible (WebGL or itch.io exports). If the project is proprietary, create a stripped-down level that demonstrates the mechanic instead of sharing company assets.

5. Annotate for interview talking points

Make an 'interview notes' section with concise talking points you can use when asked. For each project, include:

• Three quick wins you achieved.
• One mistake and how you corrected it.
• Questions you would ask the hiring team related to the project (a sign of curiosity and fit).

6. Package the portfolio strategically

Organize your portfolio around problems you can solve, not chronological noise.

• Create a dedicated section labeled Legacy Projects: Curated Case Studies.
• Lead with the most relevant legacy case to the role you want. If applying for level design, open with a map evolution case study.
• Use thumbnails and timestamps. Recruiters often preview portfolios in 30 seconds — give them clear entry points.

7. Make it machine-friendly

In 2026 many pipelines use AI to surface candidates. Optimize for it:

• Include structured metadata: project year, role, engine, teammates, and topics like 'AI navigation', 'verticality', or 'cover systems'.
• Export PDFs with text (not images of text) so parsing works properly.
• Host video on platforms with stable thumbnails and captions.

Special guidance for map portfolios and showreels

Maps are spatial stories. When curating older maps, emphasize readability and change over time.

• Map portfolio structure: start with a node-level overview, then flow diagrams, then annotated screenshots.
• Showreel strategy: cut scenes to reveal before/after states, player paths, and encounter pacing. Use overlays to mark spawn points, chokepoints, and sightlines.
• Playable snippets: include a 2-3 minute playable slice that demonstrates AI behavior, navigation, and pacing.

These elements let a hiring lead evaluate your spatial reasoning within 90 seconds.

Project documentation and version history: the quiet powerhouses

Good documentation reduces perceived risk. It tells hiring teams that you'll be easy to onboard. For each legacy project include:

• Design notes and constraints documented at the time.
• Playtest feedback summaries and action lists.
• Major bug logs and how you prioritized fixes.

Showing how you used feedback and prioritized tasks signals that you can contribute to a production pipeline, not just make creative prototypes.

Handling legal and IP concerns

Many legacy projects were built at studios or during collaborations. Be careful and professional:

• Check your contract: some employers claim IP on work. If you cant share assets, create an anonymized rebuild that demonstrates the same mechanic without using proprietary content.
• Ask for permission when appropriate; some teams will allow sanitized showcases if you request them professionally.
• When in doubt, focus on design documentation, flow diagrams, and developer-focused explanations instead of raw assets.

Interview prep: using legacy work to tell your career story

Legacy projects are gold during interviews because they let you narrate growth. Use the following framework to structure answers in behavioral and technical interviews:

• Situation: Briefly set up the legacy project's original context and constraints.
• Task: Define your role and the objective at the time.
• Action: Describe the iterations, decisions, and trade-offs. Refer to version history artifacts you put in your portfolio.
• Result: Share measurable outcomes or qualitative lessons.

Keep an 'elevator postmortem' ready for each legacy project: 60 seconds that highlight growth, and a 3-minute deep-dive for technical interviews.

Advanced strategies and 2026 hiring trends

Look to late 2025 and early 2026 shifts to guide your curation:

• AI-assisted screening: Portfolios that include clear metadata and structured descriptions rank higher in automated triage.
• Remote-first teams: Show you can collaborate asynchronously — include Slack summaries, code reviews, or playtest write-ups to prove remote craftsmanship.
• Playable proof over paper claims: Where possible, include short playable slices hosted on itch.io, cloud builds, or WebGL. Recruiters increasingly treat playability as a top trust signal.
• Meta-compatibility: For mapping roles, show compatibility with modern engines and middleware — navmesh snapshots, modular asset usage, and performance budgets are valued.

By aligning legacy documentation with these trends, you increase the chance your work surfaces in 2026 hiring pipelines.

Quick checklist: Convert one legacy project in a weekend

1. Day 1 morning: Audit and pick one project.
2. Day 1 afternoon: Create 3-slide case study and 60-second showreel.
3. Day 2 morning: Build version history page and annotate key commits or changes.
4. Day 2 afternoon: Package a playable micro-build or sanitized prototype; add interview notes and metadata; upload to portfolio.

Real-world example (fictionalized but realistic)

Jane, a level designer, had five early maps from 2019-2021. She followed the steps above. For one map she reconstructed playtest notes and annotated a three-step iteration: initial funnel, added bypass, tuned sightlines. Her portfolio included a 40-second clip, a small WebGL playable slice, and a version history. In interviews she used the map to explain a decision-making pattern. She was offered a mid-level role at a studio that cited her documented iteration and playtest-first approach as decisive.

Actionable takeaways

• Keep and curate: Legacy projects are assets, not clutter.
• Document version history: Even approximate timelines help recruiters see your process.
• Package for speed: 60-second showreels and 1-page case studies are must-haves.
• Respect IP: Rebuild or sanitize proprietary work if necessary — the lesson is what matters.
• Optimize for 2026 pipelines: include structured metadata and playable slices to pass AI-assisted screenings.

Final thoughts: your past is a competitive advantage

As studios refresh live titles and add new content, they remain interested in the history that shaped those experiences. That context — the legacy maps, the decisions that made them work or fail — is exactly what hiring teams need to predict how you'll perform tomorrow. In short: keep the old maps, curate them with intention, and use them to tell a story recruiters can trust.

Call to action

Ready to turn your legacy folder into a career-boosting asset? Start with a single project this weekend. Export a 60-second showreel, write a concise 3-slide case study, and add a version timeline. Share it on your portfolio and link it in your next application — then tell us how it changed your interviews. If you want a template or a quick portfolio review, submit one project to our portfolio clinic and get actionable feedback focused on map portfolios, showreels, and career storytelling.

Related Reading

• Buying Guide: Weatherproofing Budget Smart Lamps and Speakers for Year-Round Outdoor Use
• Safety First: Building an Age-Compliant Content Strategy for Platforms with New Verification Tools
• The Ultimate Guide to Setting Up a Home Styling Studio on a Budget
• How to Choose the Right Hot-Water Bottle or Heat Pad for Kids and Teens
• Is Your Headset Vulnerable to WhisperPair? How to Check and Protect It Right Now