After joining NetherRealm Studios (WB Games) as an intern straight out of college, Tony Smith has worked his way up to Lead Software Engineer of Gameplay Systems. He attributes much of his success to his passion for games and extracurriculars as a youth:

“The combination of organized sports and many hours of gaming has made me a competitive person,” says Tony. “So when I began working on Mortal Kombat, I took the time to learn about fighting games so I could better understand what players want in their games.”

Tony now develops tools and backend systems to assist designers in implementing characters’ moves and works with other engineers to support online gameplay.

“One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had at Warner Bros. Games was when we implemented rollback netcode into Mortal Kombat X,” Tony shares. “It was a challenging effort, but we succeeded in delivering a much improved online experience for players. We all learned a lot and it was one of the defining moments of my career.”

While Tony’s lifelong passion for games clearly sets the standard for his work ethic, his favorite part of working at Warner Bros. Games is collaborating with some of the industry's greatest talent.

“It is amazing to be able to work with other talented developers who are passionate about their work and trying to push the industry forward,” he says. “It is incredible to see what we can create when we are all working together.”