GDC 2025 talk preview: Justin van Oort on blending game development with teaching

Can you share a bit about your journey leading up to BUas? 

Justin: ‘I’m actually a BUas alumnus—I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in 2020. After that, I joined Sumo Digital in Sheffield, where I worked for a couple of years. During that time, I also participated in the Unreal Guild at BUas remotely. Eventually, I took on my own projects as a freelancer, and after two years at Sumo, I was invited to become an instructor for the Unreal Guild at BUas.’ 

‘That role led to an opportunity to teach first-year students, which I really enjoyed. However, I wanted to gain more experience in the industry before fully committing to teaching. I then worked at Mojang Studios in Stockholm on Minecraft, before moving to Vertigo Games, where I collaborated with fellow BUas alumnus Pepijn van Duijn. We worked on Arizona Sunshine 2 and other unreleased projects.’ 

‘In addition to studio work, I freelanced for a company in Finland and pursued my own game projects. Last year, Chris Rothwell invited me back to teach in year three at BUas. By that time, I had gained significant industry experience, which I now bring into my teaching. I eventually stopped freelancing and, in December 2023, launched my own company, Showhow Games. Teaching and working on my own project help me keep my skills sharp, and I integrate those learnings into my lessons. That experience led me to propose a talk for GDC’s Education Summit, which was accepted!’ 

‘I currently teach third-year students in Creative Media and Game Technologies, and this is my third year as a lecturer. I also continue to run the Unreal Guild and maintain close contact with Epic Games to stay updated on new features and tools.’ 

What’s your talk at GDC going to be about? 

Justin: ‘On 18th March, I will be speaking at the Unreal Education Summit at GDC in San Francisco. My talk, “Staying Sharp: Concrete Steps for Blending Game Development with Teaching,” focuses on the importance of continuing to develop your game creation skills while teaching. I will share insights from my personal project “Heist Haven,” that have helped me stay up to date and improve my teaching.’ 

Can you tell us more about Heist Haven? 

Justin: ‘Heist Haven is an open-world, online co-op heist FPS. Players can take on the role of bank robbers or law enforcement, creating dynamic and strategic gameplay scenarios. Beyond its commercial potential, the project serves as an excellent case study for Unreal Engine techniques and examples that I can bring into the classroom.’ 

Steam link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2334410/Heist_Haven/

What are the benefits of a personal project for self-development? 

Justin: ‘A lot of your time teaching game development is spent on lesson preparation and student support. That is why maintaining a personal project is so valuable—it keeps you engaged with the craft and deepens your understanding of real-world development challenges.’ 

‘Working on your own projects while teaching offers several key advantages. Staying engaged with development ensures that your technical skills remain sharp, while also providing real-world examples that enhance student learning. Facing development hurdles firsthand gives you a deeper understanding of industry challenges, making you a more effective mentor. Additionally, personal projects offer the freedom to innovate outside of traditional industry constraints, allowing for creative experimentation. Most importantly, staying actively involved in game development keeps your passion alive and fuels your motivation as both a teacher and a developer.’ 

Meet up with Justin at GDC! 

Justin will be at GDC all week and would love to connect with fellow educators and game developers. If you are interested in discussing teaching at BUas or just want to chat about game development, don’t hesitate to reach out! 

Connect with Justin via LinkedIn or check out his website: Somehow Games