"Make yourself undeniable" ⏐ Black Voices Progress Report
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This interview is part of GamesIndustry.biz's Black Voices Progress Report, offering insight into the different experiences Black professionals have in the games sector. You can read more about the project and check the other entries on this page.
It's no small feat to stay in the industry for 14 years, especially not as a Black developer but Del Walker, currently senior artist at Naughty Dog, has achieved it, building an impressive resume that includes work at studios such as Creative Assembly and RockSteady along the way.
Immediately at the beginning of the conversation with Gamesindustry.biz, Walker makes it clear that he's been just as affected by issues Black developers in the industry face as any of his peers, but that his standing and experience in the industry, along with the fact that he's a man, now mean he's in that situation far removed from that of many of his Black peers, particularly women.
Walker entered the gaming industry in 2010, having switched specialisations from graphic design to game art at De Montfort University.
"I have made it my business to brand myself as good at my job, not a Black person in this industry"
"I initially studied graphic design, and I transitioned to a course that would be called Game Arts. I didn't really understand exactly what it was, but I understood that it was linked to entertainment and games and I was good at art," Walker says.
Eventually, it was early mentorship by an artist working at now-defunct Tony Hawk's developer Neversoft that provided a career direction for Walker.
"I met this gay artist who taught himself 3D programs, and I guess he saw something in me and we shared an affinity, because as a gay man and a Black man we both probably weren't exactly the poster image for the kind of people who make your games."
Networking opportunities weren't as easily accessible in 2010 as they are now, with social media and smartphone ownership still in
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