I Delivered Real Game Dev Infrastructure Solo — Ubisoft’s Partner Program Said “Not Good Enough”

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I Built My Own Game Dev Platform — But RRC & Ubisoft Rejected It Without Explanation

1. Introduction

I’m Tyler Johnston‑Kent — a self-taught Indigenous developer, game designer, and technical builder. I recently applied to a formal game development program built in partnership between Ubisoft Winnipeg and Red River College.

The response?

“Your portfolio wasn’t strong enough.”

No breakdown. No criteria. No specific feedback. Just a rejection without substance.

Out of curiosity — and to understand what was considered strong — I reviewed the public graduate work from that very program. What I found wasn’t just surprising. It confirmed what many independent developers already know:

The system doesn’t reward innovation — it rewards familiarity.

2. What I Submitted

Everything I presented in my portfolio was built from scratch — no templates, no visual editors, no third‑party builders. Just raw code and execution.

  • A fully custom front‑end framework
  • Firebase backend with Firestore integration, real‑time logging, and analytics
  • Browser‑based JavaScript games and a Unity title with working builds
  • Hash‑based routing, modal UI systems, embedded media handling, bot detection logic
  • Cookie consent, accessibility awareness, and modular backend systems

This wasn’t a design portfolio — this was a fully functional product ecosystem that was live and running, built and deployed entirely by me.

3. What Was Publicly Accepted

I explored the RRC Game Art and Development graduate showcase, featuring projects like Hexpunk, developed by a student team in collaboration with Ubisoft Winnipeg.

Here’s what stood out:

  • The entire showcase is hosted on WordPress, built and managed by RRC’s internal web team — not by students.
  • Most portfolios link to GitHub — which is fine — but very few show full-stack systems, backend integrations, or self-hosted infrastructure.
  • The flagship project, Hexpunk, credits 16 graduates, backed by institutional support for development, design, and deployment.

By comparison, my portfolio was solo-built, fully deployed, and technically complete — from frontend logic to backend persistence. No scaffolding. No group effort. No school infrastructure.

I’m not saying I’m better than anyone.

But if it takes 16 graduates and a school’s internal dev team to ship one WordPress site, while I’m launching multi-game platforms alone…

we need to ask: What exactly are we rewarding in tech education right now?

4. The Feedback I Received

When I asked for specific feedback on my rejection, what I received was vague at best.

I directly asked:

“Did any other applicants submit Firebase‑integrated backends, or build full‑stack systems like mine?”

The answer I got from Tom Lepp was simply:

“They must have.”

No examples. No comparisons. No technical reasoning.

Later, Chris Brower, Chair and Director of the Game Dev program, offered a kind-sounding comment about how “hard it must be” to receive news like this.

The truth? It’s not hard because of hurt feelings. It’s hard because it doesn’t make any technical sense. For someone like me, who built every piece of infrastructure independently, it’s not disappointing — it’s confusing.

What’s more troubling: I heard from voices within the Winnipeg Game Collective that I shouldn’t speak about this experience publicly, because it might discourage others from applying.

But if an entire educational and business ecosystem is relying on silence and selective narrative to preserve its reputation — that should be examined, not protected. That deserves conversation, not concealment.

I also have recorded audio of Tom Lepp attempting to justify my rejection without any clear technical reason. I was simply told I didn’t “measure up.” That’s not feedback — that’s dismissal.

And frankly, it’s disappointing they didn’t expect I’d document it, question them, or hold them accountable.

They’re not used to someone like me asking to see the criteria — and bringing receipts.

5. Why This Matters — and Why Ubisoft Is Involved

Red River College’s Game Development – Programming program was created in partnership with Ubisoft Winnipeg to build a direct talent pipeline. As a result, several RRC grads have been hired into Ubisoft roles.

This wasn’t just a school decision — it was an industry-endorsed pathway.

So here’s the issue:

  • The official showcase is a WordPress site built by RRC’s internal web team, not students.
  • The Hexpunk project required 16 graduates and institutional resources.
  • Most portfolios are simple GitHub links, lacking full-stack or backend systems.

Meanwhile? I built everything myself — front-end, Firebase backend, real-time tracking, modal systems, deployed games. No templates. No teams. No institutional support.

When I asked the program leads — Tom Lepp and Chris Brower — why my work wasn’t strong enough, I received vague responses like “They must have submitted something similar.” But given what’s publicly visible, that just doesn’t add up.

This isn’t about ego. It’s about how industry-embedded educational systems are failing to recognize real independent skill — especially from Indigenous and self-taught developers.

6. Why Ubisoft’s History Makes This Especially Problematic

Ubisoft’s involvement makes this more than a school issue.

They’ve faced major issues:

  • Widespread sexual misconduct and abuse allegations (2020+)
  • Cover-ups involving senior leadership, including then-CEO Yves Guillemot
  • Failure to reform toxic publisher culture, even after worker protests

In response, they made public DEI promises — mentoring programs, DEI teams, partnerships with schools like RRC.

But my experience says otherwise:

  • I’m an Indigenous, self-taught developer with functioning infrastructure and live games.
  • I was rejected with no clear reasoning, while group-based, institutional, low-backend projects were elevated.
  • People warned me to stay silent because speaking out might “look bad.”

That’s performative selection in action:

  1. Diverse applicants encouraged
  2. No real effort to evaluate
  3. Rejections handed out privately
  4. Only “comfortable” candidates selected

Even under Ubisoft’s watch, internal systems and DEI commitments aren’t protecting creators — particularly not independent, self-taught ones.

For more context, read Fast Company’s piece on Ubisoft’s anti-DEI backlash:

👉 https://www.fastcompany.com/91198344/ubisoft-anti-dei-backlash-video-game-maker-assassins-creed

7. A Call to Action — This Shouldn’t Be Hidden

What happened here isn’t just a rejection. It’s how gatekeeping systems defend mediocrity while shutting out real talent.

I was told I didn’t “measure up,” but the evidence shows otherwise.

It wasn’t that I lacked skill —

It’s that my skill didn’t fit the template.

When I asked questions? I was told to stay silent — to avoid “discouraging” others. That’s not transparency. That’s damage control.

🔥 Here’s What I’m Asking:

  • If you’re building independently, don’t assume rejection means failure. It might just mean “wrong template.”
  • If you’re in programs like RRC’s — demand transparency about criteria and evaluation.
  • If you’re in the industry — stop celebrating DEI while quietly selecting only those who maintain your image. That’s not diversity — that’s narrative control.

📢 Final Words

I’m not angry about not getting in.

I’m angry the truth was buried under politeness and performance.

If your system rejects people with working infrastructure and proven self‑built projects —

while highlighting group efforts with institutional scaffolding —

it’s time ask:

Who is your system really built for?

Who are you quietly shutting out?

If you want to see the work I submitted — judge for yourself:

I encourage you to look at the facts directly.

Because if this happened to me, it probably happened to others who didn’t document it.

Tags: #gaming #webdev #indigenous #career

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