Born: 1979
Biography:
Emilia Schatz (born February 18, 1979) is an American video game designer best known for her work at Naughty Dog. She studied computer science at the University of North Texas, where she later worked for almost three years before searching for work in the video game industry. She was hired at Terminal Reality, where she worked as a level scripter on Re-Mission, as a level designer on BlowOut and BloodRayne 2, and as a senior game designer on Ghostbusters: The Video Game. She applied for jobs at other studios, and in 2009 was hired at Naughty Dog. She began working at Naughty Dog early in development on Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, for which she designed several levels. She assisted with the development of The Last of Us. Assigned male at birth, Schatz came out as transgender in 2012, when she began her gender transition, and came out to the company in March 2014. She was promoted to co-lead game designer for the development of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. In this role, she often worked alongside Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann, and she helped to work on the game’s accessibility options. She was co-lead game designer for the development of The Last of Us Part II, during which she continued to lead the company’s accessibility efforts. Her work and image in the industry have been praised and awarded.
Early life
Emilia Schatz was born on February 18, 1979. She grew up in Texas. Her mother is an art teacher at an elementary school; Schatz felt that, outside of games, teaching would also be her career choice. As a child, Schatz was a fan of Nintendo games, specifically Mario and The Legend of Zelda, and had a fondness for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Schatz’s early jobs included mowing lawns, data entry, installing ethernet, and working at Golden Corral. At high school, she learned how to program role-playing games on her calculator. To pay for her university studies, Schatz worked with professors to create web pages. She studied computer science at Baylor University from 1997 to 1999. In 2001, she graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Computer Science, with a major in general studies and minors in computer science, art, and English. As part of the university’s Laboratory for Recreational Computing, Schatz worked on several educational games in Adobe Flash. She also used Flash to develop her own games, including one inspired by Tempest (1981) on a bootleg development environment for Game Boy Advance.
Career
Terminal Reality (2002–2009)
After graduating from the University of North Texas in 2001, Schatz continued to work there for almost three years as a web developer. She then pursued a career in the video game industry and was hired at Terminal Reality in 2002. At Terminal Reality, she worked on various projects as a level scripter, designer, and senior game designer. Her contributions included Re-Mission, BlowOut, BloodRayne 2, and Ghostbusters: The Video Game, among others.
Naughty Dog (2009–present)
In 2009, Schatz joined Naughty Dog, a reputable video game development studio known for their critically acclaimed games. Early in her tenure, she worked on Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, contributing her level design expertise to several sections of the game. She continued to collaborate with the team and made significant contributions to the development of The Last of Us.
In 2012, Schatz came out as transgender and began her gender transition. She came out to her colleagues and the company in March 2014, receiving support and acceptance from Naughty Dog. Her experiences and achievements as a transgender woman within the industry have made her a positive role model and an advocate for diversity and inclusivity.
With her outstanding talent and dedication, Schatz was promoted to co-lead game designer for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. In this role, she worked closely with renowned game directors Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann. Schatz played a pivotal role in the development of the game’s accessibility options, ensuring that players of all abilities could enjoy the immersive experience.
Continuing her journey at Naughty Dog, Schatz served as co-lead game designer for The Last of Us Part II. Her leadership extended beyond game design, as she spearheaded the company’s accessibility efforts, making the game more accessible to players with disabilities. Schatz’s tireless commitment to inclusive design has earned her widespread recognition and admiration within the industry.