About

David McKenzie portrait

About

World Design · Level Design · Product Leadership

As a passionate and experienced World Designer, I have spent my career crafting immersive environments and telling stories through gameplay. My journey has taken me from modding Morrowind and Age of Chivalry to achieving my dream of working at Bethesda on Fallout 76 and Starfield, and beyond.

My Road in World Design

At Amazon, I led transformative projects that set new benchmarks for worldbuilding, including shipping the acclaimed Brimstone Sands zone, the Elysian Wilds zone, and the Rise of the Angry Earth expansion.

I also spearheaded the first-time user experience for console launch in 2024, and the critically-acclaimed Nighthaven zone in 2025. These represent milestones in my career, but also the culmination of my deep commitment to excellence in game design.

World design is where my passions for writing, worldbuilding, architecture, and geography intersect. I approach each project with an insatiable curiosity, diving deep into research and iteration to bring richly detailed worlds to life.

The Broader Scope of My Skills

While my roots are in game development, the core skills I bring: visionary design, creative problem-solving, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, apply across all areas of technology.

Managing diverse teams and working at the intersection of creativity and technical implementation makes me uniquely suited for roles where the goal is to align vision with execution.

As a storyteller by nature, I understand the importance of user-focused narratives and designs in any medium. I thrive on tackling complex challenges, collaborating with innovative teams, and transforming abstract ideas into tangible impact.

As lead designer, I bring a strong creative vision, meticulous attention to detail, and a collaborative mindset. My process is rooted in storytelling through environment and gameplay, bridging disciplines to create experiences that captivate and inspire players.


Let’s build something extraordinary together.

Media Features

Nighthaven Dev Update

September 2025

Dev update featuring Nighthaven.

Elysian Wilds Dev Update

September 2023 · Starts at 15:32

Timestamped segment focused on Elysian Wilds.

Brimstone Sands Dev Update

September 2022 · Starts at 43:09

Timestamped segment focused on Brimstone Sands.

The Chronicle of Nighthaven poster

The Chronicle of Nighthaven

New World · Article

Narrative marketing beat written by me.

Making of Brimstone Sands poster

Making of Brimstone Sands

New World · Article

Interviewed for design process.

Quick Summary

  • Lead World Designer focused on immersive environments and story through gameplay.
  • Shipped major work spanning Bethesda and Amazon, from AAA to live-service expansion development.
  • Strengths: world readability, player flow, systems integration, and cross-discipline execution.