Jonathan Gregoire - Game Designer
While Level Design is my main focus, I have strong technical skills that are useful for prototyping gameplay and workflows, or scripting level logic and flows. On every project I've worked on, not only have I designed various levels, I've been involved in bringing them to a shippable quality.
Core Focus
Level Design
Level design gives me the opportunity to work with so many incredible cross-discipline co-workers to craft an unforgettable experience that combines gameplay and narrative.
One of my favorite experiences was designing the lead up and combat space against "The Ratking" in TLoU2. I'm a long time fan of Resident Evil and I finally got a chance to build an RE level!
Narrative Design
Whenever possible, I try to find ways to express the narrative of the environment through the level design, but I also focus on using the environment to enhance the emotion the player is feeling. That might be making the player feel tense with a maze like environment and sharp blind turns or exuberant with wide open spaces and a series of quick, flowy navigation mechanics.
Gameplay Scripting
I have extensive experience using written and visual scripting langauges to prototype mechanics, control the level flow including puzzles, combat, and narrative events. On TLoU2 and Lone Echo 2 I scripted the NPC interactions to a shippable quality.
Team Collaboration
As soon as I can I like to bring as many people into the design process. Other LD or designers are great at talking through tricky gameplay situations whereas collaborating with artists push the shapes of the gameplay spaces in exciting ways and eases the transition from blockout to rated level.
Latest Work
For a little over 5 years I worked at Meta as a part of their Reality labs division. There I worked on a multitude of exciting AAA VR titles with two separate studios, Ready At Dawn and Sanzaru. During that time I shipped Lone Echo II as a System Designer, but my main focus was my responsibilities as a Senior Level Designer where I prototyped mechanics, worked with engineers on gameplay features, developed new workflows to aid the Level Design teams, scripted gameplay logic and level flows, pitched and blocked out various fully playable levels for a variety of game genres, and collaborated with artists on level composition and framing.
Click this link for more details on Lone Echo II.
Click this link for more details on the projects I worked on at Ready At Dawn.
Acclaimed Titles
Designed the Levels "Patrol" and "Ground Zero" from initial concept and blockout to final shipped product during my time at Naughty Dog.
Shipped Lone Echo II while at Ready At Dawn as a System Designer. Focused on character interaction and general polish of the in game scenes.
On Never Alone I shipped multiple levels and designed "The Fox Boy" playable character. On the DLC, Foxtales, I worked as the Lead Level Designer responsible for the levels, scripting, and narrative of the game.
I was the Game Director and Level Designer on an award winning student game about being dragged by emotional baggage.
Contact Information:
Jonathan Gregoire - Game Design
JonathanAGregoire@gmail.com
Updates
January 2026
Sanzaru Games was shut down by Meta due to a strategy shift. The cancelled project(s) were incredibly impressive and would have raised the standards for AAA VR games.
September 2024
Began working with Sanzaru Games with Meta on two AAA VR titles as a Senior Level Designer.
August 2024
Ready At Dawn was closed. During my time I worked on 4 separate projects with multiple responsibilities from protyping, level designing, and bringing scenes to shippable quality.
October 2021
Helped ship Lone Echo 2 as a System Designer.
July 2020
Started at Ready At Dawn as a Senior Level Designer on an unnanounced project.
July 2020
Started at Ready at Dawn as a Senior Level Designer on an unnanounced project.
March 2020
Last days at Naughty Dog working on The Last of Us Part II.
September 2019
Shipped the Last of Us Part II press demo level "Patrol".
May 2018
Started working at Naughty Dog as a Contract Single Player Level Layout Designer on The Last of Us Part II.
December 2017
I started doing contract work for a start-up company called MyPad3D that focuses on VR experiences for corporate products.
More interestingly, I have begun to prototype my own card game on the side and have been volunteering with Sunbreak Games on an unannounced product.
July 2017
With a heavy heart, E-Line Media has shut down the Seattle studio, laying off everyone including myself. I am currently looking for new opportunities.
November 2016
Began working at E-Line Media again as a Level Designer on an unannounced and untitled game.
October 2016
Updating my website to reflect the work I did on the Forest Song with Colabee Studios. Unfortunately due to funding issues, I am no longer with them, so I am currently looking for new opportunities.
December 2015
Lots of new stuff since I last updated. Added in a short comic I made called Old Debts. Also have put up information about my role(s) on Never Alone and Never Alone: FoxTales.
January 2015
Promoted to Lead Designer on Never Alone: FoxTales at E-Line Media.
Summer 2014
Graduated Digipen as a BAGD and with a Cum Laude. Started working at E-Line Media as a Level Designer.
March 2014
Uploaded a new Beta build of Chained. Also just put up the old builds of the game for anyone interested in our very quick process and progress.
January 2014
I recently wrote a paper that was published for the IGDA about the benefit of Paper Prototyping. You can read it at this following link: http://newsletter.igda.org/2013/11/30/student-beat-faceoff-the-influences-of-board-games-on-video-games/#!
Print 