Portrait of Maks Maisak

Maks Maisak

Senior AI Programmer

7 years of professional Unreal Engine experience across
AI systems, animation tech, gameplay programming, and developer tooling.

Download CV (PDF)

Basic info

Email
max.maisak@gmail.com
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/maksmaisak
GitHub
github.com/maksmaisak
Location
Haarlem, the Netherlands
Citizenship
Dutch (EU)

Education

Bachelor of Science
(Game Engineering)

Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Enschede, the Netherlands

  • Graduated Cum Laude
  • Saxion Holland Top Talent Scholarship
  • Extended Saxion Talent Scholarship
  • Saxion Excellent Scholarship (x2)

Skills

AI & Gameplay
Enemy AI, perception systems, combat AI, cover systems, Hierarchical Task Networks (HTN), Behavior Trees, EQS, State Machines, automated testing, performance optimization
Animation & character tech
Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, procedural animation, IK solvers, Motion Matching, full-body avatar
Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine 5, Unreal Engine 4, C++, Blueprints, Unreal Editor tooling, Visual Logger, Sequencer extensions, profiling, debugging
Programming languages
C++, C#, TypeScript, JavaScript, Lua, Python, Rust, GLSL, Cg, Swift, Haskell
Engines, Frameworks & Libraries
Unreal Engine 5, Unreal Engine 4, Unity, Meta Horizon Studio, OpenGL, GLM, SFML, GLFW, Lua C API, Assimp, VRTK, ShaderLab, Entitas, NUnit, DOTween, PyTorch, Matplotlib, NumPy
Tools & Software
Git, Perforce, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Rider, CLion
Languages
English (Fluent), Ukrainian (Native), Russian (Native), Dutch (Beginner/A2)

Summary

I am a video game programmer specializing in AI and gameplay systems, working primarily in C++ and Unreal Engine. I build reusable systems, tools, and workflows that help designers and other developers create content more effectively and reliably.

I shipped the full AI stack for Metro Awakening as the sole AI programmer. I created the HTN Planning AI plugin for Unreal Engine, which has been used in production on titles including Metro Awakening, Eternal Strands, and Gray Zone Warfare. I also built FocalRig, a Control Rig plugin for procedural aiming and character animation.

Work history

Senior AI Programmer

January 2024 — Present
Vertigo Studios Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

  • Sole AI programmer on Metro Awakening (Steam Awards 2024 VR Game of the Year), a AAA VR title in Unreal Engine 5
  • Owned all AI systems including perception, cover, coordination, enemy behaviors, and supporting tools
  • Built animation tech including character locomotion based on motion matching, a full-body VR avatar, and animation-driven player interaction systems
  • Introduced automated Functional Testing for AI, improving bug-fixing speed and regression detection
  • Onboarded, supported, and mentored multidisciplinary team members building AI encounters

Game Programmer

September 2021 — December 2023
Vertigo Studios Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

  • Designed and implemented core AI systems for Metro Awakening
  • Built enemy behaviors and AI infrastructure in Unreal Engine 5 using C++, Blueprints, HTN, and EQS
  • Developed reusable systems for perception, cover, and designer-facing workflows

Self-employed Plugin Developer

January 2020 — Present
Haarlem, the Netherlands

  • Designed, shipped, and supported the HTN Planning AI plugin for Unreal Engine 4 and 5
  • The plugin is used in shipped titles including Metro Awakening, Eternal Strands, and Gray Zone Warfare
  • Created FocalRig, a Control Rig plugin for procedural aiming that replaces aim offsets with full-body procedural look-at, weapon aim, eye tracking, and automatic skeleton setup
  • Maintained documentation, example projects, and customer support for ongoing releases

Game Programmer Intern

February 2021 — June 2021
Force Field Entertainment, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

  • Created a JavaScript declarative state machine library for multiplayer game logic
  • The library was used to implement gameplay logic on a Node.js server for Facebook Rooms titles
  • Ported the JavaScript state machine library to C# for use in Unity games

Game Programmer Intern

September 2019 — January 2020
Force Field Entertainment, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

  • Created character AI for an unannounced AAA VR title in Unreal Engine 4 and C++
  • Developed tools and plugins for Unreal Engine and collaborated with designers to improve workflows
  • Built enemy AI behaviors, squad coordination, and gameplay prototypes for a AAA VR project
portfolio ⟶