About Me

My full name is Joshua Cross Blanchard, but I go by my middle name, Cross. I graduated Full Sail University in 2020 with a Bachelors of Science in Game Design. I have 5 years of AAA experience in the industry.

A little about me personally, I am originally from upstate South Carolina. I am a huge nerd who loves to learn new things and play new games. I am a huge fan of Star Wars, Comics, all things Superheroes, Dungeons and Dragons (and other TTRPGs), Cosplays, and Sports. When it comes to Sports I am an Atlanta fan through and through, so all things Falcons and Braves.

I became a game designer to be able to create games that give people an escape. When I was in high school I was going through a hard time. Parents getting divorced, close family members passing away, among other things. This put me in a rough mental state struggling with depression. Video games were my escape. I could completely forget about all the troubles in the real world and disappear in to a whole new world. This allowed me to be happy and give a source of stress relief.

This is what I strive to bring, a source of happiness and joy. To create a place for people to enjoy themselves no matter what is happening in the world around them. To create a lasting impression on people to take with them to the real world. I strive to make the world a joyful place, one gamer at a time.

I love world building and level designs, coming from a background of playing Dungeons and Dragons and just theorizing crazy worlds with my friends, it’s so much fun to brainstorm and come up with cool and interesting new worlds and ideas. I love seeing fantasy worlds created from nothing. Seeing an idea move from just a few words on a paper to a living breathing environment is astonishing. Whether it is photo-realistic environments or a fun cartoony adventure, designing a breathtaking experience for everyone to enjoy is one of the best feelings on the planet.

I got my AAA start at Electronic Arts Tiburon working on the Madden Franchise. It was like a dream come true for me. Growing up playing Madden and being an NFL fan, this was such an amazing opportunity. I was even able to work on the mode I enjoyed playing the most, Superstar (Formally Face of the Franchise). As my first job in the AAA industry, I don’t think I could have asked for a better start. The team was amazing, friendly and always willing to help. The atmosphere working there was always busy but never alone. The year over year cycle of the Madden Franchise is challenging for designers. Having to design and iterate new and existing features in only a handful of months in order to have the time to build the content before the next launch is a daunting task. Moving through each cycle and learning more every year brought new challenges and new opportunities and showed me how important it is to have a great team at your back. Moving from a contractor getting their first AAA job to an experienced designer owning entire features and improving content flows was a journey that I enjoyed every step of the way, and I am extremely grateful for.

Moving forward in my career, I am ready to take on challenges and both bring my expertise and expand my knowledge to whatever project I find myself on next.