For two decades, the “Call of Duty” video game has been one of the most popular and profitable franchises in gaming history. The October 2022 launch of its “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II” title made a billion dollars in just 10 days — a record for the game’s developer Activision Blizzard.
For Tory Tyksinski ’21, working for the dynamic company, first as an intern and now as a junior network programmer, has been amazing.
Operating out of Activision’s Sherman Oaks office, Tyksinski, one of about 13,000 employees worldwide, works in the company’s Central Tech division, the unit that supports the studios that develop the games. She is currently in the “rotational engineering program,” where early career employees serve eight-month rotations in three different areas ranging from security/threat intelligence, multiplayer infrastructure management, game title support, online tools and Call of Duty Mobile. It is a way for the company to expose employees to various opportunities and to match their interests and talents to Activision’s needs.
“I’m not going to lie,” Tyksinski said over a Zoom call from her Los Angeles apartment. “It’s very cool to be a part of such a big game.”
“My first rotation was cybersecurity,” said Tyksinski, who majored in digital forensics and served as vice president for UAlbany’s chapter of Women in Cybersecurity. She credits her experience with the student group for sparking her interest in pursuing tech. “When I found my Women in Cybersecurity gals, I said ‘OK, I’m in the right place.’”
Tyksinski is finishing her rotation with Treyarch, the in-house studio responsible for the Call of Duty franchise. So far in her rotations, she’s worked on graphical interfaces, project management, back end network tools and has even collaborated closely with a manager to create a product that she can’t reveal.
“You’re really exposed to a bunch of different stuff,” said Tyksinski. “I wish more companies did this because it really has given me an opportunity to try out different hats in so many different departments.”
While she doesn’t yet know where she’ll be placed next, Tyksinski says she’s game for the experience.
“I never thought I would end up at a video game company … but staying here is one of my goals.”
