Digital Worlds Alum and Co-Creator of “ARK” Honored with Career Achievement Award at Convergence 2023
Written by: Ryan Helterhoff (MAMC ‘23)
Jesse Rapczak (BSDAS ’03) was honored with the Institute’s first Career Achievement Award during this year’s Convergence event on April 27. The award honors alumni who have reached significant career milestones and contributed to the advancement of the digital arts and sciences field.
Rapczak was presented with the award by Director James Oliverio, and during his speech, he emphasized the impact his time at the Institute had on the rest of his career.
“This program is so unique because the skills you develop here and the collaborations you engage in can really be applied to so many things in life,” said Rapczak. “My career has been all over the place but it’s been really fun. It’s taken me all over the world, from creating graphics for a local Gainesville TV station to working on Hollywood films and developing video games. But I still work with three people I met in college, and I’m still learning new skills all the time just like I did at the Institute.”
He also shared some advice with the graduating seniors showcasing their projects at Convergence and emphasized the importance of being fearless in the pursuit of something new.
“If there’s any advice I can give you guys, it’s to keep those connections you’ve made in this program and don’t be afraid to take leaps with your work,” said Rapczak. “Just because you’re making animations today doesn’t mean you can’t jump in and do something completely different tomorrow with AI. Every new piece of technology is a tool and I can’t wait to see what you all create in your careers.”
Rapczak came to the University of Florida in 1999, and was a member of the Institute’s first graduating class. The program’s curriculum combining art, design and technology gave Rapczak the creative freedom he was looking for. During his time at the Institute, he served as President of the Association of Digital Arts and Media and helped shape the program’s future curriculum as one of the first students to graduate with this new degree in emerging technology.
Upon graduation, Rapczak landed a role as Assistant VFX Supervisor with Catalyst Media in Los Angeles working on Hollywood films like “Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed” and “Catwoman”. He then co-founded Artificial Studios alongside UF alum and longtime collaborator Jeremy Stieglitz, where he helped create Reality Engine, a commercially licensable game development solution that was sold to Epic Games in 2005.
Rapczak co-founded another company, Exigent 3D, in 2006, where he managed a multi-project production studio in New Delhi, India, providing outsourced game art for clients all over the world. After leaving Exigent in 2009, he worked as the Technical Art Director for Ignition Entertainment before joining Sony in 2011 to help build DC Universe: Online.
Rapczak’s decade of experience in game development and art direction led him to Microsoft in 2012 where he served as Technical Art Director for the development of the HoloLens. He collaborated with a number of teams to create cutting-edge technology and hardware for a completely new experience platform. He was able to apply the creative, artistic, and leadership skills he gained there to his future work, beginning with “ARK: Survival Evolved” in 2014.
Built using Unreal Engine 4, “ARK: Survival Evolved” is an open-world survival game where players left stranded on an island called ARK must fight to survive among the primeval creatures roaming the land and the other players they encounter. Released as an early access title for PC in the summer of 2015, the title’s unique gameplay and vast open world attracted players quickly, with the game selling over 5.5 million copies by 2016, a full year before the release of the final version. The game was created by Studio Wildcard, a new studio Rapczak built from the ground up alongside co-founder Jeremy Stieglitz.
Rapczak, Stieglitz, and the team at Studio Wildcard have built “ARK” into a global franchise over the years. The success of the first game led to the announcement of the official sequel “ARK 2” at the end of 2020, with prominent stars such as Vin Diesel (Fast and Furious) and Auli’i Cravalho (Moana) attached to the project. The game follows Diesel and Cravalho’s characters Santiago and Meeka, a father and daughter fighting to survive on the island. The title is currently slated for release in 2024. “ARK: The Animated Series” is set to premiere this year, and stars Vin Diesel, Gerard Butler, Russell Crowe, and others. The series follows protagonist Helena Walker on her journey through the world of “ARK” after waking up on the mysterious island. Rapczak and Stieglitz created the show and will be involved in its development.
Rapczak currently serves in multiple capacities at Studio Wildcard, where he directs game development, implements new creative pipelines, and creates content for both “ARK” titles. He also co-executive produces “ARK: The Animated Series” with Jeremy Stieglitz.
Learn more about the world of ARK
