Alican HASIRCI

Revel Games

Co-Founder, Head Of Engineering • Jan, 2021 — Feb, 2025

As one of the four co-founders of Revel Games, I was responsible for the technical direction and infrastructure of the company. In this role, I led the development team, defined architectural decisions, and ensured the scalability and stability of our projects.

Beyond the technical challenges, this experience was a profound learning journey in both leadership and company management. Through trial and error, I gained invaluable insights into team dynamics, decision-making, and business strategy. The mistakes I made along the way became critical lessons—shaping my understanding of how to build and lead a team effectively, foster a strong company culture, and drive a vision forward in the competitive gaming industry.

Responsibilities

• Defined technical architecture and infrastructure for multiple game projects, ensuring scalability, maintainability, and performance.
• Led a cross-functional development team, fostering a strong engineering culture through mentoring and collaborative decision-making.
• Established engineering workflows and deployment pipelines to streamline production and improve delivery velocity.
• Oversaw long-term technical strategy aligned with company goals, balancing innovation with pragmatic development choices.
• Played a key role in business strategy and team operations, evolving leadership skills through hands-on experience with startup dynamics.

Gulliver's Games

Lead Game Developer • Sep, 2020 — Dec, 2020

At Gulliver’s Games, I took on my first leadership role as a Lead Developer, overseeing two separate development teams. One team focused on rapidly prototyping and developing hyper-casual games, while the other worked on a casual game project with a longer development cycle.

Responsibilities

• Managed two distinct development pipelines for hyper-casual and casual titles, coordinating rapid prototyping and full-scale development.
• Provided technical mentorship and conducted regular code reviews to raise engineering standards across teams.
• Designed scalable architecture patterns suited to fast iteration cycles and varied game mechanics.
• Balanced short-term delivery speed with long-term product quality by optimizing development workflows.
• Contributed to shaping the studio’s technical roadmap while collaborating with producers and designers on feature prioritization.

Zero Density

Engine Developer • Sep, 2018 — Jul, 2020

At Zero Density, I joined the team to expand my expertise in different game engines and gain deeper insights into graphics pipelines. My work primarily focused on a custom codebase forked from Unreal Engine’s source code, where I contributed to modifying the engine’s rendering pipeline to enable real-time compositing of engine renders with live camera input.

This role allowed me to work at the intersection of real-time graphics, virtual production, and broadcast technology, enhancing my understanding of engine-level rendering optimizations and real-time compositing techniques. Through hands-on experience with Unreal Engine’s internals, I deepened my skills in low-level engine modifications and performance optimizations for high-fidelity visual applications.

Responsibilities

• Modified Unreal Engine’s rendering pipeline to support real-time compositing for virtual production and broadcast applications.
• Developed engine-level features enhancing live camera integration and high-fidelity real-time visuals.
• Performed deep profiling and performance optimization on custom rendering workflows.
• Worked with a multidisciplinary team to align technical deliverables with studio and broadcast production requirements.
• Gained advanced experience in Unreal Engine internals and low-level graphics pipeline engineering.

Zynga

Game Developer • Dec, 2017 — Sep, 2018

Following Zynga’s acquisition of Peak Games' Card & Board Studio, I continued my role in maintaining and developing multiple live titles, including Spades Plus, Tavla Plus, Gin Rummy Plus, and Bid Whist Plus.

Responsibilities

• Maintained and enhanced several top-grossing mobile games post-acquisition, including Spades Plus and Gin Rummy Plus.
• Delivered new gameplay features and optimized performance across Android and iOS platforms.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to improve game stability and user retention.
• Adapted to Zynga’s development pipelines and CI/CD processes while contributing to high-impact live updates.
• Supported feature rollouts and bug fixes in close coordination with backend and QA teams.

Peak Games

Game Developer • Jan, 2015 — Dec, 2017

At Peak Games, I initially worked on Android projects, focusing on bug fixing and feature development. In 2015, I was among the first two developers to transition to Unity within the company. My early Unity work involved integrating and optimizing libraries, ensuring smooth interoperability with existing systems.

Following this, I played a key role in the development and successful launch of Gin Rummy Plus, the first Unity-based title from the Card & Board Studio at Peak. This project involved close collaboration with designers and backend engineers to deliver a high-quality, scalable, and engaging gaming experience. My contributions ranged from core gameplay mechanics to performance optimizations, helping establish Unity as a viable engine within the studio.

Responsibilities

• Transitioned the studio’s workflow to Unity, pioneering development practices for mobile card and board games.
• Co-developed and launched Gin Rummy Plus, Peak's first Unity-based title, driving key gameplay and system features.
• Integrated and optimized external SDKs and plugins to ensure smooth runtime and analytics tracking.
• Collaborated closely with designers and backend engineers to deliver synchronized client-server experiences.
• Contributed to performance optimization and codebase structure, helping establish Unity as the default engine in the studio.

Bizim Menkul Degerler

Software Developer, Consultant • Jan, 2015 — Dec, 2017

Developed a custom Java-based system to replace legacy stock exchange communication protocols with the Financial Information eXchange (FIX) standard. Designed and implemented the full message exchange pipeline with Borsa Istanbul, enabling real-time sending and receiving of stock orders. Ensured secure and accurate database persistence of all trading transactions.

Responsibilities

• Designed and developed a Java-based communication layer to integrate with Borsa Istanbul using the FIX protocol
• Replaced legacy stock order transmission system with a modern, real-time FIX-compliant solution
• Implemented message parsing, validation, and routing logic for incoming and outgoing stock exchange transactions
• Ensured reliable data persistence by integrating order flow with a structured relational database
• Collaborated with business stakeholders to validate functional accuracy and compliance of order-handling logic

Prodaft

Software Developer • May, 2013 — Jan, 2014

Developed internal Java-based utility tools to support penetration testing operations and cybersecurity audits.

Responsibilities

• Designed and implemented custom Java applications to streamline workflows for ethical hackers and penetration testers
• Built automation tools for reconnaissance, vulnerability scanning, and data parsing tailored to internal testing needs
• Developed user interfaces and CLI-based modules for quick deployment and field usability
• Collaborated with cybersecurity experts to define tool specifications aligned with real-world pentest scenarios
• Maintained code quality and modularity to ensure easy extensibility for future security toolsets

Netas

Software Developer • Nov, 2011 — May, 2013

Worked on Java-based enterprise portals and Android applications tailored for telecom companies to support auditing and operational control processes.

Responsibilities

• Developed Java EE web applications to support enterprise portal functionality for telecom clients
• Created Android applications enabling field audit teams to perform real-time data entry and validation
• Integrated backend systems with telecom data sources and ensured secure API communication
• Collaborated with QA and business analysts to align portal features with telecom compliance standards
• Delivered production-ready solutions with scalable architecture and robust user interfaces

Mydays

Intern • Jun, 2011 — Nov, 2011

Assisted in managing web content and developing front-end components for a customer-facing experience gift platform.

Responsibilities

• Updated and maintained website inventory by managing product listings and availability
• Created and styled web pages using HTML and CSS to reflect current offerings and campaigns
• Designed interactive visual components using Adobe Flash for marketing and promotional content
• Collaborated with content and design teams to ensure consistency across site visuals and user experience
• Supported day-to-day site maintenance tasks and assisted in implementing layout adjustments and bug fixes

Yeditepe University

Bachelor of Sience, Information Systems • 2007 — 2011

Saint Joseph High School, Izmir

High School Diploma • 2003 — 2007

• Fitness
• Video games
• Book reading
• Sailing