Room 8 Voices: Meet Aleksa Gapich!  

Welcome to Room 8 Voices, a new series about the people behind the projects. With Voices, we’ll highlight the journeys of our specialists—those whose creativity and dedication powers everything we do.  

Our goal is to bring you closer to the people who make our company what it is. Through interviews with our specialists, from senior leadership to junior talent, we’ll share their stories and take pride in the incredible ability within our team. 

Today’s voice is Aleksa Gapich, 3D Division Director at Room 8 Group! 

If you want to become part of the Room 8 Group team, explore opportunities here. 

Aleksa Gapich: A great journey in game dev 

Aleksa has already dedicated 10 years to developing within Room 8 Group, and she doesn’t intend to stop. It’s been a long road to where she is now, on which she managed a number of teams before becoming the 3D Division Director. We talked to Aleksa about her experience. 

Could you please tell us about your professional path to Room 8 Group? 

It seems like a lifetime ago, as I have been part of Room 8 Group for the last 10 years. Before that, I worked for a few years in a Belgian law firm dealing with copyright protection, which involved a lot of paperwork. I also worked in an advertising agency. But my first work experience was in sports; I worked as a fitness trainer for three to four years because I spent a lot of time training and dancing as a child. 

Before Room 8 Group, I knew nothing about game dev. It was something new. I started my career as a personal assistant, and while it was the toughest role I’ve held, I learned so much. After a year and a half, I was offered a role in Room 8 Studio’s recruitment team. I did this for about two years before stepping into project management.  

As our team expanded, we created specialized areas for different services. At this point, I was promoted to Supervisor for the Animation and VFX team, where I’d been working closely on partner projects. 

In 2020, I took on a new challenge, becoming the Supervisor for the Photoreal Environment team. Our 3D team, initially led by Elena Natsvlishvili (now—Executive Development Director at Room 8 Group), had grown significantly, so we divided it into specialized areas—environment, weapons, characters, and stylization. Given my familiarity with all internal processes, I was chosen to lead the Photoreal Environment team, which was an exciting next step. 

In the first year, our team grew from 20 to 40 members and then nearly doubled to 100 in the second year. By the end of 2022, we reached 130. I’m incredibly proud that we built such a high-performing team together. 

In 2023, I was promoted to 3D Division Director, and I’m excited to see what comes next. I truly value the growth opportunities I’ve had within the company. In my current role, I set the strategic direction for the division’s development, ensure the achievement of approved targets, and establish production and management standards. 

Sometimes I wonder if staying with the same company for a long time has limited my experience. But when I look back at my career, I see a pattern of growth and evolution. Every one-and-a-half to two years, I’ve taken on new responsibilities, adapting to changes within the company. Starting with just 17 people and now being part of such a big team, I’ve witnessed and contributed to incredible transformations. I’m truly grateful to have been part of such remarkable growth. 

What makes working at Room 8 Group special? 

Working alongside the people for whom this is not just a job, but also their craft. It makes you want to go above and beyond; you always want to do five points better than your partners expect. Everyone is focused on the result. I like that there’s progress, that we are developing, and that there are always new challenges. Sometimes it’s a little tiresome for sure, but we always set a very high bar, which we usually reach.  

Could you share some recent projects that you and your team have worked on? Do you have any favorites? And are there particular achievements you’d like to highlight? 

Some of our recent highlights include Train Sim World, CoD: Warzone Mobile, CoD: MW II, CoD: MW III, Overwatch 2, Alan Wake 2, Diablo IV, Shrapnel, and Back 4 Blood. Each game is unique, so it’s tough to pick a favorite—our team truly gives 110% on every project, and we’re incredibly proud to contribute to such exceptional titles. 

Achieving our goal of working on AAA titles and top-tier projects has required dedication and hard work. Today, we’re able to balance many high-level projects, meeting the very high expectations of our internal team and our clients. 

One of our biggest achievements has been building and growing such a strong team. This has meant carefully selecting talent, adapting our processes as we grow, and ensuring productivity and success at every stage. I’m very proud of how far we’ve come and of the exceptional work we’re delivering in this dynamic industry. 

If you’re interested in working on outstanding projects, we’re looking for a Project Art Director! Check out the vacancy here.

What hobbies do you have outside of work? 

I love to read a lot. Another hobby of mine is my dog. In 2022 my husband and I realized we had to live in the moment and decided it was the right time to get a pet. Now he is 2.5 years old, and we often go for walks. For six months, we trained with an instructor every weekend, so it was like having a child who needed to be taken to school. 

Do you play games? What are your favorite ones? 

I enjoy games that bring people together, like Alias, and I’m a big fan of board games because they allow for more interaction. I also like fighting games, especially Mortal Kombat, and of course, some classics like Heroes 3 and Need for Speed. But I’m probably not your typical gamer in Need for Speed—I’m less interested in finishing first and more focused on collecting as many police cars and helicopters as I can, just to escape and mess with them. It’s fun because I know winning isn’t my goal; I’d rather create my own challenges in the game. Instead of getting frustrated with sharp turns, I’ll do what I enjoy, even if it means turning around to pick up more police and racing them! 

From recent games, I’ve enjoyed watching others play Overwatch and Call of Duty—especially since we’re currently working on it. I’m not a fan of horror games, though, because I believe games should help you relax. Life already has enough scary moments; there’s no need to add more through gaming! I prefer games where you can build, explore, and collect things. 

The last one I play – Hogwarts Legacy. I’m a big fan of the Harry Potter’s universe and overall, the game is really beautiful.