Success Story 9: Right After Graduation, Straight Into the Hottest Game Studio! Alegruz, Game Engine Programmer at Pearl Abyss
Hello, POCU Academy students! This is Yoona!
Today's success story features game engine programmer Alegruz. Our POCU students really don't waste time—graduating from university and immediately smashing job offers left and right! Truly the pride of POCU. #POCUForever
And on top of that, he landed a job at Pearl Abyss, the studio behind the famous titles Black Desert and DokeV. Without further delay, let's dive into his story!
Hello! I'm today's interviewer, Yoona. Could you start by briefly introducing yourself?
Hello. I graduated this year (2022) with a major in Software Engineering, and starting next year (2023), I'll be working as a Game Engine Programmer at Pearl Abyss. My handle is "Alegruz."
Amazing. Congratulations! So what kind of work are you doing right now?
Uh... I apologize, but since my official start date hasn't arrived yet, I can't say I've actually begun working. But broadly speaking, I'll be joining as a junior developer on the Black Space engine, Pearl Abyss's next-generation in-house engine that will power their future projects.
What made you interested in programming? How did you get started?
I've always loved creating things—music, writing novels, shooting videos... even architecture has started to interest me lately. Games bring all of those creative elements together and add fun on top, so naturally I became fascinated with them.
But I didn't start programming early. As an elementary schooler, I designed RPG systems in notebooks using MapleStory's item data, or created maps using the StarCraft editor. In middle school, I made game music and created games with GameMaker, though its scripting language was too hard for me at the time, so I stuck to visual scripting. In high school, academics took over, so the only "game-related" thing I did was write a mini-thesis about games.
Game made while high on creativity: Daedoseogwan's Let's Play – "Our Kitty Has a Disability!"
My unofficial "industry debut": Our Kitty Has a Disability!
If I think back to middle school, I used to collaborate online with different people on hobby game projects. I admired the programmers so much that it naturally pushed me toward Computer Engineering in high school. That led to entering university as a Software major, and I learned my first programming language there: Python.
Oh wow, that's more structured than I expected. How did you discover POCU Academy?
I started watching Pope Kim's YouTube videos back in high school. I followed his updates pretty closely. After entering university, I even thought, "Wow... imagine if this monster taught at my school." LOL. Later, when I was in the military, I learned through YouTube that Pope was launching POCU Academy.
Your POCU fandom is strong! What courses did you take?
- C++ Unmanaged Programming
- Object-Oriented Programming & Design
- Algorithms & Data Structures
Did you have any expectations before taking the courses? And did they meet those expectations?
Honestly, I didn't have expectations. Expectations are like assuming something specific will be given to you, right? Instead, I approached the courses like getting on a rollercoaster—just let it take me wherever it wants. Rather than setting an upper limit, I wondered, "How high can this course take me?" And that's exactly the feeling I got, especially with the first course: C++ Unmanaged Programming.
Cool mindset! That said, were there any difficulties or things you wished were better?
Well... yes, all three courses were difficult... T_T As for downsides... I'm not sure if I should say this, but from a student's perspective: the cost is killer. Also, I think beginners would appreciate a bit more guidance or simple concrete examples on debugging and testing.
Another thing... I'm heading into full-time work soon, so I worry I won't have time to take more POCU courses... yet assembly class got delayed...? (Half joke, half truth LOL)
Noted... ahem. After completing your POCU courses, what changes did you experience? Career or mindset—anything is fine.
When I took C++ Unmanaged Programming, I was still a soldier. After finishing it, I got discharged and immediately returned to school. That semester, I took a Data Structures course at university—and it felt way too easy. Even the exercises felt basic compared to POCU. It was surreal.
Curious about my skill level, I applied for game company internships and entry-level positions. I got rejected from all internships (probably because I was only a 2nd-year). But strangely, I passed the first round for a Nexon-affiliated studio as a full-time applicant and received a coding assignment. The assignment was extremely difficult—stuff I'd never done before—so I completed only about 60%. I thought it was over. But then they contacted me saying I passed and invited me for an interview. The 1st interview was technical; I solved problems calmly, assuming I wouldn't pass anyway. ones I solved were entirely based on what I learned at POCU. Then the 2nd interview came—with several intimidating 40-something directors. In the end, I didn't pass final selection.
But honestly, I never expected to even reach the final interview. POCU's C++ course had clearly leveled me up beyond what I realized. That's when I became certain:
"POCU Academy's courses can be trusted. Just follow them."
#POCUForever2
Beyond programming skill, POCU taught me confidence. By my 4th year, I didn't prepare on LeetCode. I'd done POCU and studied core CS at school—I felt prepared.
And in the end, I passed the recruitment-linked internship at Pearl Abyss as a game engine programmer, and that led to a full-time offer. I never solved a single LeetCode problem, and still got a full-time job before graduation.
Thank you for sharing! Any advice for future POCU students ("POCUlers")?
Let's talk money first.
Is it worth it?
Yes. Without a doubt.
You may feel the video lectures alone are expensive. They are. But they're worth the value. However, it's not a small investment—so taking these courses casually or without preparation is a waste.
Any tech fields you're currently interested in that you'd like to share?
I'm very into the series of techniques that originated from ReSTIR in the Real-Time Path Tracing area:
ReSTIR, ReSTIR GI, RTXDI, World-Space ReSTIR, Volumetric ReSTIR, GRIS (ReSTIR PT), Resampled DDGI, and so on.
What are your future plans? Any goals as a game engine programmer?
I want to build a custom engine that can be used as:
- course material
- lab exercise framework
- team project tool
at my alma mater.
If such an engine were built by alumni who actually work in the industry, I think it would help produce even stronger developers from the school.
Your loyalty to your alma mater is admirable. Lastly, any final message?
POCU Academy's first course is COMP0000, the beginner course. That's important, but here's my personal belief:
The real first step to becoming a developer is English. LOL
Don't slack on your English studies! You'll absolutely need it.