Michelle Reade
Long-time industry veteran with a passion for gaming, marketing, creativity, and community engagement. Certified chaos manager.
Hi, I’m Michelle. I lead creative campaigns for video games, with a focus on crafting standout assets that connect with players and wrangling cross-team chaos into cohesive stories.
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My background is in campaign strategy and creative direction, but what I really love is the hands-on process of bringing assets to life - developing and guiding the production of the trailers, key art, screenshots, and promotional materials that make releases stand out. I’ve led marketing efforts on major DLC releases for Dead by Daylight, including collaborations with brands like Dungeons & Dragons, Alan Wake, and Castlevania, as well as worked on creating campaigns for The Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online.
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I work closely with internal teams and external partners to produce high-impact visuals - from cinematic trailers to gameplay cutdowns - ensuring every asset fits the tone, tells a story, and supports the larger strategy.
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Whether it’s shaping a visual identity, directing asset production, or making sure every piece fits into the bigger picture, I’m focused on building campaigns that are memorable, cohesive, and exciting to fans and first-timers alike.
About Me
Beyond the job titles and deadlines, I’m someone who just really loves stories. Whether I’m writing them, reading them, playing through them in a game, or rolling dice in a D&D campaign with friends, I’m always drawn to characters, worldbuilding, and the little details that make a universe feel real. I spend my free time playing video games, reading, experimenting in Photoshop, scheming up new campaign ideas for D&D, or just hanging out with my two cats. I also help with development and community management in a Star Wars Galaxies Emulator project.
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My favorite movies include the original Star Wars Trilogy, Jaws, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Gladiator, The Departed, Jurassic Park, and Berserk.
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Among my top favorite series are Black Sails, Rome, Spartacus, Deadwood, and Band of Brothers.
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My favorite videogames are too many to list, though The Legend Zelda entries of Ocarina of Time, Windwaker, and Tears of the Kingdom rank very high, as does Final Fantasy IX, Resident Evil 4, Sid Meier's Civilization, Mass Effect 2, and Dragon Age. I usually queue for Support, Healing, and Tank roles.
Scotland is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite place to travel to.
Experience
Professional Background
Brand Manager
Brand Strategy
Developed and led marketing strategies for major content releases, oversaw and directed creative teams in asset creation and marketing collateral.
Developer
World Builder
Used pre-rendered assets to create, design, and bring new areas to life for players to interact with and explore. Devised quest-content for events, collections, and other in-game activities.
Community Manager
Community Advocate and Event Support
Engaged with players, functioning as liaison between the community and development teams. Assisted with player-driven events and storylines, providing Gamemaster support.
Senior Manager, Customer Service
Player Experience and Support
Worked with marketing, development, and community teams to prepare for game releases, events, and updates to support the player experience. Led a team of agents across multiple timezones, establishing KPIs, and monitoring operational excellence.
Fraud Prevention
Analysis and Investigation
Identified suspicious accounts, transactions, and player behavior for potential fraud indicators. Collaborated with IT to implement preventative measures.
Store Manager
Coaching and Sales
Responsible for all aspects of business and store administration, including maintenance of employee and partner information, store audits, performance reviews, and ordering stock. Set daily and weekly sales goals for store performance.
Background and Certifications
Certification in Brand Management
Brand Management
Cornell University
2021
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Northeastern University
2007 - 2011
SCRUM Certification
Scrum Product Owner
Scrum Alliance
2014 - 2024
SCRUM Certification
ScrumMaster
Scrum Alliance
2014 - 2024
Other Skills and Proficencies
Adobe Photoshop
Creation and Design
Microsoft Office Suite
Outlook, Word, Powerpoint, Excel
Zendesk
Knowledge base and ticketing
Project Management & CRM
Monday.com, Asana, Trello
Atlassian Software
JIRA and Confluence
French Language
Intermediate Proficiency (A2-B1)