Darby McDevitt, a graduate of Western Washington University in Bellingham, is the narrative lead behind some of the most historically ambitious entries in the Assassin's Creed franchise. WWU is featuring McDevitt's career this week as an example of what humanities-grounded graduates go on to accomplish in the global games industry.
Assassin's Creed is one of the best-selling video game franchises in history, with entries set in ancient Egypt, Greece, the Viking age, feudal Japan, and colonial America, among others. The narrative design work that gives each game its historical authenticity and story coherence is a collaboration between writers, historians, and creative directors. McDevitt has served as a lead writer and narrative director on multiple entries in the series, working at Ubisoft Montreal and in close collaboration with the franchise's international development teams.
His academic background from Western Washington University formed the foundation for that kind of multidisciplinary work. WWU's Bellingham campus, set on a hillside overlooking Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands, is home to approximately 16,000 students and offers programs ranging from business and education to fine arts and the sciences. The university is a significant anchor institution for Whatcom County's economy and cultural life, and alumni like McDevitt illustrate the reach of a WWU education into unexpected corners of global industry.
The games industry is a substantial economic sector in the Pacific Northwest, with major studios in Seattle, Bellevue, and elsewhere in the region. Western Washington has contributed graduates to those studios and to international companies like Ubisoft. McDevitt's career path -- from Bellingham to Montreal to the helm of one of gaming's most recognized narrative properties -- is not typical, but it is the kind of outcome that WWU highlights to demonstrate what its graduates can accomplish.
For current WWU students interested in careers in games or interactive media, the university's communication, creative writing, and computer science programs all provide relevant foundations. The games industry increasingly values writers who understand history, culture, and story structure alongside technical collaborators. McDevitt's profile at WWU News offers a first-person account of how his time on the Bellingham campus shaped his approach to world-building and research-driven narrative. Full details are available at WWU News.
Western Washington University's June commencement ceremonies also took place this week, marking the graduation of the class of 2026. Hundreds of students completed degrees across the university's colleges and were honored in ceremonies on the Bellingham campus. For WWU's most recent commencement photo gallery, see the full coverage here.
For more on Western Washington University and its alumni, programs, and research, visit wwu.edu or follow WWU News at news.wwu.edu.
