She walked in fresh out of college with a linguistics degree and a love for languages. Six years later, she’s leading a team of project managers, shipping localization for games she genuinely loves, and collaborating with AI like it’s just another colleague. Meet Elizaveta Iarusova, Localization Team Lead at Allcorrect. Her story is about growth, grit, and finding out that the best part of the job isn’t the projects—it’s the people. Read on to find out how she got here.
Some people take a winding road to game localization—through freight companies, call centers, or sales departments—before landing where they belong. Elizaveta Iarusova took the more direct route—straight from university into Allcorrect, armed with a linguistics degree and a clear sense of where she wanted to go.
What she couldn’t have predicted was just how far that first step would take her.
In six years, Liza has gone from Junior Project Manager to Localization Team Lead—a role that puts her at the intersection of language, technology, people, and process. Along the way, she’s shipped memorable projects, navigated the rise of AI in localization, built up a team she’s genuinely proud of, and picked up wisdom from three different mentors. Oh, and she’s written about all of it, too.
We caught up with Liza to hear the full story—the “wow, I actually know what I’m doing” moments, the challenges, the favorite projects, and what she’d say if she had to describe Allcorrect in just a few words.
What did you do before Allcorrect and how did you end up in gamedev?
I came to Allcorrect straight out of university—fresh off finishing my linguistics degree. I really wanted to work with languages, so I was convinced this was the perfect place for that. And I wasn’t wrong!
What was your first impression—of the company, the team, the work?
My first impression was surprise at how huge the open-plan office felt to me at the time! But I was also genuinely impressed by the variety of projects and by how willing my senior colleagues were to teach me all the ins and outs of being a localization manager. That openness made a big difference early on.
You started as a Junior PM and worked your way up to Team Lead. Was there a specific moment when you realized you’d stopped learning and started knowing?
It happened somewhere around the middle-to-senior PM stage, when I started helping other managers with their projects—bringing in my expertise around planning and risk management. That’s when something clicked: “Wow, I actually know what I’m talking about.” It was a quiet realization, but a meaningful one.
Was there a moment—a specific one you remember—when you knew: “This is exactly what I want to be doing”?
When I saw the project managers on my team growing, leveling up, and advancing in their careers—and knowing I played some part in that—I realized this is what I genuinely love about my work. Being part of someone else’s development and feeling proud of them. That’s it for me.
Is there a game or project you worked on that you’re especially proud of?
Turnip Boy is my most memorable and favorite project, hands down. Everything just came together on that one: a genuinely captivating game, texts that called for creative localization solutions, and solid planning from start to finish. It’s the kind of project you look back on and smile.
What’s your most vivid memory from your time at Allcorrect?
The moment I became Team Lead. Going from Project Manager to leading a team was a real challenge—but it was also the most exciting and engaging stage of my career so far. That transition is something I’ll always remember.
Who or what inside the company influenced your growth the most?
The fastest personal growth happens after failures—and I’ve had my share. For me, failure usually looks like negative feedback from a client. It’s never easy to receive, but it’s always an opportunity to step back, figure out what went wrong, improve the process, and make sure both the client and the players end up happy with the localization of a game they’ve been waiting for. Those moments sting—and then they build you.
You’re the author of Allcorrect’s article on neural networks in localization. When did AI stop feeling like a threat and start feeling like a tool?
AI stopped feeling like a threat the moment I learned how to collaborate with it. Right now, it’s just a tool to me—it handles the boring, repetitive stuff and gives me back time to focus on the things only a human can do. I don’t see it as a threat anymore. It’s more that I’ve developed a clear understanding of what it does better than me, and what’s faster and higher quality if I just handle it myself.
Did you take part in any internal development programs? What actually changed your approach to work?
I took part in the mentorship program—as a mentee, with three different mentors, each one for a different focus area. And these were very different meetings with very different people, but equally valuable across the board. Different personalities, different areas of expertise, each one strong in their own lane. I’d like to think I picked up a little something from each of them.
If you had to describe Allcorrect in one word or phrase—what would it be?
The first thing that comes to mind is continuous improvement. And that’s not just about the company’s internal processes—it’s about the people who create those processes.
Conclusion
Elizaveta’s path is a good reminder that career growth isn’t always linear—sometimes it’s just really intentional. She came in knowing what she valued (languages, people, meaningful work), stayed curious, took the hard feedback seriously, and kept showing up. Six years, a Team Lead role, real game projects, a published perspective on AI in localization, and a team she’s proud to have helped shape. That’s a pretty solid playthrough.
Liza is one of the experts you can connect with at Allcorrect—whether you’re curious about game localization, thinking through an AI-assisted workflow, or just want to talk to someone who’s been in the trenches and still loves the work.
Want to learn more about how Allcorrect approaches game localization? Check out Liza’s articles: Empowering Localization with AI: A Human Touch and Neural Networks: Threat or Helpers? Or get in touch with her directly.
