Senior Combat Designer
Irvine, CA

Job Description

Blizzard Entertainment is seeking a talented and passionate senior/lead combat designer with FPS design experience to architect and lead core combat design for an unannounced multiplayer project. In this role, you will champion Blizzard's core value of "Gameplay First" as you provide vision and design insight to cross-discipline team-members responsible for combat mechanics and systems.

We are a team of passionate developers that value open-minded collaboration, direct communication and feedback, and the eagerness to grab and drive a feature to Blizzard quality. As a combat designer on the team, you will balance your humble and supportive nature with a particularly strong eye for gameplay feel, prioritizing satisfying feedback and intuitive mechanics. By blending your creative vision with your ability to align teams on important goals, you will pitch ideas and refine them into simple and targeted executions that are exciting to play.

The ideal candidate will have proven experience designing moment-to-moment gameplay, controls, weapons, and abilities for modern AAA multiplayer titles.

Responsibilities:

* Analyze, pitch, prototype, balance, and develop core combat and moment-to-moment mechanics and systems
* Act as a champion of feel, feedback, and intuitive mechanics for all aspects of moment-to-moment play
* Partner with design and leadership in forming the design vision, and evangelizing it to the rest of the team
* Lead playtest sessions, and build a safe and productive environment for participants to share constructive and actionable feedback
* Create one-page designs, content briefs, system outlines, and whatever other communication tools are necessary for succinctly and effectively communicating vision
* Leverage technical experience to implement systems using a proprietary design tool
* Collaborate with multiple disciplines, ensuring the correct partners are involved and informed throughout the development process
* Gather and provide effective and constructive feedback to the creative staff, providing suggestions and solutions for improvement when applicable
* Ensure consistency, authenticity, and harmony across features, systems, and development efforts
* Remain current on industry trends, including new game genres, new game design methods and techniques, and trending audio visual excellence.

Requirements

* 6+ years of experience shipping AAA FPS titles in combat or systems design roles
* Multiple shipped titles in a senior role, with a history of successful features
* Demonstrated ability to communicate and align design vision with internal partners and the target audience
* Exceptional ability to conceptualize, pitch, and implement game systems and features using various tools, technology, and visual language
* Ability to direct, collaborate, and speak critically on gameplay systems, art, and content development
* Collaborative and progressive thinker capable of inspiring large teams toward a unified goal
* Clear understanding of creative and game development processes
* Extensive experience with online action games
* A deep passion for and knowledge of Blizzard franchises
* Extraordinary self-motivation and initiative

Pluses

* A familiarity with scripting languages and a strong foundation in math
* Deep understanding of systems design, player psychology, and emerging industry trends
* Experience with versatile game development tools such as Unity and Unreal.

Application Materials

* Resume which must include:
* A link to your portfolio so that we can see examples of your work.


* Cover Letter which must include:
* Why you are interested in joining Blizzard Entertainment
* Your experience and relationship with Blizzard games
* What games you are currently playing.



Only submittals with Cover Letters will be considered.

Blizzard Entertainment is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.