Senior Combat Designer

Job Description

Why PlayStation?

Senior Combat Designer

San Mateo, CA

PixelOpus, creator of the award-winning action-adventure PS4 game Concrete Genie, is seeking outstanding talent to join our passionate and creative team in crafting an exciting new PlayStation 5 title in collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation.

PixelOpus is one of the Global Game Development Studios within the PlayStation Studios family. Located at PlayStation's HQ in San Mateo, CA, this unique innovative studio is looking for a highly skilled Senior Combat Designer to work on our most ambitious game yet. Our ideal candidate is an expert in the areas of hero control/mechanics, enemy design, AI behaviors, combat/weapons, class design, skills/progression, and boss encounters. Reporting to the Lead Designer, this position will work alongside other game designers, sharing their hard earned combat design expertise to help us create an incredible new combat experience for our players.

Responsibilities:
• Design and develop combat gameplay, including enemy AI and boss designs from concept to completion
• Analyze fun factor and comprehension of combat, identifying issues and opportunities for improvement
• Write and maintain clear and concise documentation for feature specs, mechanics, and behaviors.
• Rapidly prototype new concepts in UE5 to test feasibility
• Blueprints & behavior tree scripting to develop and tune gameplay systems
• Collaborate with animation, engineering, audio, art, visual effects to deliver extraordinary feeling combat experience
• Encounter layout and gameplay tuning in collaboration with level design and narrative
• Balance combat difficulty progression, embracing regular play-testing as a key part of the process

Required Qualifications:
• 4+ years working experience in Console Game industry
• 2+ years in a combat design role on an action game for console/PC that shipped
• Proven track record to implement heroes, enemies, bosses or combat systems
• Passion for combat games and their game mechanics
• Ability to think logically with a strong level of attention to detail
• High quality communication skills, able to convey abstract concepts verbally, and in documentation
• Excellent partnership skills - especially interdepartmental - we foster an inclusive and collaborative work space
• Scripting experience (e.g. visual scripting, Lua, C# or python)
• Computer Science or Game Design degree a plus
• Unreal Engine experience preferred

At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.

Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

In addition, this role may be eligible for bonus and SIE's top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. Click here to learn more.

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.

$100,600 - $151,000 USD

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.

For more information about our benefits, please visit our Careers site.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-d21w9y-18-222-67-251-42 in your application.