Lead Combat Designer

Job Description

Lead Combat Designer (Star Wars FPS Team)

Founded in 2010 by the original creators of the Call of Duty Franchise, Respawn was created with the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they'll make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected. From our roots as an indie studio to joining the expansive roster of studios at Electronic Arts, this remains our guiding principle. We truly love what we do and want to share our passion with players worldwide. Our shipped titles include critically acclaimed multi-platform games Apex Legends, Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Star Wars™ Jedi: Fallen Order, and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. Join us for the opportunity to create groundbreaking games with some of the best developer talent in the industry.

You can learn more about our studio and values at respawn.com/studio.

We're looking for a highly skilled Lead Combat Designer to join our Star Wars FPS team. Our ideal candidate is well-versed in the areas of control mechanics, enemy design, AI behaviors, combat/weapons, class design, skills/progression, story, and boss encounters. Reporting to the Game Director, this role will focus on delivering redefining gameplay combat experiences that feel good to play at every skill level.

What you'll do...
• Collaborate with and take direction from the Game Director to take enemy designs and combat systems from concept to completion.
• Collaborate with art, code, audio, animation, visual effects to deliver enemies and combat systems that epitomize the creative vision of the game.
• Work within Unreal Engine 5 to implement character animations, script behavior trees, special effects, and system tuning.
• Research subject matter relating to the design objective to ensure the authenticity of the experience.
• Facilitate communication and coordination between relevant departments to ensure overall creative vision.
• Ability to self-critique and accept outside critique. The more feedback you receive, the more you can tailor your work towards what is best for the team.
• Incorporate coworkers' ideas into the process.
• Participate in the research and development of new tools and design systems.
• Contribute to establishing and enforcing consistent design practices, constraints, and metrics throughout projects.

Ideally, you will have...
• 5+ years experience in the games industry working as a combat/systems designer, shipping at least one title.
• 4+ years experience designing and implementing heroes, enemies, bosses, or combat systems using visual scripting or text-based language.
• Experience with Unreal Engine 5 is ideal.
• Experience in rapid prototyping to test the feasibility of concepts.
• Expert game design sensibilities, including a superb grasp of timing and instincts of what feels right. Deep understanding of the game-play systems and mechanics, able to pro/con design decisions and the ramifications they will have on the overall experience.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to systematically break down problems logically.
• Ability to pitch design concepts in a clear, detailed manner, through strong written and verbal communication.
• Excellent collaborative communications skills - especially interdepartmental.
• CS degree is a plus.
• A passion for first-person shooter games is a major plus.

If this opportunity sounds like a great fit for you, please submit your resume and portfolio and we will get back to you once we have reviewed it.

In addition to opportunities for creative impact and professional growth which come with being a member of our team, working at Respawn has many other perks and benefits! Learn more at respawn.com/perks.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gx7zp1-18-219-112-111-42 in your application.