Principal Game Designer, Trading Card Games (TCG)

Principal Game Designer

Fanatics TCG is a new trading card game business, the newest member of the Fanatics Collectibles family. We are here to build the best TCG studio and games in the world. If you have passion, and skill, and if you believe trading card games represent the very best of what games have to offer, please reach out to us.

The Principal Game Designer serves as the technical and systems design authority for Fanatics Collectibles' trading card game. This role translates creative vision into durable mechanics, rules, and formats while mentoring designers and shaping the long-term health of the game.

Responsibilities:

• Design and evolve core game systems, rules, and resource models
• Lead set-level and mechanic design for major releases
• Own balance philosophy, playtesting frameworks, and iteration processes
• Partner with Live Ops and Data to support ongoing gameplay health
• Mentor senior and mid-level designers and set design standards

Qualifications & Experience:

• Minimum 8 years of professional game or TCG design experience
• Shipped experience on at least one successful card or competitive game
• Deep expertise in systems design and balance for live games
• Experience designing for both initial launch and long-term live support

Skills & Abilities:

• Strong systems thinking and analytical problem-solving
• Ability to simplify complex mechanics into elegant designs
• Clear written and verbal communication skills
• Collaborative mindset across creative and technical teams

Location & Compensation:

Achieving our goals requires strong collaboration and partnership between our teams and internal stakeholders. To best support this, the person who accepts this role is expected to be onsite in-office five days per week.

Ensure your Fanatics job offer is legitimate and don't fall victim to fraud. Fanatics never seeks payment from job applicants. Feel free to ask your recruiter for a phone call or other type of communication for interview, and ensure your communication is coming from a Fanatics email address (including collectfanatics.com). For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at www.fanaticsinc.com/careers.