Principal Combat Designer - Remote Eligible

Principal Combat Designer

This is a senior creative and technical design opportunity focused on shaping the core combat experience of a high-quality online multiplayer game. In this role, you will define, refine, and elevate combat mechanics that directly impact how players engage, compete, and enjoy the game moment-to-moment. You will collaborate closely with directors and cross-disciplinary leads to translate high-level vision into finely tuned gameplay systems. The position requires a strong balance of creative instinct and technical precision, ensuring combat feels responsive, intuitive, and deeply engaging. You will act as a key advocate for the player experience, ensuring design decisions consistently prioritize clarity, fairness, and fun. This is a highly collaborative environment where iteration, communication, and gameplay excellence are central to success.

Accountabilities:

• Collaborate with the Design Director and other design leads to define and execute the overall vision for combat systems in a competitive online multiplayer environment.
• Design and implement advanced player combat mechanics, including weapons, abilities, and core gameplay interactions.
• Work closely with art, engineering, and other discipline leads to ensure alignment on gameplay systems before and during development.
• Continuously advocate for the player experience, ensuring combat design decisions prioritize clarity, engagement, and enjoyment.
• Prototype, iterate, and refine combat systems to achieve a high level of polish, balance, and responsiveness.
• Contribute to the design and improvement of gameplay features across characters, ensuring consistency and depth in combat interactions.
• Support the development process by identifying risks, solving complex design problems, and improving gameplay clarity through iteration and feedback.

Requirements:

• Proven experience working as a senior or principal designer on at least two shipped AAA titles, with a focus on gameplay or combat systems.
• Strong expertise in combat design, mechanics design, and gameplay systems within modern AAA or multiplayer games.
• Advanced proficiency with game design tools and strong hands-on experience with Unreal Engine (UE5 preferred).
• Deep understanding of core gameplay systems such as combat loops, player abilities, weapons design, and balance frameworks.
• Strong creative thinking combined with excellent technical problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to clearly communicate design intent across multiple disciplines, including engineering and art teams.
• Strong collaborative mindset with experience working in cross-functional, iterative development environments.
• Player-first mindset with a strong belief in clarity, accessibility, and engaging gameplay design.
• Solid understanding of industry trends and modern combat systems in contemporary games.

Benefits:

• Fully remote work model with flexibility to work from almost anywhere.
• Generous paid time off allowance.
• Dedicated summer and winter studio closure periods in addition to standard PTO.
• Private medical and dental healthcare coverage.
• Private mental health support program.
• Annual health and wellbeing allowance.
• Discretionary studio performance bonus.
• Top-tier home office equipment provided.
• Flexible and autonomy-driven culture focused on output rather than hours worked.
• Strong emphasis on work-life balance, transparency, and trust.
• Inclusive, collaborative studio culture focused on creativity, improvement, and craft excellence.