Demo

Principal Designer, Combat AI - Unannounced Game

Blizzard Entertainment
Irvine, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 1/11/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 4/3/2025

Team Name : Unannounced Project

Take the next step in your career now, scroll down to read the full role description and make your application.

Job Title :

Principal Designer, Combat AI - Unannounced Game

Requisition ID : R023993

Job Description :

At Blizzard, we craft genre-defining games and legendary worlds for all to share. Through unparalleled creativity and storytelling, we create immersive universes and iconic characters that are beloved across platforms, borders, backgrounds, and generations - only made possible by building a work environment that nurtures the artistry of game development and unleashes the aspirations of our people.

As the Principal Combat Designer, you will oversee the conception and production of all components that contribute to ensuring combat is intuitive to learn, challenging to master, and satisfyingly fun.

The scope of work to deliver the combat experience will impact the player, enemies, and environment. You will ensure every aspect of the players’ actions are both satisfying and responsive. Under your care, monsters will be interesting, memorable, and challenging, from the initial threats all the way to legendary boss encounters players will talk about for decades. You will work hand-in-hand with level design to ensure the levels support the needs of combat and enemy placement.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA.

What you offer :

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities :

  • Take ownership of all combat features and systems – from ideation, through prototyping, and final best-in-class execution.
  • Work closely with the Technical Director to build tools for combat and systems implementation.
  • Create one-page designs, briefs, system outlines, and whatever other communication tools are necessary for succinctly and effectively communicating vision.
  • Leverage technical expertise to implement systems.
  • Collaborate with multiple disciplines, ensuring partners are involved and informed throughout development.
  • Provide regular active feedback across all your features, and across the game.
  • Remain current on industry trends including new game genres, new game design techniques, and trending audio-visual excellence.

Minimum Requirements

  • 15 years of experience in combat or systems design or applicable combination of education and experience.
  • Proven experience leading design teams; have shipped at least one major title in a leadership capacity.
  • Experience leading multiple functional teams in feature development.
  • Experience with AAA game engines.
  • Experience developing design concepts from conception to implementation in a clear, detailed manner.
  • Extra Points

  • Your work experience is in the AAA space.
  • Built a combat design team – hire, train, and mentor designers of combat and systems.
  • Familiarity with programming and scripting languages such as C , C#, Blueprint, Lua, or JavaScript.
  • A background in combat design, content design, or tools development.
  • Strong documentation philosophies and strategies to evangelize your designs.
  • Playing a variety of video game genres and titles.
  • Your Platform

    Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ : MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

    Our World

    Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, Candy Crush and Bubble Witch. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

    Our ability to build immersive and innovate worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment.

    We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

    We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

    We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

    Rewards

    We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including :

  • Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
  • 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
  • Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
  • Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
  • If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.
  • Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https : / / www.benefitsforeveryworld.com / .

    In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $124,400.00 - $230,300.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.

    J-18808-Ljbffr

    Salary : $124,400 - $230,300

    If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
    Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

    What is the career path for a Principal Designer, Combat AI - Unannounced Game?

    Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Principal Designer, Combat AI - Unannounced Game career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
    Income Estimation: 
    $106,272 - $135,338
    Income Estimation: 
    $148,081 - $218,733
    Income Estimation: 
    $90,707 - $120,959
    Income Estimation: 
    $111,369 - $141,168
    Income Estimation: 
    $117,871 - $153,580
    Income Estimation: 
    $109,939 - $144,341
    Income Estimation: 
    $114,500 - $144,633
    Income Estimation: 
    $109,939 - $144,341
    Income Estimation: 
    $131,745 - $167,716
    Income Estimation: 
    $144,503 - $184,592
    Income Estimation: 
    $102,541 - $137,871
    Income Estimation: 
    $153,752 - $200,235
    Income Estimation: 
    $131,745 - $167,716
    Income Estimation: 
    $150,756 - $194,140
    Income Estimation: 
    $172,191 - $221,861
    Income Estimation: 
    $114,549 - $164,025
    Income Estimation: 
    $153,752 - $200,235
    View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

    Job openings at Blizzard Entertainment

    Blizzard Entertainment
    Hired Organization Address Seattle, WA Full Time
    Responsibilities Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not li...
    Blizzard Entertainment
    Hired Organization Address Irvine, CA Full Time
    Responsibilities : Primary POC for our Chinese partners : Establish and build strong relationships and clear communicati...
    Blizzard Entertainment
    Hired Organization Address Irvine, CA Full Time
    Responsibilities Create and drive the art outsource infrastructure and best practices needed to deliver best-in-class ga...
    Blizzard Entertainment
    Hired Organization Address Irvine, CA Full Time
    Responsibilities : Design game levels and contribute to overall world building from conception to the final stages of po...

    Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Principal Designer, Combat AI - Unannounced Game jobs in the Irvine, CA area that may be a better fit.

    Senior Level Designer - Unannounced Game

    Blizzard Entertainment, Irvine, CA

    Associate Technical Director, AI - Unannounced Game

    Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., Irvine, CA

    AI Assistant is available now!

    Feel free to start your new journey!