Lead Gameplay Programmer

CD PROJEKT RED is seeking a Lead Gameplay Programmer for Cyberpunk 2, the next major video game in the Cyberpunk franchise. This role involves leading the Gameplay engineering team to create exceptional player experiences and top-quality gameplay in Unreal Engine 5. The successful candidate will prioritize team management and growth while also contributing with hands-on coding to deliver high-quality, performant, and scalable gameplay systems.

Must Have

• Manage direct reports, including career support, 1:1s, performance management, hiring, and promotions.
• Guide team to build high-quality, performant, and scalable gameplay systems in Unreal Engine.
• Foster cross-team and cross-functional collaboration for efficient development.
• Contribute to roadmapping and planning efforts with production.
• Work closely with designers, artists, and other developers to understand needs and ensure alignment.
• Ensure designers have efficient workflows and tools.
• Write high-quality code that is optimized, bug-free, and aligned with project goals.
• Solid management skills, with a minimum of one year of experience managing a team of programmers.
• At least 7 years of professional programming experience within the games industry.
• Excellent proficiency in C++ programming.
• Knowledge of mathematical concepts, including 3D math and linear algebra.
• Ability to think creatively and strategically to overcome technical challenges and drive innovation.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts.
• Ability to evaluate the quality of player gameplay experience/game feel.

Good to Have

• Knowledge of Unreal engine and a shipped project using Unreal.
• Experience with current-gen console hardware.
• Experience working with multi-threaded systems.

Perks & Benefits

• Company-paid medical healthcare (dental, vision, and mental).
• Free mental health support, including access to counseling, psychiatric care, and well-being webinars.
• Paid leave (20 days of holiday per year, 26 days after two years).
• RRSP with employer matching.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement.
• Menstrual leave (one extra day off for period pain).
• RED Parents Network (support for working parents, childcare benefits, family-friendly events).
• Flexible working hours.
• Trainings, lectures, and courses (internal workshops, knowledge-sharing, online tutorials, e-learning).
• A welcome pack filled with goodies.
• Dog-friendly office.
• Truly international working environment.
• No dress-code.
• Discretionary stock options.

Company Description

To create revolutionary, story-driven RPGs which go straight to the hearts of gamers — this is our mission. Want to dive deeper into our company’s culture? Explore our social media and check out our YouTube channel where we share behind-the-scenes insights and stories direct from our team members!

Job Description

CD PROJEKT RED is looking for a Lead Gameplay Programmer to join our team to work on Cyberpunk 2, the follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077 and the next major video game in the Cyberpunk franchise. In this role, you will lead the Cyberpunk 2 Gameplay engineering team to create amazing player experiences and top-quality gameplay in Unreal Engine 5. Management and the success of your team will be your priority, but you will also be doing some hands-on coding.

Daily Responsibilities:

• Manage your direct reports and help them grow while delivering high-quality player experiences. This includes career support, 1:1s, performance management, hiring and promotions.
• Guide your team to build high quality, performant and scalable gameplay systems in Unreal Engine.
• Foster cross-team and cross-functional collaboration to ensure efficient development.
• Work with production to contribute to roadmapping and planning efforts.
• Work closely with designers, artists and other developers to understand their needs and ensure that your team is aligned with everyone to deliver on expectations.
• Ensure that designers have efficient workflows and tools.
• Write high-quality code that is optimised, bug-free, and aligned with project goals.

Qualifications

• Solid management skills, with a minimum of one year of experience managing a team of programmers.
• At least 7 years of professional programming experience within the games industry.
• Excellent proficiency in C++ programming.
• Knowledge of mathematical concepts, including 3D math and linear algebra.
• Ability to think creatively and strategically to overcome technical challenges and drive innovation in technology.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to evaluate the quality of player gameplay experience/game feel.

Nice to have

• Knowledge of Unreal engine and a shipped project using Unreal.
• Experience with current-gen console hardware.
• Experience working with multi-threaded systems.

Additional Information

The application window for this position will close by 04/30/2026.

This job can be hybrid/in-office or fully remote.

Health & Well-Being

• Company-paid medical healthcare (dental, vision, and mental).
• Free mental health support, including access to counseling, psychiatric care, and a variety of well-being webinars.
• Paid leave — 20 days of holiday per year (26 days after two years).
• RRSP with employer matching.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement.
• Menstrual leave — employees who menstruate can take one extra day off when experiencing period pain.
• RED Parents Network — support for working parents, including childcare benefits, and family-friendly events.

Perks & Professional Growth

• Flexible working hours.
• Trainings, lectures, and courses — internal workshops, knowledge-sharing initiatives, online tutorials, and e-learning classes are all available.
• A welcome pack filled with goodies — to help you feel right at home once you join the team.

Life in the Office

• Dog-friendly office — bring your pooch with you and look after them while working! There’s always a furry friend or two to meet.
• Truly international working environment — a chance to meet and work with a diverse selection of people from all around the world.
• No dress-code — we like to keep it casual.

This position is a new role.

Estimated pay range for this position: $180,100 - $247,600 CAD annually

This role may also be eligible for discretionary stock options.

At CD PROJEKT RED compensation for our roles in North America are determined based on competitive market data, geographic location, and individual factors tied to business needs. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. Final offers are dependent on job-related factors like experience, qualifications, and location.

If you've observed any irregularities (i.e. legal or ethical violations) in our recruitment process, please click here to report them anonymously._

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