Principal Economy Designer

Intrepid Studios is searching for a highly skilled and passionate Principal Economy Designer to play a critical role in the development of Ashes of Creation, our ambitious MMORPG. As a Principal Economy Designer, you will be responsible for enhancing and maintaining the intricate economic landscape of the world of Verra. You will have a deep understanding of how players interact with in-game economies and possess the expertise to refine systems to be engaging and balanced. Your role will be essential in collaborating with a team of designers to cultivate a thriving and dynamic player-driven economy that enhances the overall Ashes of Creation experience. A passion for MMORPGs is an absolute requirement!

Responsibilities:

• Enhance and maintain overarching reward structures and currency systems for a player-driven economy in an MMORPG.
• Refine economic systems that facilitate fun gameplay loops that enhance gameplay replayability.
• Maintain overall balance between multiple interacting economic systems to support a healthy game economy.
• Develop and maintain documentation and spreadsheet balance of economic systems.
• Continually iterate, balance, and tune features and gameplay based on feedback from team, QA, and playtesting.
• Communicate, coordinate, and participate in a collaborative, interdisciplinary, cross-studio team environment.
• Mentor junior designers.

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of game development experience, preferably in an economy designer role.
• Deep understanding of economic principles and their application in virtual worlds.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and make informed decisions to balance complex systems.
• Proficiency in Excel or similar spreadsheet software for economic modeling and analysis.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Passion for MMORPGs and a strong understanding of the genre's economic challenges and opportunities.

Desired Expertise:

• Experience with Unreal Engine 5 and its Blueprint visual scripting system.
• Familiarity with emergent gameplay systems and their impact on in-game economies.
• Experience working with live game updates and economic adjustments in response to player behavior.

Required Application Materials:

• Resume
• Cover Letter which should include:
  • Why you are interested in working at Intrepid
  • Share about the game you are currently playing and what you like about it

Interview Overview:

Below you'll find an outline of the interview plan for this role. Please note that while this is what we expect the process to look like; we may ask you for supplemental information or require an additional step before making a final decision.

• 30 min interview with a member of our Talent Team
• Design Test
• 60 min interview with the Hiring Manager and Team
• Final interview with the executive team
• References calls & a background check

The Legal Bits:

We offer competitive pay based on market standards plus a significant annual bonus structure. The base salary for this role is between $100,000 - $160,000, depending on skills and experience. Individual compensation decisions are based on a number of factors, including experience level, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company. We expect the majority of the candidates who are offered roles at our company to fall throughout the range based on these factors.

Job descriptions are not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that may be required of the employee.

We encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, to apply for positions. We are an equal opportunity employer and we're committed to a fair and consistent interview process and employer experience.

About Us:

Founded in 2015, Intrepid Studios is the independent developer and publisher of the upcoming and Most Anticipated MMORPG, Ashes of Creation. Based in beautiful Southern California, Intrepid has assembled a veteran AAA team of tremendous talent and experience in the MMORPG industry. The gaming industry can be a turbulent storm of hiring cycles and layoffs. We’ve set out to do something different, to break this cycle and create an independent studio capable of withstanding the chaos of this industry. We’ve brought on-board a team of professionals that hold a diverse set of skills, and who all share a singular goal: making fun games. The studio is designed to be an open place for collaboration and communication, a place that is conducive to team building and success. Our goal is to build a family that will laugh together, play together, succeed together, and stay together.

All posted positions are full-time with generous medical benefit options covered 100% by employer for employees and dependents plus paid vacation & sick days, and 401k with matching. 

We're proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Intrepid Studios will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. Applicants of all ages, identities, and backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Intrepid Studios will provide reasonable accommodation to employees who have protected disabilities consistent with local law.

See more details on your right to work here: https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RighttoWorkPoster.pdf.

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See more details here: https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf.

Note to Recruiters and Placement Agencies: We do not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Unsolicited resumes received will be considered our property and will be processed accordingly.