Principal Multiplayer Systems Designer

Why PlayStation?

PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.

PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.

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Are you on a mission to create games that bond players together into deeply invested communities? Would you like to work on something comedic with lighthearted and whimsical characters? Do you spend your time deconstructing the latest PvP games to understand how they work? Do you analyze how teamplay dynamics are affected by everything from moment-to-moment abilities to high-level macro objectives? Are you excited to design game systems that allow for interesting strategic decisions, multiple vectors of player learning, and the depth to support hundreds of hours of gameplay? 

We are seeking a highly technical, creative, and team-oriented Principal Multiplayer Systems Designer to contribute to a new multiplayer action game. You will work closely with the entire Design Team designing, crafting, and implementing a robust suite of multiplayer game systems. You will collaborate with team members from other disciplines to drive a holistic multiplayer experience. You will establish good design processes and evangelize them throughout the design team. Most importantly, you will work with a fun, dedicated, and passionate team devoted to turning a creative dream into a new franchise at PlayStation.  

We are looking for candidates who value joining a mission-focused team with a diverse set of backgrounds, experiences, interests, and viewpoints. 

Responsibilities: 

• Conceive of, build, and iterate on competitive multiplayer game mechanics and systems, like PvP game modes, items, economy, and balance tuning, that provide strategic depth and opportunities for counterplay 

• Drive a multi-disciplinary team of designers, artists, testers, and engineers to create multiplayer game systems engaging players for hundreds of hours 

• Takes high level leadership direction and feedback, distilling the problem spaces into digestible goal-oriented direction for your multi-disciplinary team 

• Contribute to and uphold the creative vision of the game, ensuring consistency across all aspects of game design 

• Collaborate daily with the team through feedback, design guidance, roadmaps, and providing clear goals and outcomes to teammates 

Required Skills: 

• Embrace a "we" culture in addition to being an outstanding collaborator and communicator 

• Experience shipping ongoing live updates to a successful PvP game 

• Strong understanding of PvP games with in-session player progression, like MOBAs and Battle Royales; what makes these games fun, what the rules of thumb are for the genre, how and when to break them 

• Strong familiarity with global gaming markets and the competitive gaming/esports landscape 

• Able to balance leadership direction, player feedback, and analytics data to make informed creative decisions for a wide range of player skills and motivations 

• Technical experience with text-based script or code for a work or home game project 

Nice to Have: 

• Strong understanding of multiplayer map design 

• Familiarity with development using Unreal Engine 

• Experience managing a team of designers 

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. 

PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.