Senior Game Designer - Combat

2 Months ago • 5 Years + • Combat Design • $145,100 PA - $181,400 PA

Job Summary

Job Description

As a Senior Game Designer - Combat at PlayStation, you'll be responsible for pitching, designing, implementing, and owning enemy NPC archetypes. This includes collaborating with AI programmers on enemy AI, animators on enemy movement and abilities, and the design team on gameplay mechanics. You'll write documentation, drive communication across departments, facilitate playtesting, and mentor junior designers. Experience in action-adventure or shooter game combat design (5+ years, at least one shipped title) is crucial, along with proficiency in game engines (Unreal Engine, Unity) and scripting languages (C#, Lua). A strong understanding of behavior trees, narrative structure, and character action games is essential. You will be responsible for making every enemy feel unique and memorable and collaborating with other departments to bring them to life.
Must have:
  • 5+ years combat design experience
  • Shipped title as combat designer
  • Proficiency in game engines & scripting
  • Strong communication & collaboration skills
  • Enemy AI design & implementation
Good to have:
  • Experience with behavior trees
  • Computer Science degree
  • Knowledge of narrative structure
Perks:
  • Medical, dental, vision
  • Matching 401k
  • Paid time off
  • Wellness program
  • Sony product discounts
  • Bonus package

Job Details

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.

The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.

Title: Senior Game Designer - Combat

What you will do:

  • Pitch, design, implement, and own enemy NPC archetypes.
  • Work with AI programmers to develop foundational NPC technology and implementing and tuning enemy AI behaviors.
  • Work with animators to develop enemy locomotion and traversal, melee moves, ambient behaviors, and other custom abilities. Make every enemy archetype feel unique and memorable.
  • Collaborate with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems
  • Communicate with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the enemies you’re owning
  • Write and maintain documentation that establishes the core vision of the enemy archetypes
  • Drive communication and collaboration for enemies you design and the levels they are in, ensuring communication across disciplines and meeting deadlines
  • Effective and respectful communicator and collaborator, both with other designers and members of other departments
  • Facilitate playtesting and feedback sessions to iterate on combat systems and fine-tune them based on player experiences.
  • Mentor junior designers and contribute to the overall growth of the design team.

What skills you will use:

  • 5+ years of industry experience in combat design and/or technical design for games, specifically focused on developing action-adventure or shooter games.
  • At least one shipped title as a combat designer or similar role.
  • Experience with behavior trees or similar NPC AI concepts preferred.
  • Strong coding ability: Computer Science degree preferred though not required
  • Proficient in using game engines and tools (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) for combat implementation and design scripting (C#, Lua, Visual Scripting)
  • Welcomes feedback on their work and embraces the “let’s try it” mentality.
  • Proficient and effective communication skills, including diagramming and sketching.
  • Fluent in modern character action-adventure and shooter combat games. Maintains knowledge of the broader gaming landscape trends
  • Knowledge of narrative structure and how it intersects with gameplay and combat.
  • A keen eye for detail in character action games, able to tune gameplay systems to make them feel smooth and impactful
  • Strong leadership and mentoring skills.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about how we process your personal information, and your data protection rights.

At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.

Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.

$145,100 — $181,400 USD

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.

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About The Company

Want to take your career to the next level? Search open job vacancies at any of the Sony Interactive sites by visiting playstation.com/careers/


Sony Interactive Entertainment pushes the boundaries of entertainment and innovation, starting from the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994. Today, we continue to deliver innovative and thrilling experiences to a global audience through our PlayStation line of products and services that include generation-defining hardware, pioneering network services, and award-winning games. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with global functions in California, London, and Tokyo, and game development studios around the world as part of PlayStation Studios, we believe that the power of play is borderless. Sony Interactive Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.  


For more information about our company, please visit SonyInteractive.com. For more information about PlayStation products, please visit PlayStation.com.

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