Design Director, Hearthstone | Irvine, CA

4 Months ago • 12 Years + • Game Design • Game Production • $134,000 PA - $247,900 PA

Job Summary

Job Description

The Design Director for Hearthstone at Blizzard Entertainment will partner with leadership to define and deliver the game's vision, focusing on gameplay, metagame health, and player experience improvements. Responsibilities include leading cross-disciplinary teams, ensuring high-quality content releases, using player feedback and data to inform decisions, fostering a creative environment, and mentoring designers. The role requires strong project management, a deep understanding of live-service games, and a commitment to quality and player engagement. This is a hybrid role based in Irvine, CA.
Must have:
  • 12+ years game design experience (4+ in leadership)
  • Live service game experience
  • Lead & grow design teams
  • Cross-functional team collaboration
  • Champion design quality
  • Analyze designs and deliver quality
Good to have:
  • Experience with AAA game engines (Unreal, Unity)
  • Background in math, content/economy design, or live ops
  • Strong documentation skills
  • UX/UI design knowledge
  • Experience with mobile turn-based strategy and CCGs
Perks:
  • Medical, dental, vision
  • 401k with company match
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Paid time off
  • Mental health & wellbeing programs
  • Relocation assistance (if applicable)

Job Details

Team Name:

Hearthstone

Job Title:

Design Director, Hearthstone | Irvine, CA

Requisition ID:

R024565

Job Description:

Pull up a chair and join us by the hearth! Blizzard is looking for a Design Director to join the Hearthstone team. Our team values creativity, collaboration, and a commitment to quality, and we are searching for experienced developers to add to our team of talented game makers.

As a Design Director, you will collaborate with other game leadership to guide the future of Hearthstone, and be relentless in your pursuit of quality and championing the player. Experience driving and communicating a clear vision in a highly collaborative environment, managing and mentoring creative designers, and being a true partner to Art, Engineering, Product, and Production is essential to success.

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

Responsibilities

  • Partner with the Hearthstone leadership team to identify and deliver vision and direction for the live game, including delivering best in class gameplay, supporting a healthy metagame, and driving ongoing improvements to the player experience.
  • Drive cross-disciplinary working groups with clear goals, holding implementation of content releases and sophisticated systems accountable to a core vision and quality bar with kindness and candor.
  • Be a champion of quality in the delivery of fun and engaging card sets, providing the design feedback and roadblock removal vital for the design team to deliver on quality targets and business objectives.
  • Develop an understanding of the game’s community to identify common points of friction and opportunities to deliver improvements to the overall player experience.
  • Demonstrate the use of player feedback and data to help influence direction and prioritization while supervising the state of the game.
  • Establish and maintain a creative environment, encouraging a culture of experimentation, accountability, and success.
  • Cultivate the skills of those working with you, constantly finding opportunities to help them improve their craft.

Minimum Requirements

  • 12+ years of professional game design experience, with at least 4 years in a leadership or managerial role within the gaming industry.
  • Proven success in analyzing designs at a project level, defining and delivering quality delivery in a live service environment
  • Proven track record to lead, grow, and inspire design teams, championing design craft while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.

Key Attributes

  • Deep understanding of “games as service” and the live-service loop, especially through the lens of free-to-play games.
  • Strong project management skills and ability to maintain a strategic vision.
  • Being an advocate for simple, intuitive, and future-proof design, confident in speaking up or giving voice to dissenting opinions constructively.
  • Commitment to creating a safe space for collaboration, communication, and creativity across all subject areas and departments.

Extra Points

  • Previous professional experience working in AAA game engines, e.g. Unreal, Unity, etc.
  • A background in math, content design, economy design, or live ops.

Key Attributes

  • Strong documentation philosophies and strategies to evangelize your designs.
  • Familiarity with user experience and user interface design principles.
  • Active player of a variety of titles, especially mobile turn-based strategy games and collectible card games.
  • Enthusiastic and knowledgeable about Hearthstone

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 innovative 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 provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

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 $134,000.00 - $247,900.00 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.

Similar Jobs

Samsung Semiconductor - Intern, Optical Engineer

Samsung Semiconductor

San Jose, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Plarium - Multimedia Designer

Plarium

Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland (Hybrid)
2 Months ago
Regent Craft - Flight Controls Engineering Intern

Regent Craft

North Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States (On-Site)
6 Months ago
Ubisoft - Graphic Technical Director (Art)

Ubisoft

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Kojima Productions - Environment Artist

Kojima Productions

Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)
4 Months ago
Hutch - Lead Game Designer

Hutch

England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Maliyo Games - Game Designer

Maliyo Games

Nigeria (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Ubisoft - Game Designer - Social [Casual Party Game]

Ubisoft

Shanghai, Shanghai, China (On-Site)
7 Months ago
RoofStack - Senior Game Designer

RoofStack

İstanbul, İstanbul, Türkiye (On-Site)
1 Month ago
QUANTIC DREAM - Senior Game Designer - Star Wars : Eclipse™ (F/H/NB)

QUANTIC DREAM

Paris, Île-de-France, France (Hybrid)
4 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Similar Skill Jobs

PlayQ - Motion Designer (Remote Contract)

PlayQ

Brazil (Remote)
2 Months ago
Wizcorp - Software Engineer

Wizcorp

Tokyo, Japan (Remote)
1 Month ago
Limit Break - Unity Level Integrator

Limit Break

Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)
9 Months ago
Meta - Software Engineer, Product

Meta

Bellevue, Washington, United States (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Playrix - Senior C++ Software Engineer (Gameplay)

Playrix

Montenegro (Remote)
6 Months ago
Meta - Game Design Manager

Meta

Bellevue, Washington, United States (Remote)
5 Months ago
Amber - 3D Artist - Characters (Project Based)

Amber

Brazil (On-Site)
8 Months ago
Wizcorp - Video Game Engine Programmer

Wizcorp

Tokyo, Japan (Remote)
1 Month ago
Metacore - UI/UX Lead

Metacore

Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland (Hybrid)
2 Months ago
Samsung Semiconductor - Intern, Emerging Memories Engineer

Samsung Semiconductor

San Jose, California, United States (On-Site)
1 Month ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Jobs in California, Irvine, United States

Zoox - Senior Product Manager, Operations Software

Zoox

Foster City, California, United States (Hybrid)
6 Months ago
Interface AI - Senior Software Engineer, Backend

Interface AI

United States (Remote)
2 Months ago
Daybreak Game Company LLC - Customer Service Representative

Daybreak Game Company LLC

San Diego, California, United States (On-Site)
10 Months ago
Next Level Business Services - Project Manager - Mobility

Next Level Business Services

Collegeville, Pennsylvania, United States (On-Site)
6 Months ago
Lead venture - Business Development Representative (SaaS Inside Sales)

Lead venture

United States (Remote)
6 Months ago
X Studios,  Inc  - Production Coordinator

X Studios, Inc

Winter Park, Florida, United States (On-Site)
9 Months ago
Warner Bros Discovery - Firefighter (Full Time)

Warner Bros Discovery

Burbank, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Lionsgate Games - Assistant, Worldwide Publicity, Events & Special Projects

Lionsgate Games

Santa Monica, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Take-Two Interactive - Senior Manager, Endpoint Systems Engineering

Take-Two Interactive

New York, New York, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Scientific Games  - Data Center Technician II

Scientific Games

Middletown, Pennsylvania, United States (On-Site)
2 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Game Design Jobs

Electronic Arts - Senior Game Designer

Electronic Arts

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Ubisoft - Technical Designer

Ubisoft

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Inwave - Game Designer

Inwave

(On-Site)
2 Months ago
Easy Brain - Senior UX/UI Designer

Easy Brain

Limassol, Limassol, Cyprus (Hybrid)
3 Months ago
Welevel - Game Designer

Welevel

Munich, Bavaria, Germany (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Ubisoft - Gameplay Programmer (Assassin's Creed INVICTUS)

Ubisoft

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Hybrid)
2 Months ago
Red Panda Games studio - Sofware Developer for mobile games

Red Panda Games studio

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (Remote)
7 Months ago
Supercell - Game Tester, Project R.I.S.E

Supercell

Shanghai, Shanghai, China (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Plummy games - Senior Game Designer

Plummy games

Tallinn, Harju County, Estonia (Remote)
1 Month ago
undefined - Principal Player Combat & Gameplay Designer

Bellevue, Washington, United States (On-Site)
6 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

About The Company

Explore gaming industy jobs in one of the leading Game Studios.

Get notified when new jobs are added by Blizzard Entertainment

Level Up Your Career in Game Development!

Transform Your Passion into Profession with Our Comprehensive Courses for Aspiring Game Developers.

Job Common Plug