Lead Combat Designer

About Steel City Interactive

SCI was born out of passion for video games and boxing, with the ambition to create an authentic and exciting boxing game that does justice to the sport we love. What started as a fun prototype has grown into ‘Undisputed’, the first major boxing video game in over a decade.  

SCI is a welcoming place for expression and open communication, where everyone has a voice. We’re a diverse bunch, consisting of people with decades of games industry experience, graduates and talented individuals who come from other industries. We all bring knowledge and learn from each other.

Together we are driven by ambition to bring the world of boxing into a video game like never before.  

The Role

We are currently recruiting for a Lead Combat Designer, where you’ll be responsible for producing a high-quality boxing/fighting experience within our game.

You will collaborate with design, engineering, art and animation teams to create a compelling player experience, making sure that the player combat is visceral, highly responsive and rewarding. You'll create designs, systems and then implement these within the game. You’ll be expected to pitch, concept, implement and balance any new systems, whilst also being aware of what impact this would have on any systems already in place. You'll take responsibility and ownership for combat design and work closely with other disciplines to ensure that the features deliver in both quality and to the games vision.

You’ll be a passionate and level-headed combat designer who will be proactive and will always be thinking about the player experience. You’ll gather feedback and action it where required.

Responsibilities

• Using Unreal Engine 5 to build complicated prototypes and prove out combat design concepts.
• Balance new or already in place combat systems and data.
• Evaluate changes and understand their impact on the players experience.
• Configure Force Feedback and Haptic Feedback to support the player experience.
• Write clear and concise design documentation, ensuring that it is always kept up to date.
• Work with other designers to ensure that feature knowledge and progress is shared.
• Assess and communicate issues and risk within reasonable timescales.
• Collaborating with other designers and other departments to ensure that you are delivering best in class combat.
• Be the focal point for combat questions within the design team.
• Evangalise combat design as a discipline to others within the organisation.
• Use critical thinking skills to analyse feedback, and action any changes.
• Consider and create tools and systems that will help deliver best in class combat.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Experience as a combat designer in at least 1 shipped AAA title on console or PC as Lead.
• Experience as a Lead Designer, with at least 7 years in the games industry.
• High level of experienced in UE4/5.
• Enjoy creating UE4/5 prototypes and proving out combat designs.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Deep understanding of combat mechanics and player impact.
• Be able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Have experience of 3C Designs (Camera, Character, Controls).
  

What we offer

Healthy work-life balance:

• 23 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), that increases 1 day per year of service.
• Christmas shut down
• Holiday exchange programme
• Flexible working hours

Support for family life:

• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity pay
• Option to add children to our Healthcare Cash Plan

Great office environment:

• A dog friendly studio based in Sheffield, with free snacks, fruit and drinks!
• Free parking

Health & wellbeing support:

• Company sick pay
• 2 days paid Mental Health leave per year
• Healthcare Cash Plan which includes optical and dental
• Access to 24/7 doctors
• Employee Assistance Programme
• £300 wellbeing stipend every January

Learning support:

• Career progression path
• 5 Learning days per year
• Unlimited access to Udemy courses

Additional financial support:

• Technology scheme (up to £750)
• Discount Club at over 350 high street stores
• Discretionary Cost of Living Payments
• Relocation benefits
• Electric Car Vehicle Scheme

Connection and perks:

• Wrap parties & company paid outings
• Individual entertainment budget to cover team events

Steel City Interactive is an equal opportunity employer. We’re committed to building a diverse team and welcome all applications, considering them without regard to race, religion, belief, age, gender, gender expression, gender identity, gender reassignment, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, sex or sexual orientation.

If you’re excited about this role and believe you would add value to our team, but don’t meet every single requirement, we would still like to hear from you – please let us know about the value you would bring in your application.