Advanced Designer, Narrative

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.$95K — $115K *
Media
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of interactive storytelling experience in games, preferably RPGs.
  • Proven success in writing and narrative-focused game design with released titles.
  • Experience within established franchises, ensuring authenticity and tonal consistency.
  • Strong skills in communication and documentation of narrative plans.
  • Deep understanding of the game development cycle from concept to release.
  • In-depth appreciation for games, film, and literature, especially fantasy.
  • Familiarity with Unreal Engine 5 and dialogue tools like Articy is advantageous.

Responsibilities

  • Craft engaging missions and narratives that enhance player experience.
  • Collaborate with directors to ensure narrative authenticity aligned with franchise.
  • Champion daily narrative goals to maintain project vision.
  • Drive coherence between narrative, themes, and gameplay mechanics.
  • Manage and visualize branching narrative structures effectively.
  • Iterate on mission designs based on feedback from the development team.
  • Support narrative aspects of design elements such as character development and player choices.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work on high-profile titles within a respected franchise.
  • Collaborative team environment with access to industry leaders and experts.
  • Focus on creative problem-solving and innovative storytelling.
  • Chance to influence the emotional journey of players through narrative.
  • Involvement in a dynamic development process with a full cycle experience.
Full Job Description

ADVANCED NARRATIVE DESIGNER

Join the team behind 2023's smash hit Hogwarts Legacy! Avalanche Software, a division of WB Games Inc., is seeking an Advanced Narrative Designer to join the team that created Hogwarts Legacy. We are looking for a visionary storyteller whose passion is providing stories that the player can affect through their choices. The ideal applicant has a deep understanding of the Wizarding World and is excited to tell new wizarding stories through player agency. Applicants should be creative, self-motivated problem solvers who enjoy collaborating with writers and other designers to create immersive narrative experiences. This position involves direct collaboration with design and narrative leadership, writers, artists, IP owners, producers, and peers across every discipline.

 

The Daily

  • Craft compelling missions and rich stories that build a satisfying player experience.
  • Collaborate with directors and IP owners to ensure authentic stories that tickle fans, ignite the imagination, and connect with players on an emotional level.
  • Champion the narrative goals of the project on a day to day basis
  • Promote and drive narrative, thematic, and mechanical coherence across story and gameplay.
  • Visualize, track, manage, and communicate the branching structure of narrative choice content in the game.
  • Resolve issues, mediate, provide feedback, and iterate on mission designs based on direction from the development team and franchise representatives.
  • Provide narrative support for design elements, such as story beat creation, game mechanics delivery, character profiles, character motivations, narrative feature design, player choices, and the player emotional journey as delivered through narrative during game development.
  • Evaluate missions and provide feedback to mission implementors and artists for how to maximize storytelling and narrative immersion through game mechanics, player choices, dialog options, and environmental storytelling.
  • Own and drive production on large or complex narrative features or content arcs from initial design through polish and ship.
  • Translate creative direction, team feedback, and cross-discipline conversations into clear mission specs, narrative documentation, and implementation plans.
  • Work with discipline leads and stakeholders across the studio to gather input, vet proposals, and align narrative content with the broader needs of the project.
  • Work with production to prioritize narrative content and keep milestones on track.
  • Provide clear guidance and feedback to other narrative designers on mission design, documentation, and franchise alignment.

 

The Essentials

  • Previous experience in interactive storytelling, narrative design, and game writing, RPG experience preferred.
  • A strong record of quality in writing and/or narrative focused game design.
  • Experience working within an established franchise, authoring exciting new experiences that still feel authentic and tonally consistent.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills including documentation of narrative plans.
  • Contributed to shipped titles and participated in a full dev cycle from concept through release.
  • Familiarity with standard game-development processes and workflows.
  • Possess a deep literacy in games, film, television, and literature with a love of the fantasy genre.
  • Knowledge of the Wizarding World franchise is a definite plus.
  • Experience with Unreal Engine 5, Blueprint, and dialogue authoring tools such as Articy considered a plus.

About Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is an American video game publisher based in Burbank, California, and part of the newly-formed Global Streaming and Interactive Entertainment unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. WBIE was founded on January 14, 2004 under Warner Bros. and transferred to the Home Entertainment division when that company was formed in October 2005. WBIE manages the wholly owned game development studios TT Games, Rocksteady Studios, NetherRealm Studios, Monolith Productions, WB Games Boston, Avalanche Software, and WB Games Montréal, among others.
Learn more about Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Industry
Founded
1918

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