Epic Games

Senior Game Designer

Epic Games$110K — $130K *
Cary, NC 27513In-Person
Consumer Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of professional game design experience, shipping high-quality gameplay features or systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to independently own complex features from concept to release.
  • Strong hands-on experience with Unreal Engine and Blueprint scripting.
  • Experience in designing for live-service games or active online ecosystems.
  • In-depth understanding of multiplayer game design, especially Battle Royale.
  • Ability to empathize with player motivations and behaviors.
  • Proven design judgment and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

  • Drive design and development of significant gameplay features and systems from concept to launch.
  • Prototype and implement designs using Blueprint in Unreal Engine, collaborating with various disciplines.
  • Contribute to product vision and gameplay decisions, identifying valuable opportunities.
  • Lead prototyping and iteration, validating ideas through playable in-engine prototypes.
  • Create engaging goals and gameplay experiences by understanding player needs.
  • Conduct playtests and design reviews, synthesizing feedback into actionable improvements.
  • Communicate design intent across teams, raising the design quality throughout development.

Benefits

  • 100% premium coverage for medical, dental, and vision for employees and dependents.
  • Long Term Disability and Life Insurance included in benefits package.
  • 401k with competitive match to support future planning.
  • Access to a robust mental well-being program with free therapy and coaching.
  • Unlimited PTO and sick time for work-life balance.
  • Company-wide paid breaks and events to celebrate employees.
  • Paid sabbatical after 7 years of employment to recharge and reflect.
Full Job Description
DESIGN
What We Do

Put your design skills to work at a cutting-edge company that challenges the norm. From character and level design to competitive gameplay and system design, help shape the future of interactive entertainment at Epic.
What You'll Do

You will collaborate with cross-disciplinary development teams to design, prototype, implement, and ship key features that expand the Fortnite universe. As a Senior Game Designer, you'll own complex areas of the game, exercise strong creative judgment, and help guide features from initial vision through polished player-facing experiences.
In this role, you will
  • Own Major Features: Drive the design and development of significant gameplay features and systems from concept through launch, establishing a clear vision, documentation, implementation plan, and path to a high-quality player experience.
  • Implement in Blueprint: Work hands-on in Unreal Engine to prototype and implement designs using Blueprint scripting, partnering closely with engineering, animation, VFX, audio, art, and other disciplines to bring features to life.
  • Shape the Big-Picture Vision: Contribute to broader product and gameplay decisions by identifying opportunities, evaluating trade-offs, and helping the team prioritize features that deliver meaningful value to players.
  • Drive Prototyping & Iteration: Lead rapid prototyping and iteration loops, using everything from early design pitches and paper concepts to playable in-engine prototypes to validate ideas and solve complex design problems.
  • Champion the Player Experience: Apply a deep understanding of player motivations and behaviors to create compelling goals, gameplay loops, and experiences that keep players engaged over time.
  • Leverage Playtests & Data: Regularly participate in playtests and design reviews, synthesizing feedback, player insights, and gameplay data into actionable imp
  • Partner Across Disciplines: Communicate design intent clearly and build alignment across teams, proactively identifying dependencies, risks, and opportunities throughout development. Raise the Design Bar: Provide thoughtful feedback and design guidance to other team members, helping strengthen features and maintain a high-quality bar across the player experience.
What we're looking for
  • Experience: 5+ years of professional game design experience, with a track record of designing and shipping high-quality gameplay features or systems.
  • Feature Ownership: Demonstrated experience independently owning complex features from early concept and prototyping through implementation, iteration, polish, and release.
  • Unreal Engine Expertise: Strong hands-on experience working in Unreal Engine, including Blueprint scripting and implementing gameplay directly in-engine.
  • Live-Ops Domain Knowledge: Experience designing content, features, or systems for Games-as-a-Service (GaaS), live-service games, or highly active online multiplayer ecosystems.
  • Multiplayer & Genre Expertise: Strong understanding of multiplayer game design and a passion for Battle Royale and other large-scale multiplayer experiences.
  • Player Empathy: A strong ability to understand player motivations, behaviors, and different forms of play, and to translate those insights into compelling gameplay experiences.
  • Design Judgment: Proven ability to evaluate ideas, navigate ambiguity, and make thoughtful decisions.
EPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFE

Our intent is to cover all things that are medically necessary and improve the quality of life. We pay 100% of the premiums for both you and your dependents. Our coverage includes Medical, Dental, a Vision HRA, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance & a 401k with competitive match. We also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents. Throughout the year we celebrate our employees with events and company-wide paid breaks. We offer unlimited PTO and sick time and recognize individuals for 7 years of employment with a paid sabbatical.

About Epic Games

Epic Games is a video game development company that is best known for creating the popular game Fortnite. The company was founded in 1991 by Tim Sweeney and is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina. Epic Games has developed a number of other successful games, including the Unreal series and Gears of War. The company is also known for its Unreal Engine, a game engine that is used by many other game developers. Epic Games is committed to advancing the state of the art in game development and creating innovative and engaging experiences for players.
Learn more about Epic Games
Size
2,700 employees
Industry
Founded
1991

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