Team Name:StarCraft
Job Title:Software Engineer, Gameplay, NPC - StarCraft | Irvine, CA
Requisition ID:R028141
Job Description:Your MissionWe are looking for a
Gameplay Engineer, NPC to help craft this new game for Blizzard. As a key member of the development team, you will be responsible for delivering high-quality NPC gameplay systems that create compelling player experiences and bring characters and creatures to life within a living world. You are comfortable operating in a dynamic environment, navigating fluid deadlines and changing priorities with purpose.
This role offers a hybrid work week, with a mix of work-from-home and on-site days, based out of our Irvine studio.
ResponsibilitiesPriorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:
- Design, develop, and maintain gameplay systems that power NPC behaviors and interactions.
- Implement scalable NPC gameplay features that support a wide variety of gameplay scenarios.
- Collaborate with designers, animators, artists, and engineers to create engaging NPC experiences.
- Develop tools, workflows, and debugging solutions that enable efficient content creation and iteration.
- Optimize and improve gameplay performance, stability, and maintainability of NPC systems.
- Partner with AI, animation, and gameplay teams to deliver polished character interactions and behaviors.
- Prototype new gameplay features and rapidly evaluate their effectiveness through iteration and playtesting.
- Investigate, diagnose, and resolve gameplay and NPC-related issues throughout development.
- Contribute to technical design discussions and help establish engineering best practices.
- Support a culture of collaboration, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement across disciplines.
Minimum RequirementsExperience - Minimum 5 years of professional gameplay programming experience in the game industry.
- Experience developing gameplay systems using C++.
- Experience shipping or contributing to a commercial game title.
- Experience working closely with cross-functional development teams.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively within teams and foster productive partnerships across all departments.
- Demonstrated ability to inspire colleagues through an enthusiastic approach to game development and a commitment to continuous improvement of core skills.
- Ability to take initiative and manage responsibilities independently, demonstrating strong ownership and accountability.
- Experienced and knowledgeable player of a wide range of games and able to use this expertise to enhance creative decisions in game development.
Knowledge & Skills - Strong proficiency in C++ software development.
- Experience implementing gameplay features in Unreal Engine.
- Understanding of NPC architecture, state machines, behavior systems, navigation, and character interactions.
- Experience debugging and optimizing gameplay systems in large-scale codebases.
- Knowledge of software engineering principles, including maintainability, scalability, and performance.
- Experience collaborating with design and content creation teams
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Key Attributes - A passion for gameplay development and creating memorable player experiences.
- A team-oriented approach to solving technical and design challenges.
- A growth mindset and willingness to learn new technologies and development practices.
- The ability to balance technical excellence with practical development needs.
- Strong ownership, accountability, and attention to detail.
Extra Points - Experience developing NPC, creature, or combat gameplay systems.
- Experience working on RPG, action RPG, or social gameplay experiences.
- Experience with networked simulation or multiplayer gameplay systems.
- Experience building developer-facing tools and workflows.
- Experience supporting live game development.
- Familiarity with animation systems and character pipelines.
- Portfolio, code samples, or shipped work that demonstrates gameplay engineering expertise.
Required Application Materials - Resume
- Portfolio, code samples, or shipped game contributions demonstrating relevant experience.
RewardsWe 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 $38.08 - $70.44 Hourly. 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.
