Team Name:
StarCraft

Job Title:
Technical Combat Designer - StarCraft | Irvine, CA

Requisition ID:
R028133

Job Description:
Your Mission

We are looking for a Technical Combat Designer to help craft a new, StarCraft game for Blizzard. As a key member of the development team, you will be responsible for designing and implementing enemy NPCs and combat encounters that create memorable gameplay experiences for players. 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.

Responsibilities

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Design and implement exciting gameplay experiences on a AAA title.
• Drive development of enemies and combat encounters from ideation through prototyping to final execution.
• Create custom enemy behaviors, attacks, and abilities that deliver engaging and challenging combat experiences.
• Tune enemy perception, combat effectiveness, and encounter difficulty to achieve intended gameplay outcomes.
• Leverage technical expertise to implement combat systems and gameplay features.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, art, animation, and level design partners throughout development.
• Create one-page designs, briefs, and system outlines to communicate design goals and implementation plans.
• Iterate on gameplay systems and encounters using feedback from internal playtests and development partners.

Minimum Requirements
Experience

• 5+ years of experience in combat design, systems design, technical design, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience designing gameplay systems and combat encounters from concept through implementation.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively within teams and foster productive partnerships across disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and manage responsibilities independently while maintaining strong ownership and accountability.
• Experienced player of a wide variety of game genres and able to leverage those experiences to inform design decisions.

Knowledge & Skills

• Experience scripting gameplay systems and creating functional gameplay prototypes.
• Comfortable working with basic 3D mathematics including vectors, rotations, and spatial reasoning.
• Experience designing, tuning, and balancing combat systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comprehensive understanding of player-facing gameplay systems and encounter design principles.
• Ability to identify problems, propose solutions, and execute with minimal oversight.

Key Attributes

• Passion for creating exceptional gameplay experiences.
• Collaborative approach to development and problem solving.
• Curiosity and willingness to continuously improve craft and technical expertise.
• Adaptability in a dynamic development environment.
• Commitment to delivering polished, player-focused experiences.

Extra Points

• Experience developing games in Unreal Engine.
• Experience using Blueprint visual scripting.
• Familiarity with Combat AI behavior trees and state machine systems.
• Background in encounter design, enemy design, or Combat AI design.
• Professional experience developing AAA games.
• Experience taking combat encounters from prototype through shippable implementation.

Your Platform

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $30.47 - $56.35 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.