Game Designer, Player Systems - StarCraft | Irvine, CA

Team Name: StarCraft Job Title: Game Designer, Player Systems - StarCraft | Irvine, CA Requisition ID: R028142 Job Description: Blizzard Entertainment is assembling a team to build the next chapter of StarCraft, returning to a universe forged in interstellar war. This mission offers something new: crafting an original story-driven, open-world shooter while honoring the legacy of one of Blizzard's most beloved games.

We are here to reignite this universe alongside you. We are here to make StarCraft, and it's about damn time. We are seeking a Game Designer to shape the features and systems that will drive combat, moment-to-moment player experiences, and progression in this new game for Blizzard. In this role, you will design and refine player movement, weapons, abilities, and how they interact with progression systems that create long-term engagement.

You have demonstrable knowledge and/or experience in player-focused gameplay design systems: movement, combat, power fantasy, progression, and systems. You are able to look at problems from the perspectives of all types of players--from the most casual to the most advanced--and help build features and designs that make Blizzard games enjoyable by all. You are the type of designer who is driven by accessibility and simplicity in what you create, and you excel at working alongside other disciplines to create exhilarating moment-to-moment gameplay experiences for players.

You are comfortable with iterative, feedback-driven workflow. You have a creative drive that seeks and implements input from the team and players. You can quickly adapt to changes in scope and priority and think about the user experience in everything you do. Most importantly, you are a strong communicator, and you want to be a part of a focused, seasoned team that openly shares knowledge and experience.

This role offers a hybrid work week, with a mix of work-from-home and on-site days, based out of our Irvine studio. Requirements 5+ years of experience as a designer with a focus on gameplay. Demonstrable knowledge of moment-to-moment gameplay experiences: movement, weapons, abilities, combat, and how they come together for high-quality AAA gameplay loops. Understanding of progression systems that provide players with hundreds of hours of systematically driven content.

Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communications skills. Strong problem-solving skills. Excellent grasp of standard mathematics, statistics, and probability as pertains to game design and game balance. Strong technical skills with experience with visual scripting languages and/or industry-standard toolsets (Unity, Unreal, etc.) Expertise with MS Office, specifically Excel. Pluses Prior experience working on core moment-to-moment gameplay features or systems.

Hands-on experience designing a feature or system from idea to completion. Analytical prowess at understanding how to make games “feel good” to players. Strong math skills. Experience working closely with UI/UX. Experience developing and/or playing games within the shooter genre. Prior work experience or education in other (non-design) disciplines: art, programming, production, or audio. Experience designing systems that run equally well on console and PC.

Required Application Materials Resume Portfolio demonstrating relevant design work, or shipped game contributions. Your Platform   Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences.

Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available