Lead Combat Designer (GameDev)

TL;DR

Lead Combat Designer (GameDev): Spearheading world-class combat systems for AAA co-development projects with an accent on technical design, encounter balancing, and cross-discipline collaboration. Focus on mentoring the design team, driving ideation and prototyping, and ensuring high-quality combat integration across various genres and engines.

Location: Hybrid role requiring 3 days per week (Wednesday, Thursday, and one other) on-site at our Daresbury or Newcastle studios in the UK.

Company

hirify.global is a leading AAA co-development studio and part of the Keywords Studios Group, known for delivering high-quality technical and creative services for world-renowned game titles.

What you will do

• Own and champion the Combat Design discipline as a central point of knowledge.
• Lead and mentor other designers while acting as a line manager.
• Design, iterate, and balance combat experiences for PC and Console titles.
• Partner with engineering, art, and animation teams to ensure seamless feature integration.
• Represent the combat discipline during pitches and communications with external AAA clients.
• Maintain clear design documentation and contribute to task estimation and project scheduling.

Requirements

• Extensive background in Combat Design with 5+ years of experience in a Senior or Lead role on AAA titles.
• Proven experience designing combat for first and third-person action games.
• Strong proficiency with Unreal Engine from prototyping to final quality.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills suitable for a client-facing environment.
• Ability to structure work effectively for yourself and a diverse team.
• Must be based in or able to work from our UK studios in Daresbury or Newcastle.

Nice to have

• Experience in client-facing roles and pitching to stakeholders.
• Proficiency with engines outside of Unreal, such as Unity, Decima, or proprietary systems.
• Experience designing combat for genres outside of action, such as turn-based or fighting games.
• 2D design experience.

Culture & Benefits

• Professional and supportive environment with a strict anti-crunch mentality.
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and service-based leave.
• Private Medical Insurance including dental coverage via BUPA.
• Flexible working hours to support work-life balance.
• Access to Company Pension, Income Protection, and Tech/Bike schemes.
• Studio perks including complimentary snacks, breakout areas, and regular company socials.

Hiring process

• Initial interview via video call.
• On-site second interview at our studio.