Combat Designer (Gamedev)

TL;DR

Combat Designer (Gamedev): Designing and implementing enemy NPC archetypes and combat systems for high-fidelity action-adventure games with an accent on AI behavior, locomotion, and combat balance. Focus on creating unique enemy archetypes, collaborating across disciplines, and iterating on systems through playtesting.

Location: Ability to work onsite from the Santa Monica, CA based studio is required

Salary: $145,100 — $181,400 USD

Company

Naughty Dog is a world-renowned studio known for crafting critically acclaimed, narrative-driven games that push the boundaries of technology and gameplay.

What you will do

• Pitch, design, and implement unique enemy NPC archetypes.
• Collaborate with AI programmers to develop and tune NPC technology and behaviors.
• Work with animators to create unique locomotion, traversal, and melee abilities.
• Prototype and balance gameplay mechanics in collaboration with the Design team.
• Manage documentation and lead communication across art and programming departments.
• Facilitate playtesting sessions to iterate and fine-tune combat systems based on player experience.

Requirements

• Must be able to work onsite in Santa Monica, CA.
• 5+ years of industry experience in combat or technical design for action-adventure or shooter games.
• At least one shipped title as a combat designer or similar role.
• Proficiency with game engines (Unreal Engine, Unity) and scripting languages (C#, Lua, Visual Scripting).
• Strong coding ability; a Computer Science degree is preferred.
• Proven leadership and mentoring skills for junior designers.

Culture & Benefits

• Commitment to innovation and high technical standards in game development.
• Inclusive environment valuing diverse cultural and life experiences.
• Eligibility for annual bonuses and other incentive plans.
• Opportunity to work on world-class, critically acclaimed game franchises.