This job might no longer be available.

Narrative Lead

Job Title:

Requisition ID:

Job Description:

Founded in 2002, Infinity Ward is the original studio behind the Call of Duty ® franchise. The titles developed by Infinity Ward have won more than 200 "Game of the Year" awards and 100 "Editor's Choice" awards, among many other industry accolades. Some of our previous titles include: Call of Duty ® : Ghosts , Call of Duty ® : Infinite Warfare and most recently, Call of Duty ® : Modern Warfare .

A critically acclaimed studio, Infinity Ward is proud to have one of the most passionate and talented development teams in the industry. We love to have as much fun as the games we create, and it shows in our relaxed, yet diligent, workplace environment. We believe that making the best games relies on having the best people, so we like to look after ours. We enjoy having fun with top-notch events that everyone gets involved with.

Infinity Ward is wholly owned by Activision. To learn more about our studio, please visit us at https://www.infinityward.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/InfinityWard/, and @InfinityWard on Twitter.

Your Mission

Infinity Ward is looking for a Narrative Lead to join their team. Your day-to-day responsibilities will include aligning the game story with mission design, supporting and maintaining character arcs, and being a point person for all that concerns the story and the narration of the game. The position requires a balance between creative writing, leadership, a capacity to help and inspire narrative designers, and good technical know-how. A background in-game scripting will be critical. Some exposure to VO system design is also recommended.

The ideal candidate is an accomplished game developer that can demonstrate their experience working with complex voice systems in AAA games. This includes writing scripted mission dialogue, writing hero dialogue, pacing out gameplay to help tell a story, and contributing to the overall story vision of a franchise. This is a highly collaborative position and will require working with all disciplines to help define how the story integrates with gameplay.

The lead narrative designer will also be responsible for attending some VO sessions to ensure that the game vision is being properly communicated to the voice actor. Prior VO session guidance and direction are ideal.

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

• Align with all our directors on the tone and feel of the game.
• Guide narrative designers in the creation and implementation of the game story.
• Write and iterate on a compelling story arch for our heroes and missions.
• Collaborate with game designers and engineers to deliver on the narrative vision.
• Write heroes' voice lines that quickly and concisely convey the gameplay of the moment.
• Create mission structures that identify narrative beats and plot lines to support the story.
• Work with Tools teams to improve writing workflows and processes.
• Successfully guide VO studio sessions.

Player Profile

Minimum Requirements:

• 5+ years of industry experience as a narrative designer/ writer.
• Creatively agile and able to pivot with evolving vision.
• Experience in people management and has an interest in mentoring.
• At least one shipped AAA game title in a lead writer/narrative role.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Scripting experience with text or visual scripting languages.
• Technically proficient in-game editors to implement work into the mission and maps.
• Able to act independently on writing tasks.
• Excellent organizational skills and able to work well under deadlines.
• Work and thrive in a collaborative team environment.
• Knowledge of current successful intellectual properties in today’s popular culture
• Plays and has knowledge of modern video games.
• Have a passion for interactive storytelling.

Pluses

• Experience in game design and or level design
• Experience writing branching and non-linear dialogue for games.
• VO system design
• Successfully published writing work (novels, short fiction, film, television, comics)
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty ®, World of Warcraft® , Overwatch ®, Diablo ®, Candy Crush ™ and Bubble Witch ™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovate worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

Infinity Ward is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability