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Senior Combat Designer

Ascendant Studios is hiring a Senior Combat Designer to assist in the continued development of our combat experience as part of our brand new IP. Our ideal candidate has a passion for all aspects of combat: from enemy AI to player abilities to the deep systems meta that keeps players engaged for their entire playtime. They are able to both conceptualize and implement combat systems design, and will be working alongside the Lead Combat Designer, design, engineering, and animation teams to create an exceptional combat experience for our upcoming original IP.

This is a full time position. We are all currently working remotely due to Covid-19, but once we return the position may either be based in our office in San Rafael, CA, or remain fully remote.

What you'll do:

• Work with the Lead Combat Designer and Game Director to prove out and iterate on all our combat systems, including player and enemy abilities, AI, player upgrading, controls, and loot
• Design, prototype, script, and balance the game’s combat systems and mechanics inside Unreal Engine
• Attend and contribute to general combat meetings and meetings surrounding specific combat features
• Take responsibility for your areas of the combat experience and effectively communicate with content teams to ensure the best player experience possible
• Assist level designers with setting up combat encounters and arenas as needed
• Identify, troubleshoot, and solve problems surrounding performance and technical limitations
• Analyze and act on feedback from internal and external playtests

Who you are:

• Worked on at least one shipped title as a combat designer or senior combat-focused systems designer on a recent AA/AAA shooter or action title
• 5+ years as a designer in games, participating in every part of development from preproduction to launch and post-launch support
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, takes and gives feedback well
• Excels at communicating with both your direct team, members of the studio at large, external partners, and the wider player community
• Understands of the role of other departments in the creation of a fun combat experience
• Knowledge and experience working with Unreal Engine (prefered), Unity, CryEngine, Radian, or other similar editors
• Loves to work in a collaborative, fast paced environment focused on iteration and frequent feedback cycles. Great at giving and receiving feedback.
• Advocate for player experience, fun, excitement, and accessibility in our combat experience

Bonus points:

• Work on a title for the PS5, Xbox Series X or S a big plus
• Experience with Unreal Engine 4 and Blueprint scripting a big plus
• Knowledge of C++ or C#
• Shipped work in both the single and multiplayer spaces
• Ranked in recent AAA MP titles (Overwatch, Call of Duty Warzone, Apex Legends, etc.)
• Passion for creating compelling narrative experiences