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Senior Writer/Narrative Designer

WHO WE ARE

We’re ArenaNet—we’ve created a studio that makes online worlds infused with innovation, hand-crafted excellence, and creative passion. We're not the only ones who share this passion; gamers made Guild Wars 2 the fastest selling MMO game in the West with more than 3 million copies sold in its first 9 months (and more than 11 million global players to date). Players and press have consistently called it one of the best MMOs of all time.

The role of Narrative as a discipline in the game development process is to provide context and meaning to the gameplay experience, binding all aspects of the game together into a coherent and integrated dramatic journey and cementing the emotional bond between player and game. As our products make clear, ArenaNet is a studio that values and respects that role as essential to the development of a great and successful game project.

WHO YOU ARE

We’re looking for passionate storytellers to join our Narrative Team. If you’ve written for any entertainment medium, we want to hear from you. This is a senior level, full-time role. Remote participation to start with the expectation of eventual relocation to work at our Bellevue, WA studio.

Applicants are expected to provide portfolio samples and/or draft a short script (3-10 pages in screenplay format) as part of the application process.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Aid in the development of narrative design documentation that guides the creation of content, including the creation of interesting stories that can be compellingly represented and experienced in the game.
• Write “golden path” story scripts, ensuring that characters speak in compelling, consistent voices and go through meaningful arcs.
• Drive multi-disciplinary story breaking sessions with senior members of Narrative and Design staff to draft season arcs, character beats, and episode summaries.
• Use proprietary content creation tools to implement voiced and non-voiced dialogue and UI text.
• Mentor associate and mid-level writer/narrative designers, providing feedback about their writing and offering ways to improve.
• Manage larger-scale projects and macro-story design that requires interdepartmental communication and collaboration with diverse voices.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent educational or work achievement
• 5+ years of professional experience working in a Writer and/or Narrative Designer (or similar) role, with one or more shipped AAA quality titles
• Practical and philosophical knowledge about dramatic storytelling for the spoken word, with demonstrated skills and work in screenplay or teleplay format
• Passion for storytelling and deep knowledge of multiple genres in a variety of formats (e.g. film, television, games, plays, etc.)
• Strong collaboration skills
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Strong decision-making and organizational skills
• Ability to learn and use proprietary tools to create content

PLUSES:

• Deep knowledge of games, books, film, and comics – especially those that relate to science fiction and fantasy genres
• Experience and development knowledge in MMORPGs or other online or live-service games
• Experience in other disciplines of game design and development – and especially in MMORPGs
• Lead experience
• Published or produced works outside of games