Senior Designer, Combat

Key Skills

Animations, Design, Effective communication skills, Game Engineering, Mechanical, Planning and organization, Programming, videoJS

Job Description

When we say, the stuff dreams are made of, we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

The creative team that brought Mortal Kombat and Injustice to life is now NetherRealm Studios, part of the Warner Bros. Games family. With over 20 years of creation under our belts, NetherRealm’s mission remains the same: to create cutting edge entertainment and deliver industry leading tech, game art and overall gaming experiences. NetherRealm Studios is a collaborative and creative environment, constantly striving to up the ante on what is possible in interactive entertainment. Our team is comprised of dedicated professionals with years of experience who are at the forefront of the gaming industry. The passion and energy that made Mortal Kombat a reality is still on display every day in our offices, our hallways and most definitely the studio’s arcade room.

The Job

The Senior Combat Designer will be responsible for significant contributions to game design, with a focus on combat, moment-to-moment gameplay, and character implementation. Alongside Lead and fellow Designers, the Senior Combat Designer is expected to implement and maintain combat-centric systems, game balance, and character tuning.

The Daily

• Establishes design schedules and creates working design documents.
• Designs and scripts game experiences, including implementation of characters and their navigation, combat movesets, and in-game particle effects.
• Works closely with Animation Department to generate mocap shot lists and help direct mocap performances.
• Creates AI behavior specs.
• Play and evaluate combat constantly over the course of the project, iterating and re-doing work to reach a high degree of polish.
• Analyze and incorporates user feedback from consumer usability tests.
• Works with personnel on R&D efforts for new game systems and creates playable prototypes as required. 

The Essentials

• 6+ years game design experience required.
• Shipped at least 2 titles with a strong emphasis in combat design and implementation
• Direct experience in implementing navigation and/or combat mechanics (with a preference on melee based combat) on at least 2 shipped titles
• Strong programming or scripting knowledge and experience required
• B.A. degree preferred or equivalent job experience.
• Ability to work well under pressure and with deadlines.

The Nice to Haves

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Strong interest in computer and video games.
• Passion for action and fighting games with a focus on combat mechanics.