Expert Combat Designer at CD PROJEKT RED

Boston, Massachusetts, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

28 Jan, 26

Salary

218500.0

Posted On

30 Oct, 25

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Combat Design, Game Development, Enemy Behavior, Animation, Balancing, Prototyping, Scripting, Unreal Engine 5, Third Person Action Games, Melee Action Games, Documentation, Collaboration, Player Abilities, Aggro Management, Combat Metrics, Input Queuing

Industry

Computer Games

Description

Company Description To create revolutionary, story-driven RPGs which go straight to the hearts of gamers — this is our mission. Want to dive deeper into our company’s culture? Explore our social media and check out our YouTube channel and Beyond the Game Blog where we share behind-the-scenes insights and stories direct from our team members! Job Description CD PROJEKT RED is looking for an Expert Combat Designer to help drive the vision and implementation of the combat experience for Project Sirius — an original video game combining beloved aspects of The Witcher world with immersive multiplayer gameplay. Reporting to the Lead Combat Designer, you will take on everything from the high-level – pitching enemy and weapon types – to the sub-second nitty-gritty – placing I-Frames and damage volumes, tweaking damage-scales, etc. You will work across disciplines, from art and animation to engineering and production, to make our game’s combat fun, satisfying and scalable from the beginning to end. Responsibilities Work on key systems such as: targeting, combat metric, input queuing, player abilities and progression, aggro management (ticket system for AI), enemy behavior tree, enemy ambient behavior, and balancing. Develop and refine our approach to combat and foundational combat systems. Pitch, prototype, implement, balance and ship a wide variety of enemy types, including core enemies and bosses. Tune the combat experience at the micro level: animation lengths, i-frames, damage volumes, etc. Implement each character type’s combat behavior using techniques such as behavior trees, animation graphs and blueprint. Work with character art, animation, VFX and audio to ship characters with state-of-the-art levels of polish. Help balance combat-related systems such as player leveling and experience, weapons, and damage. Produce documentation to communicate your proposals and designs, and work with production to ensure they can be implemented with the time and resources available. Qualifications 7+ years of professional experience in the game industry. Prior experience shipping a core game as a combat designer. Experience developing third person melee action games is required. Experience in developing third person action games. Curiosity, kindness, and a positive and professional can-do attitude. Nice to Haves (Please note that these skills are not required to apply for the position) Scripting experience, be it visual (such as Blueprint) or text-based (such as Python, Lua, or C#) Unreal Engine 5 experience Experience working with motion capture, preparing shot lists, and collaborating directly with animators. Additional Information The application window for this position will close by 04/30/2026. This job can be hybrid/in-office or fully remote. Remote roles in the US are only available to candidates that reside in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin. Health & Well-Being Company-paid medical healthcare (dental, vision, and mental). Free mental health support, including access to counseling, psychiatric care, and a variety of well-being webinars. Paid leave — 20 days of holiday per year (26 days after two years). 401K with employer matching. Gym Membership Reimbursement. Menstrual leave — employees who menstruate can take one extra day off when experiencing period pain. RED Parents Network — support for working parents, including childcare benefits, and family-friendly events. Perks & Professional Growth Flexible working hours. Trainings, lectures, and courses — internal workshops, knowledge-sharing initiatives, online tutorials, and e-learning classes are all available. A welcome pack filled with goodies — to help you feel right at home once you join the team. Life in the Office Dog-friendly office — bring your pooch with you and look after them while working! There’s always a furry friend or two to meet. Truly international working environment — a chance to meet and work with a diverse selection of people from all around the world. No dress-code — we like to keep it casual. This position is a new role. Estimated pay range for this position: $143,000 - $218,500 USD annually This role may also be eligible for discretionary stock options. At CD PROJEKT RED compensation for our roles in North America are determined based on competitive market data, geographic location, and individual factors tied to business needs. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. Final offers are dependent on job-related factors like experience, qualifications, and location. If you've observed any irregularities (i.e. legal or ethical violations) in our recruitment process, please click here to report them anonymously. #LI- REMOTE

Responsibilities

The Expert Combat Designer will drive the vision and implementation of the combat experience for Project Sirius, focusing on both high-level concepts and detailed mechanics. Responsibilities include developing combat systems, balancing gameplay, and collaborating with various disciplines to ensure a polished combat experience.