Senior Boss Designer II - STARCRAFT | Irvine, CA

Team Name:

StarCraft

Job Title:

Senior Boss Designer II - STARCRAFT | Irvine, CA

Requisition ID:

R027917

Job Description:

Your Mission

Blizzard Entertainment is assembling a team to build the next chapter of STARCRAFT, returning to a universe forged in interstellar war. This mission offers something new: crafting an original story-driven, open-world shooter while honoring the legacy of one of Blizzard's most beloved games.

We are here to reignite this universe alongside you. We are here to make STARCRAFT, and it's about damn time.

We are looking for a Senior Boss Designer II to help this new game for Blizzard. As a key member of the development team, you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and refining memorable boss encounters that deliver compelling gameplay experiences and challenge players in meaningful ways. You are comfortable operating in a dynamic environment, navigating fluid deadlines and changing priorities with purpose.

This role offers a hybrid work week, with a mix of work-from-home and on-site days, based out of our Irvine studio.

Responsibilities

This role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and iterate on boss encounters from concept through final polish.

• Create compelling gameplay mechanics, combat scenarios, and encounter scripts that support narrative and gameplay goals.

• Collaborate with design directors, engineers, artists, animators, audio designers, and others to deliver high-quality boss experiences.

• Develop boss behaviors, attack patterns, and combat pacing to create challenging and satisfying gameplay.

• Balance encounters using playtest feedback, analytics, and qualitative observations.

• Document encounter designs, implementation requirements, and player experience goals.

• Prototype encounter mechanics that elevate and expand normal gameplay.

• Mentor other designers through thoughtful feedback, knowledge sharing, and collaborative problem solving.

• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify risks and propose solutions that improve gameplay quality and development efficiency.

Minimum Requirements

Experience

• 12+ years of professional game design experience, having shipped one or more AAA games with significant encounter or combat design responsibilities.

• Experience designing and implementing complex combat-focused gameplay systems and encounters from initial concept through prototyping and production, to final polish.

• Proven experience owning complex combat content, showing ability to work with a high degree of independence in alignment with project vision.

• Experience collaborating closely with engineering, art, animation, audio, and production partners on cross-disciplinary teams.

• Demonstrated ability to inspire colleagues through an enthusiastic approach to game development and a commitment to continuous improvement of core skills.

Knowledge and Skills

• Ability to take initiative and manage responsibilities independently, demonstrating strong ownership and accountability.

• Comprehensive understanding of encounter design, gameplay readability, difficulty balancing, and player experience.

• Experience creating boss battles and memorable gameplay moments.

• Strong understanding of gameplay scripting tools and implementation workflows.

• Experience balancing gameplay systems through testing, iteration, and player feedback.

• Strong communication skills and the ability to articulate design goals to diverse audiences.

• Experience working within modern game engines such as Unreal or equivalent.

Key Attributes

• A team-oriented approach to game development.

• A player-first mindset focused on delivering highly engaging gameplay experiences.

• A proactive approach to problem solving and continuous improvement.

• The ability to operate independently while collaborating effectively across disciplines.

• A passion for creating memorable gameplay experiences that resonate with players.

• A commitment to providing constructive feedback and fostering positive creative partnerships.

Extra Points

• Experience designing and implementing epic boss battles.

• Experience developing in Unreal engine on one or more AAA games.

• Experience designing and developing behaviors, perception, and combat abilities for enemy NPCs.

• Experience working on action games, shooter games, or combat-heavy 3rd person experiences.

• Experience mentoring junior or mid-level designers.

• Experience collaborating with external partners or vendors.

Required Application Materials

• Resume.

• Portfolio demonstrating gameplay design work, encounter design examples, or shipped game contributions.

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., 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.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [email protected]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting .

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $99,200.00 - $183,520.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.