Technical Gameplay Designer (Player Abilities and Combat)

Technical Gameplay Designer (Player Abilities and Combat) LocationUnited States - Remote (EST - PST); Canada - Remote (EST - PST)Employment TypeFull timeLocation TypeRemoteDepartmentDesignCompensationGreen Level 4 to 5$172.1K – $206.4K • Offers EquityGardens Interactive Pay Transparency PolicyAt Gardens Interactive, we are dedicated to creating an environment rooted in fairness, growth, and collaboration. Our pay transparency policy embodies our commitment to open communication and equitable compensation.We’ve designed our Skill and Level Matrix to align compensation with individual accomplishments and potential rather than relying solely on tenure. This approach fosters a culture of continuous development, ensuring that every team member has a clear path to their future at Gardens Interactive.This approach allows us to recognize and reward the unique contributions that drive our studio forward. We are committed to having open and honest conversations with each team member about how our system works, how it influences their compensation, and how they can continue to grow within the studio.This approach not only reinforces our dedication to inclusivity and equity but also ensures that Gardens Interactive is a place where everyone’s contributions are valued, and where growth opportunities are accessible to all.At Gardens Interactive, we believe that games have the power to connect people and foster meaningful relationships. Our studio is dedicated to creating critically acclaimed and commercially successful live-service games through a sustainable and collaborative development process.As a Technical Gameplay Designer focused on Player Abilities and Combat, you will own player-facing gameplay features such as weapon, tool, item, and armor abilities, buffs, and modifiers that shape how players move through, interact with, and experience our world. Your work will contribute to combat, traversal, social, and other moment-to-moment gameplay systems, helping ensure our mechanics feel expressive, readable, and rewarding in a multiplayer environment.While this is not a dedicated combat designer role, experience with and an understanding of combat design is important, as many of these abilities meaningfully influence combat feel, balance, and player expression.A Day In The Life:Work in Unreal Engine, using Blueprints and other tools to design, prototype, and iterate on player abilities, such as weapons, tools, items, armors, buffs, and gameplay modifiers for an online multiplayer game.Implement and maintain gameplay features from early concept through polish in close collaboration with engineering and other technical design partners.Playtest, tune, and refine abilities that influence combat, traversal, exploration, social interactions, and player expression to support engaging and readable multiplayer experiences.You Will:Align with leadership and management on creative goals and desired outcomes.Own the design and iteration of player-facing abilities and modifiers tied to weapons, tools, items, armors, and related systems.Collaborate with cross-disciplinary partners such as engineering, animation, audio, art, and VFX to align abilities with combat, traversal, progression, social goals, and technical constraints.Balance and tune gameplay features with an understanding of multiplayer dynamics and emergent player and multiplayer behavior.Advocate for the player experience, ensuring abilities feel intuitive, expressive, and fun over time.You Bring:Passion for systemic gameplay and creating meaningful player expression through combinatoric and emergent gameplay mechanics.Senior-level experience designing gameplay mechanics, abilities, or progression features in shipped games.Technical experience working in Unreal Engine, including Blueprint scripting or gameplay systems frameworks.A solid understanding of combat design fundamentals, even if combat has not been your primary specialization.Strong collaboration and communication skills, with...