Rare is a one-of-a-kind game studio where we create the kind of games the world doesn’t have, games that are uniquely Rare! Working here offers opportunities unlike anywhere else. You’ll be providing players with unforgettable shared experiences in games loved by millions worldwide. Our pirate adventure Sea of Thieves, launched in 2018, continues to thrive – and alongside that we’re busy creating our next magical world, Everwild, announced in 2019 to a global audience.
We strive to make Rare an amazing place to work, embracing a culture of respect and building a supportive environment for our developers. Our custom-built Twycross studio is situated in the beautiful English countryside, surrounded by woodland and wildlife, with plenty of room for us to grow.
By joining Rare, you’ll be joining one of the finest studios in the industry with support from the wider Xbox Game Studios network. We’re always on the lookout for exceptional people who can bring their expertise and unique thinking to help make our team even stronger!
WHAT TO EXPECT
Could you be our next Software Engineer Intern? We’re looking for applicants with a growth mindset who aren’t afraid to get involved in areas they know little about first-hand. As an intern in our Engineering department, you can expect to have a diverse experience working between gameplay and engine.
We expect you to go all in and bring your passion for gaming, regardless of the team you join. It all begins with your onboarding into a real job role, where you’ll belong to an established team working alongside industry experts.
Throughout the placement, your learning and development won’t stop, and you’ll receive on-the-job coaching, mentoring and personal development from colleagues. As a valued part of the team, we’ll expect you to give your insights and opinions and make a real contribution to our business!
OUR ENGINEERING TEAMS
Rare’s Gameplay Team
Gameplay Engineers can expect to work on many aspects of a game, from networked gameplay to artificial intelligence or user interfaces. Flexibility and the desire to give things a try is crucial. You may work in prototyping environments or on games that are already in production. Player feedback is closely tied to gameplay engineering, and you’ll get to see players directly interacting with the features you develop!
Recent interns in game teams have:
- Made new player items.
- Added new AI abilities.
- Created new environmental threats.
- Supported technical design to ship story quests.
Key accountabilities include:
- Originate, implement and iterate on game features in conjunction with other engineers, designers, artists and testers.
- Identify and surface risks in the areas that are being worked on.
- Solve problems through the application of sound engineering practice.
- Continuously work to minimise technical debt and maintenance hazards.
Rare’s Engine Team
Engine Programmers are responsible for the development of our engine and tools, as well as making direct contributions to our games. The Engine team tends to cover areas of deeper expertise than the game teams (like audio or networking), but there is still quite a bit of overlap in the types of work each team does and their skillsets. Members of Engine work in close collaboration with Gameplay to understand project needs, to develop reusable software to address them, and to integrate what they develop into the game as necessary. Working in the Engine team, it's likely that you'll contribute to more than one project.
Previously, interns in the Engine team at Rare have done such things as:
- Improved the performance of our networking code.
- Created game systems on secondment to game team.
- Added features to our physics system and rolled them out to our players.
- Optimised our server executable.
Key accountabilities include:
- Work with bespoke large systems or middleware integration (e.g. audio framework, UI framework).
- Make hardcore performance optimisations and hardware-specific optimisations.
- Implement platform-specific features.
- Research and implement cutting-edge real time rendering techniques.
- Research and develop software systems to support the development of our products in conjunction with other engineers.
- Identify and surface risks in the areas that are being worked on.
- Continuously work to minimise technical debt and maintenance hazards.
To qualify for an internship position, we require:
- A solid grounding in Computer Science/Software Engineering theory.
- Demonstrable experience of its practical application.
- Experience with C, C++ or C#.
OR
- A strong background in mathematics, physics or a subject with similar mathematical underpinnings…
- …and some experience of programming with C, C++, C#, Java etc. (not just a scripting language).
Please note: it is not essential to have experience in computer games development or to be on a games-specific course.
There is a long list of other things that will count in your favour. This is not a box-ticking exercise, but if you have strong skills or experience in any of these areas, make sure you let us know!
- A managed, object-oriented language (e.g. C#, Java).
- A scripting language (e.g. Python, Perl, PowerShell).
- Automated Testing (e.g. Google Test Framework).
- Working within a team.
- Experience with commercial game engines like Unreal Engine, Unity or Godot.
- Web service development/cloud deployment.
- Contribution to an open-source community.
- Rendering or computer graphics experience (e.g. DirectX/OpenGL/Vulkan).
HOW TO APPLY
Please include a copy of your CV with a cover letter and portfolio. We realise that your portfolio may be a work in progress and that’s fine, it’s your potential that will catch our eye. Here are some things you can do to help you stand out:
- Have a portfolio of things you are genuinely proud of – this is your chance to show off.
- A covering letter that demonstrates why you want to work for our team at Rare. (We’re a creative lot though, so it doesn’t have to be a letter. Previously we’ve had videos, comics and games!)
TIMELINE
November 2022: Intern intake opens.
January 2023: Intern intake closes.
February 2023: Candidates undergo video and in-person interviews.
March 2023: Successful candidates informed.
July 2023: Candidates begin 12-month placement.
If you haven’t been selected for interview by the end of February, unfortunately you haven’t been successful this year. Due to the volume of applications, we’re unable to respond personally to each applicant.
DETAILS
Location: Twycross, UKTerm: 12 monthsSalary: Competitive
If currently enrolled, your degree course must allow you to undertake a one-year placement starting in July.
Microsoft and the Rare team are equal opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, colour, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.
Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.
About Microsoft
https://microsoft.comMicrosoft is on a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world. You can help us to achieve our mission.