Lead Multiplayer Designer – Gears of War – The Coalition - Microsoft

The Coalition is a Microsoft first-party development studio located in Vancouver, Canada. We are the official home of the Gears of War franchise, and our objective is to forge the future of the IP and push the limits of Microsoft’s entertainment platforms and devices. Our team is comprised of deep creative and technical talent from across our industry and beyond, working cohesively to delight our fan base and pass expectations of what is possible. As a studio, we lead from our values and work together to promote respect and inclusion, a growth mindset, G.R.I.T (Guts, Resourcefulness, Initiative & Tenacity), all while putting our team first! Join us and let’s go far together!

The Coalition Studio is looking for an experienced Lead Multiplayer Designer to join our team. We are looking for a creative leader, with a passion for creating compelling multiplayer modes and designing systems to support them. The Lead Multiplayer Designer is responsible for creating engaging multiplayer gameplay features, game modes, and scenarios, driving them all from concept to implementation. Reporting to the Live Design Director, the Lead Multiplayer Designer will collaborate closely with other designers, developers, and artists across the studio to make sure that the experiences your team creates are fun, engaging, and performant, and help to tell the story of the game.

• Under the direction of the Live Design Director, lead the multiplayer modes/systems design team through strong mentorship, training, and actionable feedback that motivates and inspires their work.
• Champion the game vision by driving initiatives and goals to make sure needs of the project are captured in the game modes.
• Shepherd mode and system development from paper through completion, guiding the process to meet timelines, iterate on feedback, and maintain focus on delivering high quality gameplay.
• Work in-engine to develop PvP and PvE systems, modes, and experiences, which satisfy clearly defined design goals that you have helped to define and evolve.
• Guide team to iterate on designs to solve problems, improve tuning/balance, and dial in the fun.
• Ensure functional and visual consistency across all multiplayer experiences throughout the game.
• Manage cross department communication and collaboration as it pertains to levels: work closely across disciplines in managing the prioritization, implementation, and scope of the game’s system.
• Tackle large problems by breaking them down into smaller systems and reusable components.
• Create and update documentation to explore design thoughts, pitch ideas, achieve alignment, and facilitate asynchronous team communication.

Required Qualifications:

• Associate's Degree in Art, Game Design, or related field AND 6+ years relevant internship/work experience (e.g., game development and design, systems design, content production)

  • OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Art, Game Design, or related field AND 6+ years related work experience (e.g., game development and design, systems design, content production)
  • OR Master's Degree in Computer Science, Art, Game Design, or related field AND 4+ years related work experience (e.g., game development and design, systems design, content production)
  • OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• You have shipped at least one AAA title in a senior or lead role.
• You have a keen interest and fluency in multiplayer experiences such as PvE or PvP.
• You have expertise in the shooting genre.
• You have a thorough grasp of multiplayer methodology and problem solving.
• You have demonstrated experience using Unreal Engine and Blueprint visual scripting to create shippable content in a larger project.
• You have the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with the whole team, particularly designers, engineers, and artists, even in a remote work environment.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, 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.

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