Join the award-winning team that created God of WarSanta Monica Studio is seeking a Sr Combat Designer to support hero designs from concept to implementation completion.In this role you will assist, collaborate with, and take direction from the Lead Combat Designer, Lead Hero Designer, and Directors. You will work with multiple disciplines including Engineering, Animation, Art, Encounters, etc. in ensuring that characters are cohesively executed in game. Applicants are expected to be able to drive features forward by representing them with confidence and knowledge, and keep all feature stakeholders well informed, as well as using their skills and experience to bolster the team via process improvement, mentorship, and leading by example.ResponsibilitiesCreate and drive Player combat moves, systems, and tools from initial design through implementation, iteration, and completionCreate and maintain complex state machine and behavior tree scripting architectures for charactersMaintain, tune, bugfix, and polish all aspects of character implementation, including animation, visual effects, character controls, behaviors, and other systems, to a polished, shippable qualityIteratively work within the set standard for all character asset design, creation, and in-game implementation within the production path as it relates to design, art, VFX, sound, etc.Attend and participate in combat-specific discussions concerning combat design and combat design issuesAttend and participate in production-related discussions concerning relevant feature pipelines and roadmapsValue the relationship between gameplay elements within the level and the overall game and all the ways the player can respond to each gameplay elementRespond and act on playtest and lead feedback with the aim of creating the best experience for all player skill levelsDrive and create opportunities for value addition within the team and studioRequirements4+ years in game development, with at least 2 in a character combat design capacity (creative and technical)Significant experience using text-based and visual scripting languages to set-up character logic, debug complex problems, and test work thoroughlySelf-sufficient in getting to the root of a problem or issue and taking the necessary steps to find solutionsBasic knowledge of vector math, scripting languages, and code (e.g., XML, C++, Lua)Must be able to grasp and work with code-based proprietary tools to implement and troubleshoot assigned charactersMust have knowledge of competitive products and various gameplay genres, as well as a personal understanding of video game fun with regards to hero combat and enemy designAbility to think logically with a strong level of attention to detail; should be able to break down design concepts and analyze them with regards to purpose and intentMust possess quality written communication skills and the ability to convey abstract conceptsMust be able to professionally communicate and work with other members of the game production team.Must be able to speak to and discuss, in depth, hero combat systems, mechanics, and enemies in one or more 3rdperson melee action RPGsPreferred ExperienceCandidates who are fluent with the combat design choices, systems, mechanics, and enemies in God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök (2022) are preferred#LI-SMS#LI-MC1
