Game & Level Design
Remote
Europe

Senior Combat Designer – Freelance

Join CI Games and be part of shaping the future of gaming. As we embark on an ambitious strategic roadmap with major releases planned for 2026-2028, we’re seeking a talented and dedicated Senior Combat Designer to help us create ground-breaking experiences that captivate players worldwide.

Key Responsibilities:

Combat Systems & Enemy Design

  • Develop our approach to combat by building upon and refining the project’s core systems.
  • Pitch, prototype, implement, balance, and ship a wide variety of enemy archetypes and/or bosses.
  • Tune the combat experience at the micro level: animation lengths, I-frames, Hit boxes, and frame-data polish.
  • Collaborate to structure enemy behaviour in conjunction with overarching RPG mechanics and game progression, including weapon levelling, stats, and character builds.

Technical Implementation & Oversight

  • Implement character combat behaviours using Unreal features such as Behaviour Trees, Animation Graphs, and Blueprints.
  • Provide Gameplay Programmers with comprehensive technical requirements and collaborate to achieve the desired feature implementation.
  • Build basic combat level setups to communicate design intent to Level Design, Art, and Production departments.
  • Address bugs and gameplay issues to ensure a stable, polished product through to shipping.

Collaboration & Documentation

  • Work with other departments (Character Art, Animation, VFX, Audio, etc.) to ship characters with state-of-the-art levels of polish.
  • Create clear, concise, and visually oriented design material explaining mechanics, features, and systems.
  • Help assess project progress and quality by utilizing results from usability, focus, and in-house playtests.
  • Provide constructive feedback and propose solutions to improve the quality of the current project or future titles.

Key Requirements:

  • 5+ years of Game Design experience.
  • Demonstrable prior experience as a Combat Designer for several years or in a comparable role.
  • A deep passion for and expertise in the Soulslike genre.
  • Preferably have shipped at least 1 AAA title in a design capacity.
  • Excellent knowledge of gameplay mechanics, features, and what makes modern games work.
  • Familiarity with Unreal Engine and experience with the creation of Blueprints.
  • Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills are essential for this role.
  • An open and creative mind with the ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.

What we offer:

  • 5 months freelance contract with immediate start.
  • Remote work with flexible schedules (core working hours 10am-4pm CET), allowing you to work alongside talented individuals from around the world.
  • An opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies and stay at the forefront of the gaming industry.
  • A diverse and inclusive workplace that celebrates all backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or social status.
Apply now