Lead Combat Designer

Epic Games • Cary, NC

6d

About The Position

Epic is looking for a Lead Combat Designer to oversee the development of combat systems and mechanics in collaboration with internal stakeholders. In this role, you will work with multidisciplinary teams to design, develop, and implement combat mechanics while leading a small design team, delivering a strong foundation for moment-to-moment gameplay and contributing across various aspects of game design for our collaboration with Disney. In this role, you will Lead the vision, design, and implementation of core combat systems, including player abilities, weapons, enemies, encounters, and combat pacing Manage and mentor a small team of combat and systems designers, providing clear direction, feedback, and support Collaborate closely with Engineering, Art, Animation, Audio, UX, Narrative, and Production to ensure combat systems are cohesive, expressive, and polished Create and maintain clear, concise design documentation that communicates combat rules, systems, and tuning to cross-disciplinary teams Prototype, iterate, and refine combat mechanics through playtesting, data analysis, and player feedback Identify and solve complex combat design problems, balancing creativity, technical constraints, and production realities Communicate combat goals, progress, and trade-offs effectively to project leadership and stakeholders

Requirements

• 7+ years of professional game design experience, with a strong focus on combat systems and gameplay mechanics (including melee and ranged combat)
• 3+ years of experience in a senior or lead design role, with demonstrated team leadership and mentorship
• Experience shipping at least one game where combat design was a core gameplay pillar
• Deep understanding of combat design fundamentals such as responsiveness, readability, balance, enemy design, cooperative play, and player feedback
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with experience working across multiple disciplines
• Ability to think strategically at a high level while remaining hands-on with systems design and tuning
• Experience working with Unreal Engine or similar modern game engines

Responsibilities

• Lead the vision, design, and implementation of core combat systems, including player abilities, weapons, enemies, encounters, and combat pacing
• Manage and mentor a small team of combat and systems designers, providing clear direction, feedback, and support
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Art, Animation, Audio, UX, Narrative, and Production to ensure combat systems are cohesive, expressive, and polished
• Create and maintain clear, concise design documentation that communicates combat rules, systems, and tuning to cross-disciplinary teams
• Prototype, iterate, and refine combat mechanics through playtesting, data analysis, and player feedback
• Identify and solve complex combat design problems, balancing creativity, technical constraints, and production realities
• Communicate combat goals, progress, and trade-offs effectively to project leadership and stakeholders

Benefits

• We pay 100% of the premiums for both you and your dependents. Our coverage includes Medical, Dental, a Vision HRA, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance & a 401k with competitive match.
• We also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents.
• Throughout the year we celebrate our employees with events and company-wide paid breaks.
• We offer unlimited PTO and sick time and recognize individuals for 7 years of employment with a paid sabbatical.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees