Reverse Engineer

Wand•Chicago, IL

2d•Remote

About The Position

Wand is building the augmentation and intelligence layer to fix the broken paradigm of players seeking in-game help. Our technology reads game state in real time, powering a unified ecosystem across desktop, web, and native game overlays. Interactive maps are a key feature, and we aim to have them ready the day a game launches. Over 40 million gamers have already found us because we solve this fundamental problem. We are hiring a Reverse Engineer to own the asset-extraction pipeline that feeds Wand Maps, Wikis, and Game Assistant. You will partner closely with our engineering team, who build the extraction tooling and the front-end map experience. The role involves data extraction and tooling development, as each new game presents unique challenges in extracting location data, world geometry, and asset references cleanly. This is an individual contributor role focused on the steady release of new games. You will work with open-source extraction tools and leverage AI coding tools to build scripts and automate repetitive tasks, aiming to make the extraction process for each subsequent game faster than the last.

Requirements

Hands-on experience extracting data from game files using tools like CUE4Parse, FModel, AssetRipper, UnrealPak, or comparable.
Ability to use existing extraction tools and identify their limitations.
Comfortable picking up a new game’s asset structure without extensive documentation, learning through code, observation, and experimentation.
Solid understanding of how game assets are laid out, including meshes, textures, transforms, world hierarchies, level streaming, and common serialization patterns.
Proficiency in scripting with Python or C#.
Fluent with AI coding tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, or equivalent, and experience using them for speedup in unfamiliar codebases or file formats.
Self-managing capabilities, able to independently drive extraction for new titles from the release calendar to a clean handoff.
Strong written communication skills.
Availability during US/Eastern hours.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with the Unreal Engine ecosystem.
In-depth knowledge of the Unity asset pipeline (AssetBundles, addressables, IL2CPP).
Understanding of texture formats (DDS, KTX, BCn) and 3D formats (glTF, FBX).
Experience with serialized data formats like Protobuf, FlatBuffers, or custom packed structs.
Contributions to the modding scene, dataminer community, or open-source extraction tooling.
Being a PC gamer who plays the games our players play.

Responsibilities

Extract data from game files, including locations, world geometry, item and NPC placements, and asset references.
Work with game archives, asset containers, and serialized data.
Convert proprietary formats into structured, open formats such as JSON, glTF, and PNG.
Quickly become familiar with each new game’s data layout, understanding different engines, structures, and potential issues.
Build tooling that compounds by writing scripts and small tools (Python, C#, etc.) to automate repetitive extraction tasks.
Utilize and integrate open-source extraction ecosystems like CUE4Parse, FModel, AssetRipper, and UnrealPak into a functional pipeline.
Leverage AI coding tools extensively for working with unfamiliar code and file formats.
Strive to reduce the time required for extracting data from new games with each subsequent release.
Document findings and processes thoroughly, as notes are considered as important as the extracted data.