Senior Gameplay Engineer

Nexon America • El Segundo, CA

2d • $145,000 - $170,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Nexon America is a branch of Nexon Co., Ltd., a global video game publisher and leading developer of online virtual worlds for PCs, consoles, and mobile devices. Nexon proudly offers celebrated franchises like MapleStory and Mabinogi that have been enjoyed by millions of players for over two decades. When we founded our Nexon America branch in 2006, we made it our goal to bring those unique games to western players using a player-first approach. We achieve that goal by applying our team’s outstanding free-to-play expertise and live game support to every decision, every day. But we’re committed to more than our games! Here at Nexon America, we’re all about open communication, diversity, mutual respect, and collaboration, so we can bring out the best in each other. Nexies find support, friendship, and career growth all in one place! And because we know a healthy work-life balance is the key to happiness, Nexies also enjoy flexible hours, a hybrid work model, and extra perks like food trucks, happy hours, and team events. It’s why we’ve earned the Great Place to Work certification for 5 years running! We’re looking to expand our team with passionate individuals who want to learn, play, and grow with us. Ready for a new challenge? Nexon America’s Western Dev team is looking to expand our team with gameplay engineers for a new exciting project. Ready for a new challenge? Join our team to learn, play, and grow with us! We announced our plan for the 'MapleStory Western Project' at GDC 2024 – a brief overview of the information posted for MapleStory players can be found on the official website: https://www.nexon.com/maplestory/news/general/17104/inkwell-s-note-greetings You will join the MapleStory Development Team as a Senior Gameplay Engineer, playing a key role in designing, developing, and implementing game features that enhance the MapleStory experience. While your primary focus will be on gameplay systems, you will also contribute to server-side performance optimization and stability to ensure a smooth launch. You’ll collaborate closely with game designers, artists, and fellow engineers to create engaging gameplay and uphold technical excellence. In addition, you will mentor junior engineers and report directly to the Lead Gameplay Engineer. We are currently working in the office 2-3x a week in a hybrid work model.

Requirements

• Experienced 7+ years as a software engineer in the online game development, or a related field
• 4+ years of experience in C++ backend/server development
• Experienced in mentoring other engineers
• Shipped new game title(s) or experienced live game service in many years
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Engineering, or equivalent experience
• Proficient in C++ language
• Strong understanding of the online game development process, game mechanics, user experience in online games, and related skillsets
• Experience in server and backend skills such as MultiThreading, Networking, and Databases
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work under tight deadlines
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Ability to quickly understand complex systems and codebases
• Ability to mentor and support junior/mid-level engineers
• Proactive mindset with a willingness to take initiative and solve problems independently

Nice To Haves

• Passionate about MapleStory, with deep familiarity with its gameplay, history, and community
• Prior experience working on live online games with large user bases
• Experience using client-server architecture
• Experience with scripting languages such as Lua or Python
• Proficient in Korean
• Award-winning history in public programming competitions (huge plus)

Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable game systems using C++
• Collaborate with designers, artists, and other engineers to develop gameplay features
• Optimize client-server architecture for performance and stability in large-scale multiplayer environments
• Work closely with backend service engineers to ensure seamless integration of game services
• Mentor junior developers and participate in code reviews
• Debug and resolve complex technical issues
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• We offer medical, dental and vision plans for you, your spouse or domestic partner and your children.
• Employees who enroll in the high deductible health plan receive an annual employer contribution to a health savings account and company paid hospital indemnity benefits.
• We also provide company paid life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability benefits as well as access to voluntary life and AD&D for yourself and your dependents, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) savings plan with a company match, and pet insurance.
• Nexies are encouraged to take advantage of our monthly wellness credit, participate in lunchtime yoga, and enroll in language classes.
• We host bi-monthly catered lunches, monthly happy hours, and maintain a well-stocked snack bar.
• To help you maintain a good work life balance, we offer paid time off, sick days, company holidays, and a year-end break.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees