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Combat Designer Jobs in Florida (NOW HIRING)

Review and improve gameplay flow, combat encounters, boss experiences, and overall game balance ... Proven experience as a Lead Designer, Principal Designer, or Design Director on shipped commercial ...

Review and improve gameplay flow, combat encounters, boss experiences, and overall game balance ... Proven experience as a Lead Designer, Principal Designer, or Design Director on shipped commercial ...

From air combat training to state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems, our technology is deployed ... Knowledge of commonly-used concepts, practices, and procedures within designing or engineering ...

From air combat training to state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems, our technology is deployed ... Knowledge of commonly-used concepts, practices, and procedures within designing or engineering ...

From air combat training to state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems, our technology is deployed ... Knowledge of commonly-used concepts, practices, and procedures within designing or engineering ...

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Showing results 1-20

Combat Designer information

See Florida salary details

$16.1K

$48.9K

$83.7K

How much do combat designer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for combat designer in Florida is $48,906.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $31,800.00 and $63,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a combat designer do?

A Combat Designer is responsible for creating, balancing, and refining the combat mechanics in a game. They design enemy behaviors, player abilities, weapon systems, and encounter pacing to ensure engaging and fair gameplay. This role involves extensive collaboration with animators, programmers, and other designers to bring combat systems to life. Playtesting and iteration are crucial parts of the job to fine-tune mechanics for an optimal player experience.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a combat designer?

To thrive as a Combat Designer, a solid background in game design, understanding of gameplay mechanics, and proficiency in balancing combat systems are essential, often supported by a degree in game development or related experience. Familiarity with game engines like Unity or Unreal, scripting languages, and prototyping tools is typically required. Strong communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving skills help Combat Designers excel within multidisciplinary teams. These skills ensure engaging and balanced combat experiences that enhance overall game quality and player satisfaction.

What are typical daily responsibilities for a combat designer?

As a Combat Designer, your daily responsibilities will often include designing and tweaking combat mechanics, creating and maintaining documentation, and prototyping new features or enemy behaviors. You’ll collaborate closely with artists, animators, and programmers to ensure combat elements are well-integrated and functioning as intended. Playtesting and collecting feedback to balance combat encounters is also a key part of the role. Additionally, you may participate in team meetings to discuss design goals and align on the overall vision for the project.

What are the most commonly searched types of Combat Designer jobs in Florida?

The most popular types of Combat Designer jobs in Florida are:

Infographic showing various Combat Designer job openings in Florida as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, 5% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $48,906 per year, or $23.5 per hour.

Lead Designer

Side

Charleston, SC • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Posted 7 days ago


Job description

At Side, we partner with some of the world's leading developers and publishers to solve complex production challenges and help bring exceptional games to life. From concept through live operations, our co-development teams work as trusted extensions of our clients' studios, contributing expertise across design, engineering, art, audio, QA, and production.
We're looking for a Design Lead or Design Director to drive design excellence across a range of high-profile co-development projects. This role is suited to an experienced design leader who combines strong creative vision with hands-on development expertise and enjoys working directly with clients, multidisciplinary teams, and production stakeholders.
The ideal candidate will bring deep experience leading design teams on Unreal Engine projects, with a background spanning gameplay design, systems design, technical design, and level design. You'll be equally comfortable defining player experiences at a high level, prototyping and validating ideas, mentoring designers, and collaborating with engineering teams to ensure successful execution.
Whether you're currently a Lead Designer ready for a broader challenge or an established Design Director looking to work across multiple projects and genres, this is an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on both client outcomes and Side's growing co-development practice.
Requirements
What you will do:
  • Lead the design vision and execution across co-development projects, acting as the primary design partner for both internal teams and client stakeholders.
  • Drive gameplay, systems, level, and technical design initiatives from concept through delivery.
  • Collaborate closely with engineering, art, production, and QA teams to create engaging, high-quality player experiences.
  • Provide creative leadership, mentorship, and feedback to designers across multiple disciplines.
  • Prototype, validate, and iterate on gameplay features, progression systems, level layouts, and player engagement mechanics.
  • Review and improve gameplay flow, combat encounters, boss experiences, and overall game balance, with a particular focus on FPS and action-oriented experiences.
  • Identify design risks early, solve complex production challenges, and ensure design quality is maintained throughout development.

What we are looking for:
  • Proven experience as a Lead Designer, Principal Designer, or Design Director on shipped commercial titles.
  • Deep expertise with Unreal Engine and a strong understanding of gameplay, systems, and level design.
  • Experience leading cross-functional teams and working directly with clients or external development partners.
  • Strong FPS design experience, with a track record of improving gameplay flow, combat encounters, progression, and player engagement.
  • Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and mentoring skills, with the ability to balance creative vision against production realities.

Nice to have:
  • Experience developing immersive VR experiences for Meta Quest, creating compelling first-person gameplay, and improving player engagement through level flow, encounter design, progression systems, and boss experiences.
  • Confident client-facing communicator, able to present design solutions, manage stakeholder expectations, and build trusted relationships with development partners.

Benefits
  • Competitive Salary.
  • Dynamic, multicultural and fun environment.
  • You will be working for the world's leading provider of game services.
  • We empower our people and offer regular progression opportunities to ensure our employees flourish.

About Side
Side (formerly PTW) is a global video game development and services provider, offering technical and creative solutions to many of the largest developers and studios around the world. Founded in 2009 and drawing on 30+ years' experience from our parent company in Japan, Side has since grown to become a global force with 20 studios in 14 countries across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.
Our industry-leading services include game development, art production, audio production, quality assurance, localization, localization QA, player support, community management, and datasets.
Experience our side of life. For more information, visit www.side.inc