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Combat Game Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Warner Bros. Discovery

Senior Designer, Combat

Chicago, IL · On-site

$89K - $166K/yr

Games family. With over 20 years of creation under our belts, NetherRealm's mission remains the ... The Job The Senior Combat Designer will be responsible for significant contributions to game design ...

Warnerbros

Senior Designer, Combat

Chicago, IL · On-site

$89K - $166K/yr

Games family. With over 20 years of creation under our belts, NetherRealm's mission remains the ... The Job The Senior Combat Designer will be responsible for significant contributions to game design ...

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Combat Game Designer information

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$47K

$156K

How much do combat game designer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for combat game designer in the United States is $149,118.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $155,000.00 and $155,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a combat game designer?

A Combat Game Designer is a professional in the video game industry who specializes in designing, balancing, and refining the combat systems within a game. They are responsible for creating engaging and fair mechanics for player battles, including character abilities, weapons, enemy behavior, and progression systems. Combat Game Designers work closely with programmers, artists, and other designers to ensure that combat feels satisfying and aligns with the game's overall vision. Their work often involves prototyping, playtesting, and iterating on combat features based on feedback from both the development team and players.

How does a combat game designer typically collaborate with other departments during the development process?

As a Combat Game Designer, you will work closely with various teams such as artists, animators, programmers, and sound designers to create engaging and balanced combat systems. Collaboration often involves frequent meetings to discuss mechanics, prototyping features, and iterating based on feedback. You'll also coordinate with narrative and level design teams to ensure that combat fits seamlessly within the game's world and story. Effective communication and a willingness to adapt your ideas are essential, as your work will impact many aspects of the game's overall experience.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a combat game designer, and why are they important?

A Combat Game Designer needs a solid understanding of game design principles, experience with balancing gameplay mechanics, and often a degree in game design or a related field. Familiarity with industry-standard tools such as Unity or Unreal Engine, scripting languages like C#, and version control systems is typically required. Creativity, teamwork, and strong problem-solving skills help designers collaborate effectively and craft engaging combat experiences. These abilities are crucial for developing immersive, balanced, and enjoyable combat systems that keep players engaged.

What is the difference between Combat Game Designer vs Level Designer?

AspectCombat Game DesignerLevel Designer
Required SkillsGame mechanics, combat systems, player engagementLevel layout, environment design, pacing
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with gameplay, art, and programming teamsWorks closely with art and level teams to craft environments
Industry UsageUsed in action, shooter, and fighting gamesCommon in adventure, platformer, and open-world games

While both roles involve designing aspects of a game, Combat Game Designers focus on creating engaging combat mechanics and systems, whereas Level Designers craft the environments and levels players explore. Both roles require collaboration across teams and are vital to game development, but they specialize in different facets of gameplay experience.

What are popular job titles related to Combat Game Designer jobs?

For Combat Game Designer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Combat Game Designer job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 4% Internship, 61% Full Time, 23% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 11% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $149,118 per year, or $71.7 per hour.

Associate Game Designer, Technical

Santa Monica, CA • On-site

Naughty Dog
PC Games • 51 - 200 employees
Learn more about Naughty Dogexternal

$37 - $50/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision

Re-posted 10 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviors

  • Collaborating with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems

  • Communicating with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the areas you're owning

Job description

This position is for temporary engagement through our staffing partner, Yoh Enterprise Solutions. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position.
This is a hybrid / onsite position.
For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC.
Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.
In this role you'll be responsible for prototyping gameplay using our in-house tools and scripting language, which could range from combat encounters to narrative sequences to player mechanics and enemy behaviors. Then working across departments to bring your prototypes into production and polish your work to the high level of quality Naughty Dog is known for. We're looking for self-motivated, proactive designers who enjoy creating unique experiences and can combine their technical and creative skills while iterating rapidly.
What you will do
  • Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviors
  • Collaborating with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems
  • Communicating with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the areas you're owning
  • Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

What skills will you use
  • Significant programming ability (Computer Science undergraduate degree preferred)
  • Knowledge of 3D math
  • Experience with C++, C#, Lua, or other scripting language
  • Broad understanding of gaming landscape
  • Self-starter with excellent communication and teamwork skills
  • Willingness to take design direction when offered, brainstorm, iterate and come up with fun and creative solutions
  • Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

Bonus Skills
  • Experience developing third-person action games
  • Experience with 3D level editors
  • Understanding of narrative principles, and conveying emotion through gameplay
  • Experience with the following areas of design
    • Behavior Trees
    • Melee
    • Combat Systems
    • Character animation
    • Enemy & boss design

As part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates should expect to be given a technical interview
#LI-SP3
At SIE, working with our partners, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for benefit offerings that include medical, dental, and vision. Click here to learn more.
The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below, this is an hourly rate.
$37-$50 USD
Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.
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