Design Director Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

We Need You

The minions of hell are growing stronger...

Join us as we continue to shape the Diablo universe! Diablo games are action RPG experiences with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Come work with us, and together, we'll create experiences that not only meet but exceed the expectations of those who call Sanctuary home.

As a Systems Design Director, you will lead our talented team of designers on Diablo, overseeing high-level game systems, player progression, social engagement features, and overall game balance. You will guide and mentor a group of seasoned lead designers, setting a strategic vision to deliver compelling and balanced gameplay systems to millions of passionate players worldwide.

This role offers a flexible hybrid work week, with a mix of remote and on-site days. While hybrid is the standard arrangement, you're also welcome to work on-site full-time if you prefer. Our primary studio locations are in Albany, NY, and Irvine, CA.

Responsibilities

• Develop and communicate a clear, compelling vision for progression, social, gameplay, and balance systems.

• Ensure design alignment across multiple teams, fostering consistency and cohesion within the player experience.

• Coordinate across departments (Art, Engineering, Production, UX/UI, QA, Live Operations) to facilitate smooth and effective cross-team collaboration.

• Maintain a deep understanding of Diablo's core mechanics, player motivations, and community expectations to inform system evolution.

• Lead the creation and refinement of progression and reward structures, social engagement mechanics, competitive leaderboards, and economy systems.

• Oversee the tuning and iteration of gameplay balance, ensuring fair and engaging experiences at all levels of player skill and progression.

• Provide mentorship, guidance, and career development to a team of experienced Lead Systems Designers.

• Represent Systems Design in cross-disciplinary leadership discussions, advocating effectively for team goals and player experience.

Minimum Requirements

• 12+ years of professional systems design experience in games, with 4+ years leading design teams.

• Extensive, hands-on experience developing progression systems, game economies, social features, and balancing complex gameplay ecosystems in live-service games.

• Deep understanding of the Diablo series, ARPG mechanics, player psychology, and what motivates player retention and satisfaction.

• Exceptional analytical skills; able to clearly communicate complex systems and balance concepts to both designers and non-designers.

• Proven track record managing and mentoring teams of experienced designers, demonstrating strong interpersonal and leadership skills.

• Strong collaboration and communication skills with experience leading multi-disciplinary teams in a highly iterative environment.

• Demonstrated passion for games, systems design and staying current with industry trends and competitor strategies.

• Dedication to quality, passion for gameplay, and a deep respect for the player's experience.

• Commitment to a culture of iteration, transparency, mentorship, and constant improvement.

Bonus Points

• Shipped multiple successful AAA ARPG or RPG titles.

• Experience navigating large organizations and maintaining clarity of vision across large-scale development efforts.

• Technical familiarity with data-driven design tools and scripting languages.

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry's most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, Candy Crush and Bubble Witch. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.