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Game Engine Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Roblox

Core Engine Developer - Systems (C++)

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$195K - $242K/yr

The Engine Networking Team pulls the players together by ensuring the communication of the game ... You will work in all areas of the game platform in your quest for real-time communication of every ...

Echtra Games

Senior Gameplay Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

... game engine Preferred : • Experience building RPG gameplay systems • Experience working with Unreal Engine 4 • Experience shipping on a major console like XBox or PlayStation • A love and ...

Echtra Games

Senior Gameplay Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

... game engine Preferred : • Experience building RPG gameplay systems • Experience working with Unreal Engine 4 • Experience shipping on a major console like XBox or PlayStation • A love and ...

Echtra Games

Senior Gameplay Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

... game engine Preferred : • Experience building RPG gameplay systems • Experience working with Unreal Engine 4 • Experience shipping on a major console like XBox or PlayStation • A love and ...

Roblox

Senior Software Engineer, Engine Systems

San Mateo, CA · Hybrid

$139K - $183K/yr

Develop engine code that performs well for all user-created games on the Roblox platform. * Build the core systems and data structures used in the Roblox engine, working with other teams to find ...

Roblox

Principal Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA

$153K - $206K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer of the Game Engine data model team, you will innovate on the core data structures that form the backbone of Roblox's platform. In this role you will have first hand ...

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Game Engine information

What is a game engine?

A game engine is a software framework designed to provide the core functionalities needed to develop video games. It typically includes tools and libraries for rendering graphics, simulating physics, handling audio, managing assets, and supporting scripting. By using a game engine, developers can focus on designing gameplay and content rather than building these systems from scratch. Popular examples include Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot. Game engines are essential for streamlining the game development process and enabling cross-platform compatibility.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals working on game engines, and how can they be addressed?

Professionals working on game engines often encounter challenges such as balancing performance optimization with feature complexity, ensuring cross-platform compatibility, and maintaining clear documentation for large codebases. Addressing these challenges typically involves close collaboration with other developers, adopting modular design principles, and conducting regular code reviews. Additionally, staying updated with advances in graphics hardware and development tools is crucial for delivering a high-quality, efficient game engine.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a game engine developer?

To thrive as a Game Engine Developer, you need strong programming skills in languages like C++ or C#, a solid understanding of computer graphics, and a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with industry-standard game engines (such as Unity or Unreal Engine), debugging tools, and version control systems is typically required. Creativity, problem-solving, and effective teamwork are essential soft skills for designing innovative features and collaborating with artists and designers. These competencies are crucial for building robust, high-performance engines that power engaging and visually impressive games.

What is the difference between Game Engine vs Game Developer?

AspectGame EngineGame Developer
Primary RoleSoftware framework used to build gamesProfessional who designs, develops, and codes games
Required SkillsProgramming, software architecture, tools integrationProgramming, creative design, problem-solving
Work EnvironmentTools and software development environmentGame studios, independent projects, freelance
CertificationsNone typically required, but programming certifications helpComputer science, software engineering degrees often preferred

While a game engine is a software platform that provides the tools to create games, a game developer is a professional who uses these tools to design and build games. The game engine is the foundation, whereas the game developer is the creator leveraging that foundation to produce interactive entertainment.

What are popular job titles related to Game Engine jobs in California? For Game Engine jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Game Engine jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Game Engine jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Game Engine jobs? Cities in California with the most Game Engine job openings:
Game Engine jobs near you
Infographic showing various Game Engine job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 68% In-person, and 32% Remote job distribution.

Senior Software Engineer, Game Engine Systems

Roblox

San Mateo, CA • On-site

$242K - $293K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 15 days ago

Job description

Every day, tens of millions of people come to Roblox to explore, create, play, learn, and connect with friends in 3D immersive digital experiences- all created by our global community of developers and creators.
At Roblox, we're building the tools and platform that empower our community to bring any experience that they can imagine to life. Our vision is to reimagine the way people come together, from anywhere in the world, and on any device.We're on a mission to connect a billion people with optimism and civility, and looking for amazing talent to help us get there.
A career at Roblox means you'll be working to shape the future of human interaction, solving unique technical challenges at scale, and helping to create safer, more civil shared experiences for everyone.
As a Senior Software Engineer on the Engine DataModel team, you will own and innovate on the foundational components that form the backbone of the Roblox platform. In the Roblox Engine, the DataModel is a tree-like structure that is analogous to a scenegraph in other 3D engines. This role will report to the engineering manager and will be based out of our HQ in San Mateo, CA in a hybrid model 3 days a week (Tuesdays to Thursdays).
Our team owns:
  • The core structures and systems are used to build the DataModel and interact with it.
  • The C++ reflection bindings that form the Engine's Luau API surface and let creators interact with the DataModel. We've built custom codegen tooling to generate the C++ for these reflection bindings and other related structures.
  • DataModel serialization ... and much more!
You will:
  • Develop engine code that performs well for all user-created games on the Roblox platform.
  • Build the core systems and data structures used in the Roblox engine, working with other teams to find universal solutions.
  • Take ownership of projects throughout their full lifecycles.
  • Execute code that performs well on all the devices Roblox supports-from desktop clients to mobile phone clients to console clients.
You have:
  • Experience developing outstanding systems-level C++ programming.
  • Have a curiosity about the actual work the CPU does when you use smart pointers, templates, virtual functions, and blocks of memory, both structured and raw.
  • Have experience working on game engines or other similarly performance-sensitive products.
  • Responsibility for building and maintaining systems that work optimally.
  • Curiosity to learn and stay up-to-date on technology developments.

For roles that are based at our headquarters in San Mateo, CA: The starting base pay for this position is as shown below. The actual base pay is dependent upon a variety of job-related factors such as professional background, training, work experience, location, business needs and market demand. Therefore, in some circumstances, the actual salary could fall outside of this expected range. This pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. All full-time employees are also eligible for equity compensation and for benefits as described on this page.
Annual Salary Range
$242,100-$293,800 USD
Roles that are based in an office are onsite Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with optional presence on Monday and Friday (unless otherwise noted).
Roblox provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Roblox also provides reasonable accommodations to candidates with qualifying disabilities or religious beliefs during the recruiting process.
For US based roles only, please note the Company may not be able to employ candidates for this role who have United States work authorization related to certain U.S. visa categories, or support future H-1B sponsorship at this time.

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