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Game Programming Intern Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Xsolla

AI-First Engineering Intern

Los Angeles, CA

$20 - $25/hr

Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring ... For the AI-First Engineering Intern, we will conduct a background check that may include the ...

Xsolla

AI-First Engineering Intern

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$20 - $25/hr

Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring ... For the AI-First Engineering Intern, we will conduct a background check that may include the ...

Centerfield

Software Engineer Intern

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

As a Software Engineering intern at Centerfield, you'll work directly with our Engineering team ... Breakroom supplied with games, couches, workout equipment + weekly in-office exercise classes ...

mxdwn

Games Writer Intern (Unpaid)

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

... developers like Activision and Electronic Arts to the Kickstarter-fueled Indie scene ... If you're looking to jumpstart a career in game journalism, mxdwn Games is a great place to begin.

Mxdwn

Games Writer Intern (Unpaid)

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

... developers like Activision and Electronic Arts to the Kickstarter-fueled Indie scene ... If you're looking to jumpstart a career in game journalism, mxdwn Games is a great place to begin.

Roam

Engineering Intern

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150/hr

Our first focus is gaming: 3D environment generation and understanding for interactive ... Significant experience in software engineering and applied AI * 1+ year full time experience at a ...

Tencent

Game Operations Intern

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$24.81 - $42.70/hr

  • Medical

Level Infinite also provides a wide range of services and resources to our network of developers and partner studios around the world to help them unlock the true potential of their games. What the ...

Angell Echo

Project Intern

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$16.25 - $21.50/hr

... and AR games. Angell Echo will continue to develop and expand its robotics business around the ... Working alongside our Project Developer to create new projects to fill in the gaps. Occasionally ...

Angell Echo / Magikid

Project Intern

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$16.25 - $21.50/hr

... and AR games. Angell Echo will continue to develop and expand its robotics business around the ... Working alongside our Project Developer to create new projects to fill in the gaps. Occasionally ...

Angell Echo

Project Intern

San Jose, CA · On-site

$17.50 - $23.50/hr

... and AR games. Angell Echo will continue to develop and expand its robotics business around the ... Working alongside our Project Developer to create new projects to fill in the gaps. Occasionally ...

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All JobsGame Programming Intern JobsGame Programming Intern Jobs in California

Game Programming Intern information

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How much do game programming intern jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 13, 2026, the average hourly pay for game programming intern in California is $17.21, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.23 and $18.99 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a game programming intern?

A Game Programming Intern is a temporary position where you work with a development team to assist in coding, debugging, and implementing gameplay features. You may work with game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, contribute to AI, physics, or UI systems, and help optimize game performance. Internships provide hands-on experience, exposure to the game development pipeline, and an opportunity to improve coding skills in languages like C++ or C#. This role is ideal for students or aspiring developers looking to break into the gaming industry.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a game programming intern?

To thrive as a Game Programming Intern, you need a solid foundation in computer science, programming languages such as C++ or C#, and an understanding of game development principles. Familiarity with popular game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, version control systems such as Git, and, in some cases, relevant coursework or certifications in game development are highly valued. Strong problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and effective communication skills set candidates apart. These abilities ensure you can contribute effectively to game projects, adapt to new technologies, and work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.

What does a game programming intern do?

As a Game Programming Intern, your daily responsibilities often include writing and testing code for game features, fixing bugs, and collaborating closely with designers, artists, and senior developers. You may attend team meetings to discuss project progress, receive feedback on your work, and help implement gameplay mechanics or tools. The work environment is usually fast-paced and creative, offering exposure to the complete game development lifecycle. This experience provides invaluable hands-on learning and can set the stage for a future full-time role in the industry.

What are the most commonly searched types of Game Programming jobs in California?

The most popular types of Game Programming jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Game Programming Intern jobs in California?

For Game Programming Intern jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Game Programming Intern jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Game Programming Intern jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Game Programming Intern jobs?

Cities in California with the most Game Programming Intern job openings:

Game Programming Intern jobs near you
Infographic showing various Game Programming Intern job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 79% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 2% Temporary, 4% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $35,790 per year, or $17.2 per hour.

AI-First Engineering Intern

Xsolla

Los Angeles, CA

$20 - $25/hr

Internship

Re-posted 4 days ago

Job description

ABOUT US
Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together, and continually make new resources available to creators. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and has helped over 1,500+ game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win, developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game.
For more information, visit xsolla.com.

Why This Role Exists

Xsolla is going all-in on becoming an AI-first company, and we're not waiting for a slow rollout to get there. We're offering AI Engineer Internships in regions across the globe to help drive that shift directly, not by sitting in the back office, but by building.

You'll work on two things:

  1. Internal AI initiatives - helping unlock AI tooling and integrations across Xsolla faster than our existing teams can alone.

  2. Proof-of-concept builds on our own APIs - showing our product and engineering teams what's possible when you build with AI as a core part of your workflow, not an afterthought.

This isn't a shadow-and-observe internship. You'll ship code that goes to customers - internal teams or external players and game developers - working closely with senior engineers and fellow interns across our global regions.

Who You'll Work With

You won't be isolated on an intern-only project island. You'll work closely with senior engineers who are actively rebuilding how we write software, and you'll be part of a global cohort of interns building in parallel across our regions. That combination is the point: senior engineers give you a bar for what production-grade, customer-facing code looks like, and your fellow interns give you a peer group to trade ideas, code, and AI workflows every week.

What You'll Do

  • Partner and collaborate with senior engineers to identify where AI tooling and integrations can remove friction, and build the fix.

  • Build applications and integrations on top of Xsolla's APIs and SDKs that show internal teams how to move faster using AI-assisted development.

  • Ship work that matters. What you build is expected to reach real users - whether that's an internal tool an engineering team adopts or a customer-facing integration - not a throwaway exercise that gets shelved after your internship ends.

  • Use agentic coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor, or similar) as your default way of working - not a novelty you reach for occasionally.

  • Share what you build. We run weekly 30-second lightning-talk demos where everyone shows how they used AI to solve something that week - you'll be expected to bring something real.

  • Work with minimal process. You'll get context, a problem, and a mentor - the rest is on you to figure out and build.

  • Learn from and collaborate with both directions: senior engineers who'll mentor you on production-grade practices, and fellow interns across markets you'll trade ideas and code with at the weekly demos.

What We're Looking For

You build things because you want to, and that you already use AI to do it faster.

  • Genuine passion for building. You have side projects, hackathon entries, open-source contributions, or something you shipped just because you were curious. You didn't need an assignment to make it happen.

  • Real AI fluency. You've actually used tools like Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, or similar agentic coding tools to build something - not just asked ChatGPT to explain a concept. You should be able to explain how you used AI to get there and how you confirmed it actually worked - not someone who fires off a prompt and hopes for the best.

  • Bias toward action. Given an ambiguous problem, you start building before you ask for a spec.

  • Comfort with developing modern full-stack solutions - we care more about how fast you learn than what you already know cold.

  • Open to current undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates of a Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related program. If you're pursuing a graduate degree and don't mind taking on an internship-level role to get hands-on with AI, we want to hear from you.

How to Apply

Please include:

  1. A link to a GitHub profile, deployed project, or anything else you've built - the more recent and self-directed, the better.

  2. A short answer (2-3 sentences, or a 2-minute video/Loom if you'd rather show than tell) to: "What's something hard you built recently, and why did you build it?"

We're not grading for correctness or polish. We're looking for whether you have a real answer, and whether it's clear you actually did the work yourself (with AI as your tool, not your ghostwriter).

$20 - $25 an hour
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Xsolla is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with the Fair Chance Act.
 
Criminal History Consideration:
For the AI-First Engineering Intern, we will conduct a background check that may include the following:
Criminal history check
Employment verification
Education verification
 
Relevance to Job Responsibilities:
The background check is relevant to this position because of the following role responsibilities:
Accessing confidential company data
Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements
 
 
Rights Under the Fair Chance Act:
Applicants are encouraged to inquire about their rights under the Fair Chance Act. If you have questions regarding our hiring practices, please contact [email protected].
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
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