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Game Release Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Bethesda Game Studios strives to offer its employees a well-balanced home and work life by ... Track and manage release dependencies, risks, and blockers - escalate issues early, resolve them ...

ZeniMax Media is the parent company of Bethesda Game Studios, known for developing award-winning games. They are seeking a Release Manager to oversee the end-to-end release process for major game ...

ZeniMax Media is the parent company of Bethesda Game Studios, known for developing award-winning games. They are seeking a Release Manager to oversee the end-to-end release process for major game ...

ZeniMax Media is the parent company of Bethesda Game Studios, known for developing award-winning games. They are seeking a Release Manager to oversee the end-to-end release process for major game ...

Qualifications What We're Looking For: * 4+ years in mobile game release operations, submission management, or related games publishing QA roles, with hands-on experience supporting launches across ...

Mobile Games Release Specialist

El Segundo, CA ยท On-site

$17.25 - $23/hr

Qualifications What We're Looking For: * 4+ years in mobile game release operations, submission management, or related games publishing QA roles, with hands-on experience supporting launches across ...

Familiarity with Android/iOS 1stparty release management workflow. * Strong understanding of client rollout methodology, canary client testing, and A/B testing. * Strong passion for games and an ...

... casual game franchises. We serve millions of players every day and are dedicated to providing ... Familiarity with artifact storage/management systems such as Nexus Sonatype or JFrog * Familiarity ...

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Game Release Manager information

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$53

$81

How much do game release manager jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 29, 2026, the average hourly pay for game release manager in the United States is $53.77, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $40.38 and $65.62 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Game Release Manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Game Release Manager, you need strong project management skills, a deep understanding of software development cycles, and a background in game development or related fields. Familiarity with release management tools like Jira, version control systems such as Git, and experience with certification platforms (e.g., PlayStation, Xbox, Steam) are typically required. Exceptional communication, organizational skills, and the ability to coordinate cross-functional teams make someone stand out in this position. These skills ensure timely, smooth, and high-quality game launches by effectively managing complex release processes and stakeholder expectations.

What are some common challenges faced by Game Release Managers during a game's launch period?

Game Release Managers often navigate tight deadlines, last-minute bug fixes, and coordination between multiple teams such as development, QA, marketing, and customer support. Ensuring all release milestones are met while maintaining quality and compliance with platform requirements can be demanding. Additionally, managing communication across global time zones and handling unforeseen technical issues require strong organizational and problem-solving skills. Successfully balancing these responsibilities is key to delivering a smooth and timely game launch.

What is the difference between Game Release Manager vs Game Producer?

AspectGame Release ManagerGame Producer
Primary FocusCoordinating and managing the release process of a game, including timelines, quality assurance, and distributionOverseeing the overall development, production, and delivery of a game, including team management and project scope
Required SkillsProject management, scheduling, communication, quality controlLeadership, project management, resource allocation, stakeholder communication
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with QA, marketing, and development teams during release phasesWorks closely with development teams, publishers, and executive stakeholders throughout the project

The Game Release Manager primarily focuses on coordinating the release process, ensuring timely and quality delivery of the game. In contrast, the Game Producer oversees the entire development lifecycle, managing teams and resources. Both roles require strong project management skills, but their scope and responsibilities differ significantly, with the Release Manager concentrating on the launch phase and the Producer on overall production.

What does a Game Release Manager do?

A Game Release Manager oversees the process of launching new video games, ensuring that all necessary steps are completed for a smooth and timely release. They coordinate between development, quality assurance, marketing, and publishing teams to manage schedules, resolve issues, and meet deadlines. The Game Release Manager is responsible for managing version control, certification processes with platform holders, and ensuring compliance with industry standards. Their goal is to make sure the game is delivered to players on time with minimal issues.
More about Game Release Manager jobs
What cities are hiring for Game Release Manager jobs? Cities with the most Game Release Manager job openings:
What states have the most Game Release Manager jobs? States with the most job openings for Game Release Manager jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Game Release Manager jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Game Release Manager jobs are:
Infographic showing various Game Release Manager job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 66% Full Time, 17% Part Time, and 17% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $111,845 per year, or $53.8 per hour.

Release Manager

ZeniMax Media

Rockville, MD โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 12 days ago


Key responsibilities

  • Own the end-to-end path to live for each release or major milestone, including certification, first-party submission, ratings, and lead final go/no-go decision points.

  • Plan, schedule, and lead multi-platform releases across development, QA, operations, platform partners, and publishing teams.

  • Track and manage release dependencies, risks, and blockers, escalate issues early, resolve them ahead of release, and provide on-call support during release windows.


Job description

Overview
Come join Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning development team behind Starfield, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Bethesda Game Studios strives to offer its employees a well-balanced home and work life by providing competitive salaries, a generous benefits program, and offices located in some of North America's best cities.
With a goal of creating a culture as fun and diverse as our games and our players, we welcome applicants with unique skillsets, experience levels and backgrounds. If you are passionate about making a meaningful contribution to some of the most significant games in the industry we'd love to hear from you!
We will consider candidates for any of our four Bethesda Game Studios office locations: Rockville, MD; Montreal, Quebec; Austin, TX; Dallas, TX.
Responsibilities
Your Daily Life at Bethesda Game Studios
As a Release Manager, you will...
  • Own the end-to-end path to live for each release or major milestone, including certification, first-party submission, ratings, and lead final go/no-go decision points.
  • Drive release readiness through direct ownership of dependencies, reporting, and issue escalation. Run cross-functional release readiness meetings to ensure alignment, transparency, and clear decision-making.
  • Track and manage release dependencies, risks, and blockers - escalate issues early, resolve them ahead of release, and provide on-call support during release windows.
  • Plan, schedule, and lead multi-platform releases across development, QA, operations, platform partners, and publishing teams.
  • Maintain release calendars, deployment plans, cutover and rollback strategies, and key documentation (runbooks, timelines, release artifacts).
  • Own certification and submission processes across first-party platforms - PlayStation (Sony), Xbox (Microsoft), Nintendo, and Steam - managing platform-specific requirements, ratings board submissions, and release timing with each partner.
  • Stay current on all first-party and ratings board requirements and proactively communicate policy and process changes to stakeholders.
  • Provide clear, timely status reporting on release readiness, risks, and outcomes across projects - giving stakeholders and leadership consistent visibility into release health, timelines, and trends.
  • Collaborate with engineering to evaluate, improve, and document build pipelines, branching strategies, and delivery systems - reducing friction, increasing stability, and ensuring releases meet compliance requirements across all platforms.
  • Serve as the technical owner of publishing and deployment work, including build readiness, environment coordination, submission timing, and release execution.
  • Maintain a centralized release repository with processes, dependencies, communication lists, release details, and archived final assets, ensuring all submissions meet first-party, ratings board, and broader compliance requirements.
  • Drive consistency, predictability, and continuous improvement in how we ship, using data, retrospectives, and feedback.
  • Support and contribute to broader studio and publishing initiatives as needed.
Qualifications
What Makes You S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
  • You have the required 5+ years of owning end-to-end releases of AAA games through first-party platforms (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo) and major PC storefronts (Steam)
  • You have hands-on experience submitting titles to major and regional age rating boards - including ESRB, PEGI, CERO, USK, ACB, IARC, ClassInd, GRAC, and CSRR - managing questionnaires, content descriptors, resubmissions, and rating certificate delivery across global markets.
  • You've demonstrated ownership of AAA release lifecycles across development, QA, platform partners, and publishing - from internal milestone builds and first submission through live, including flighting, and post-launch updates.
  • You have proven experience serving as a primary point of contact with first-party platform partners - managing submission timelines, issues, and escalations directly with Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Valve.
  • You have a proven ability to manage risk, drive decisions, and operate effectively under time-critical release conditions.
  • You've owned releases that didn't go as planned and have the hard-won judgment and scar tissue to show for it.
  • You have a strong understanding of the software development lifecycle and deployment practices and workflows.
  • You have experience leveraging automation solutions and tools to streamline workflows and minimize manual effort.
  • You have a minimum of 2 years of experience guiding projects or teams through influence rather than direct authority.
Preferred Skills
Bonus Skills
  • You are experienced with operating within a multi-studio or centralized release management structure, including defining team boundaries and shared workflows.
  • You've operated as a technical authority on release readiness while partnering closely with production and live teams.
  • You have a process-oriented mindset with a focus on clarity, accountability, and repeatable execution.
  • You have a high attention to detail paired with the ability to think systemically about end-to-end delivery.
  • You have familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, build automation, and release tooling (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab, Azure DevOps) - a plus, but not a substitute for platform certification expertise.
Salary Range
Release Manager - The typical base pay range for this position at the start of employment is expected to be between $75,000 - $155,000 per year.
ZeniMax has different base pay ranges for different work locations within the United States, which allows us to pay employees competitively and consistently in different geographic markets. The range above reflects the potential base pay across the U.S. for this role; the applicable base pay range will depend on what ultimately is determined to be the candidate's primary work location. Individual base pay depends on various factors, in addition to primary work location, such as complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills. Base pay ranges are reviewed and typically updated each year. Offers are made within the base pay range applicable at the time.
At ZeniMax certain roles are eligible for additional rewards, such as merit increases and discretionary bonuses. These awards are allocated based on individual performance and are not guaranteed. Benefits/perks listed here may vary depending on the nature of employment with ZeniMax and the country work location. U.S.-based employees have access to healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan and company match, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, wellbeing benefits, paid vacation time, paid sick and mental health time, and several paid holidays, among others.
This position is in a union and represented by the Communication Workers of America.
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