Senior Level Designer

Intrepid Studios is looking for a passionate and talented Senior Level Designer to join our growing team and contribute to the development of Ashes of Creation, our upcoming MMORPG. In this role, you will take ownership of key playable locations within the vast world of Verra, including both intricate dungeons and expansive outdoor environments. You will collaborate with designers and environment artists to craft unforgettable experiences that immerse players in this dynamic world. You will also play a crucial role in mentoring junior designers, fostering their growth and sharing your expertise in creating intuitive and engaging gameplay spaces. A passion for MMORPGs is an absolute must!

Responsibilities:

• Design and build a variety of compelling and functional environments and POIs that seamlessly integrate with the game's open world, large-scale PvP combat, and emergent settlement systems, catering to diverse gameplay experiences: strategic castle sieges, challenging PvE encounters, resource-rich zones, and thriving player settlements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (environment artists, quest designers, engineers) to bring your levels to life, ensuring they are visually stunning, performance optimized, and support the intended gameplay experiences.
• Aid in the development and refinement of systems that drive the emergence of player settlements, ensuring your levels provide fertile ground for player interaction and world-shaping actions.
• Playtest and iterate on your level designs based on feedback from peers, community, and data analysis.
• Mentor junior designers in developing their level design skills.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and best practices in open-world level design, large-scale PvP, and emergent gameplay.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in game development with a focus on level design, preferably in open-world MMOs or similar large-scale online environments.
• Strong understanding of level design principles, including spatial awareness, flow, visual composition, and gameplay integration.
• Proficiency in Unreal Engine 5 and its level design tools, including landscape sculpting, asset placement, and lighting.
• Experience with visual scripting languages (Blueprints) to create interactive elements and scripted events within your levels.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Passion for MMORPGs and a deep understanding of the genre, particularly in relation to open-world design, large-scale PvP, and emergent gameplay.

Desired Expertise:

• Experience designing levels that support large-scale PvP combat and siege mechanics.
• Familiarity with emergent gameplay systems and their impact on level design.
• Experience working with large-scale terrain generation and world-building tools.
• Knowledge of performance optimization techniques for open-world environments.

Required Application Materials:

• Resume
• Level Design Portfolio
• Cover Letter which should include:
  • Why you are interested in working at Intrepid
  • Share about the game you are currently playing and what you like about it

Interview Overview:

Below you'll find an outline of the interview plan for this role. Please note that while this is what we expect the process to look like; we may ask you for supplemental information or require an additional step before making a final decision.

• 30 min interview with a member of our Talent Team
• Level Design Test
• 60 min interview with the Hiring Manager and Team
• Final interview with the executive team
• References calls & a background check

The Legal Bits:

We offer competitive pay based on market standards plus a significant annual bonus structure. The base salary for this role is between $85,000 - $136,000, depending on skills and experience. Individual compensation decisions are based on a number of factors, including experience level, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company. We expect the majority of the candidates who are offered roles at our company to fall throughout the range based on these factors.

Job descriptions are not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that may be required of the employee.

We encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, to apply for positions. We are an equal opportunity employer and we're committed to a fair and consistent interview process and employer experience.

About Us:

Founded in 2015, Intrepid Studios is the independent developer and publisher of the upcoming and Most Anticipated MMORPG, Ashes of Creation. Based in beautiful Southern California, Intrepid has assembled a veteran AAA team of tremendous talent and experience in the MMORPG industry. The gaming industry can be a turbulent storm of hiring cycles and layoffs. We’ve set out to do something different, to break this cycle and create an independent studio capable of withstanding the chaos of this industry. We’ve brought on-board a team of professionals that hold a diverse set of skills, and who all share a singular goal: making fun games. The studio is designed to be an open place for collaboration and communication, a place that is conducive to team building and success. Our goal is to build a family that will laugh together, play together, succeed together, and stay together.

All posted positions are full-time with generous medical benefit options covered 100% by employer for employees and dependents plus paid vacation & sick days, and 401k with matching.