Senior Narrative Designer, World of Warcraft | Irvine, CA

Team Name:

World of Warcraft

Job Title:Senior Narrative Designer, World of Warcraft | Irvine, CA

Requisition ID:R024360

Job Description:

Story is at the heart of everything we do in World of Warcraft, and we're seeking a Senior Narrative Designer to join our team and help craft unforgettable story experiences. Azeroth and its characters have been beloved by fans for decades, and there are countless new tales waiting to be told! We're looking for an experienced narrative designer who loves to collaborate with peers across multiple disciplines to achieve our story goals.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this position is Irvine, CA.

What you will do…

• Story and Writing
  • Partner with multiple design teams to plan and implement narrative content
  • Leverage design expertise to determine best methods for delivering story to players
  • Write, review, and edit dialogue, quest text, and other in-game narrative writing
  • Ensure consistency of voice, tone, theme, and plot across several features and releases
  • Maintain narrative documentation, including writing style and pronunciation guides
  • Ideate, revise, and execute on storytelling efforts in response to creative direction
• Voiceover Recording
  • Work with production and narrative leadership to plan voiceover budgets
  • Write and review casting documentation both in and outside of the editing tool
  • Collaborate with VO design on processing and performance
  • Prep VO scripts for export and provide story context in recording sessions
• Cross-Discipline Collaboration
  • Discuss cinematic requests, write and edit scripts, and provide feedback on dailies
  • Review out-of-game copy pertaining to narrative content and provide writing support
  • Work with publishing to review outlines and early manuscripts for tie-in fiction
• Mentorship and Teamwork
  • Support and provide feedback for other narrative designers
  • Provide guidance and best practices to nurture writing talent of other departments
  • Participate in and contribute to a culture of diversity and inclusion
  • Work and thrive in a collaborative team environment

Minimum Requirements

• 5+ years’ experience working as a narrative designer preferably on AAA titles writing and recording dialogue for games
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Fundamental understanding of game design philosophies and best practices in regard to storytelling.
• Ability to act independently on writing tasks and produce high quality dialogue and prose
• Ability to address and incorporate creative feedback in an effective manner
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to work well under deadlines

Pluses

• Deep knowledge of World of Warcraft story and gameplay
• Experience developing multiplayer open world games or MMOs
• Published writing work (novels, short fiction, film, television, comics, etc.)
• Knowledge of current successful intellectual properties in today’s popular culture

APPLICATION MATERIALS

• Links or attachments of writing samples/portfolio (preferred)
• Cover Letter (preferred)
• Resume (required)

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 innovate 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 [email protected]. 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.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $80,800.00 - $149,400.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.