Combat Designer — AAA Action-Adventure (3rd-Person)

People Can Fly Studio; Canada; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefit package 100% paid by PCF

RRSP matching 4%

Paid week off during Winter Holidays

20 vacation days + 5 sick days

Job summary

People Can Fly is seeking a Combat Designer to create, prototype, and implement core combat systems and encounters for AAA games. You will collaborate across disciplines to design engaging melee gameplay, define enemy behavior, and shape combat experiences with state machines, behavior trees, and level tooling.

The role requires shipping experience on 3rd-person melee titles, strong English communication, and a passion for action-adventure combat.

Qualifications

• At least 2+ years of experience in the production of AAA games for consoles and PC.
• 2+ years of experience shipping third-person melee combat titles in AI, combat, or systems design roles.
• Working proficiency with at least one game editor; multiple engine experience is valued.
• Exceptional ability to conceptualize, pitch, and implement game systems and features using various tools, technology, and visual language.
• Clear understanding of creative and game development processes.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Proven successes in creating compelling and fun gameplay, scenarios, and encounters.
• Self-motivated, hard worker with a team-focused attitude and ability to both give and take feedback and criticisms.
• Passion for combat-oriented games (action-adventure titles with 3rd person combat, or combat RPGs).
• Experience with scripting (visual and/or text based) to support avatar behaviors, combat actions, and actions related to hero state machines.
• Proficiency in English is required for this position, as the role involves regular communication with international colleagues, partners, and stakeholders based outside of Québec.

Responsibilities

• Creating, pitching, and prototyping gameplay ideas for core combat and moment-to-moment mechanics and systems, combat characters, their feel, behavior, abilities, and encounters in various settings.
• Implementing combatant character with animations and behavior using state machines, behavior trees, visual effects, sound effects & combat encounters with arena layouts, and pacing using provided level design tools and various other scripting systems.
• Creating designs documents, content briefs, system outlines, and other means of sharing all the necessary information with involved teams.
• Collaborating with multiple disciplines, ensuring the correct partners are involved and informed throughout the development process.
• Remaining current on industry trends, including new game genres, new game design methods and techniques, and trending audio-visual excellence.
• Able to operate with a high degree of agency and autonomy, and help shape the goals of the combat design team.

Skills

AAA game experience

Third-person melee combat

Game editors

Combat systems design

Scripting (visual/text)

English communication

Team collaboration

Feedback receptiveness

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Perforce (P4V)

Job description

People Can Fly is seeking a Combat Designer to create, prototype, and implement core combat systems and encounters for AAA games. You will collaborate across disciplines to design engaging melee gameplay, define enemy behavior, and shape combat experiences with state machines, behavior trees, and level tooling.

The role requires shipping experience on 3rd-person melee titles, strong English communication, and a passion for action-adventure combat.