Game Designer - EA Sports FC

EA Sports; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 78,000 - 108,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation 3 weeks

Sick time 10 days

EI/QPIP top-up

Health/dental/vision

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Retirement plan

Bonus potential

Job summary

EA SPORTS in Vancouver, BC is seeking a Game Designer for Ultimate Team. You will craft engaging game modes and progression systems, collaborating with product owners, engineers, animators, and designers to push the franchise forward.

You will mentor peers, set high design quality, and leverage market insights and player feedback to fuel continuous innovation across live services. If you love football, sports games, and building player-first experiences, join us and help shape FUT.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience designing AAA systems across console, PC, or mobile.
• Proven ownership of major design systems from concept to implementation.
• Experience collaborating with engineering, art, and production to deliver gameplay.
• Excellent verbal and written communication for technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Pitch and design innovative game modes and progression systems.
• Use various tools to drive macro and micro experiences across disciplines.
• Set the bar for design excellence with player-first experiences.
• Advocate for players and inform partners impact.
• Collaborate with design leadership to align on Ultimate Team vision.
• Leverage market insights and player feedback to drive innovation.
• Work with Production Leads to align priorities with timelines.

Skills

AAA game design

Ownership of design systems

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Clear communication

Job description

Description & Requirements

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Game Designer – EA SPORTS™ FC Ultimate Team

Vancouver, Canada

EA SPORTS is one of the most iconic brands in entertainment, connecting millions around the world to the sports they love through a portfolio of industry-leading video games.

The EA SPORTS FC Ultimate Team franchise is the cornerstone of our football gaming experience, engaging millions of players worldwide. Ultimate Team offers unmatched depth, strategy, and personalization through dynamic game modes and innovative player progression systems, setting the standard for live sports gaming.

Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, the EA SPORTS FC Ultimate Team is committed to pushing the boundaries of what a football game can be. If you're an expert in your craft and passionate about delivering immersive, player-first experiences in progression systems and game modes, this is a career-defining opportunity. Location Assistance is available for the right candidate.

As a Game Designer for Ultimate Team, you will be an expert in designing engaging game modes and progression systems that elevate player excitement, measured by retention and engagement. You will report to the Principal Designer and collaborate with product owners, engineers, animators, and other designers to shape the future of Ultimate Team. In this role, you will set a high bar for design quality, establishing yourself as a leader who exemplifies excellence in craft. You will mentor and inspire your peers and less experienced designers, ensuring that every feature aligns with the Ultimate Team vision.

The sports genre continues to evolve with inspiration and influence from a range of other genres including large online multiplayer shooters, RPG games, open world games, co-op PvE games, user-generated gaming platforms, and narrative games. We invite you to join us if you have extensive experience in one or more of the above spaces and believe you can drive innovation in sports through cross-pollination of ideas.

Your Responsibilities

• Game Modes & Progression Systems: Pitch and design innovative game modes and player progression systems that deliver deep and engaging experiences. Convince leadership why the game needs your designs, big and small changes.
• Make Cool Stuff: You are a renaissance person, using whatever tools you can to help sell and drive the macro and micro experiences across many disciplines. Your work makes people excited to do their work.
• Craft Mastery: Set the bar for excellence in game design. Deliver player-first experiences with creativity, precision, and an obsessive attention to detail.
• Core Player Empathy: You are the voice in the room for our players, advocating for them and ensuring all partners understand how our work will impact them.
• Vision & Collaboration: Collaborate with design leadership and cross-functional teams to align on the overall vision for Ultimate Team. Ensure that all designs support the product strategy and contribute to the continued growth of the franchise.
• Innovate & Iterate: Leverage market insights, player feedback, and data analytics to identify opportunities for innovation in game modes and progression systems. Continuously iterate to optimize the player experience.
• Partner with Production Leads: Collaborate with production leadership to ensure feature prioritization and scope align with development timelines and goals.

Your Qualifications

• Expert in Craft: Minimum 5 years of experience designing AAA systems, be it console, PC, boardgames or mobile. You have shipped complex game modes and player progression systems.
• Ownership and Accountability: A track record of taking full ownership of major design systems, from conceptualization through to implementation, and delivering exceptional results.
• Collaboration Mastery: Proven experience working across multiple disciplines (engineering, art, production) to deliver cohesive and high-quality gameplay experiences. You are dedicated to sourcing the best idea for our players, not dedicated to defending your own ideas.
• Communication Excellence: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex design concepts clearly and effectively to technical and non-technical audiences.

Ideal Candidate

• You are a football (soccer) fan, or a sports fan in general
• Deep understanding of FUT
• Loves CCGs / TCGs/ RPG systems
• Understands Competitive Games
• Flexible and growth mind set oriented
• Lives and breathes games outside of work

Pay Transparency - North America

Compensation And Benefits

The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

• British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria) *$77,700 - $107,900 CAD

Pay is just one part of the overall compensation at EA.

For Canada, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and other incentive programs.

About Electronic Arts

We’re proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.