Senior Unreal Gameplay Engineer | Multiplayer FPS

Ironbelly Studios Inc.; Montreal (administrative region); Hybrid; CAD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health coverage (dental, vision)

Generous PTO

Remote-first culture

Job summary

Ironbelly Studios Inc. in Montreal, Quebec, is seeking a Senior Unreal Engine developer to own the core gameplay architecture for a competitive shooter.

You’ll design server-authoritative multiplayer systems, client prediction, and responsive gameplay across thousands of concurrent players. The role requires 5+ years shipping games with UE4/UE5, deep C++ expertise, and experience with weapon systems, replication, and backend integration.

Qualifications

• 5+ years shipping games with Unreal Engine (UE4/UE5).
• Deep C++ expertise in gameplay architecture.
• Shipped at least 2 commercial games (ideally multiplayer).
• Proven experience with weapon systems and combat mechanics.
• Mastery of multiplayer concepts: replication, RPCs, lag compensation.
• Backend integration experience.

Responsibilities

• Architect Multiplayer Systems: Design server-authoritative architecture with client prediction and lag compensation.
• Implement advanced ballistics, material penetration, and damage modeling.
• Build AI state machines for combat encounters and world simulation.
• Own inventory replication and dynamic loot spawn systems.
• Drive technical excellence: Optimize for 60+ FPS and set Unreal best practices.
• Scale for success: implement persistent progression and matchmaking, integrate backend services.

Job description

Join the team who's helped build300+ games ranging fromCall of Duty, Halo, PUBG, and Bioshock

You know the difference between client prediction and server reconciliation. You've debugged replication issues at 3 AM. You understand why a 16ms frame budget matters in competitive shooters.

We're Ironbelly Studios - 20+ industry veterans building our next multiplayer FPS in Unreal Engine 5. This is new system architecture from the ground up, not maintenance work.

The Mission

Own the core gameplay architecture for a fully-funded competitive shooter targeting the hardcore PC FPS community. You'll architect systems handling thousands of concurrent players while maintaining the sub-16ms responsiveness that competitive players demand.

You Will

Architect Multiplayer Systems

• Design server-authoritative architecture with client prediction and lag compensation
• Implement advanced ballistics with material penetration and damage modeling
• Build AI state machines for combat encounters and world simulation
• Own inventory replication and dynamic loot spawn systems

Drive Technical Excellence

• Optimize for consistent 60+ FPS in intense multiplayer scenarios
• Establish Unreal best practices across the engineering team
• Balance competitive feel with network performance

Scale for Success

• Implement persistent player progression and reputation systems
• Design session management and skill-based matchmaking
• Integrate backend services, databases, and analytics pipelines

Must-Haves

• 5+ years shipping games with Unreal Engine (UE4/UE5)
• Deep C++ expertise in gameplay architecture
• Shipped at least 2 commercial games (ideally multiplayer)
• Proven experience with weapon systems and combat mechanics
• Mastery of multiplayer concepts: replication, RPCs, lag compensation
• Backend integration experience

Bonus Points

• Extraction shooter or Battle Royale development
• Anti-cheat and competitive integrity systems
• Gameplay Ability System (GAS) expertise
• Experience scaling to 1000+ concurrent players
• Live-service game operations

Why Ironbelly?

Proven Track Record: Our team has contributed to 300+ projects from indie to AAA franchises

Technical Freedom: Senior engineers drive architectural decisions - no micromanagement

Stable & Funded: Fully-funded project with clear roadmap and experienced leadership

Remote-First Culture: Work from anywhere in Canada, USA, or South America. Optional collaboration at our Montreal hub for those who want it.

Real Benefits: Competitive salary, comprehensive health coverage (dental, vision), generous PTO

Location

This is a hybrid role based in Montreal, Quebec. We're building a centralized team in one of gaming's most vibrant cities. Local candidates or those willing to relocate will be prioritized but all are welcome!