Senior Gameplay Engineer - RuneScape: Dragonwilds

Jagex; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Healthcare

Discretionary bonus

Pension contributions

Life Insurance

Flexible working hours

25 days annual leave

Job summary

Jagex, the RuneScape Company, is seeking a Senior Gameplay Engineer to join our Cambridge team. You will ship multiplayer gameplay in Unreal Engine 5, collaborating with designers to turn prototypes into polished, shipped features.

You will implement, iterate and balance player-facing systems, focusing on robust networked gameplay and scalable architectures for a large MMO audience, with remote-friendly, flexible working options in the UK.

Qualifications

• Proven Unreal Engine 5 gameplay programming in C++ with Blueprint collaboration.
• Strong multiplayer networking knowledge: replication, RPCs, authority, relevancy, prediction, client/server debugging.
• Ability to work directly with designers to iterate quickly while keeping implementations scalable.
• Experience building gameplay systems (abilities, combat, progression, items, UI hooks) with Gameplay Ability System.
• Strong debugging and profiling for performance; diagnose desyncs and edge cases.
• Commitment to testing, code reviews, documentation, refactoring, and delivering at scale.

Responsibilities

• Own and implement gameplay features in UE5 C++ and Blueprint; ensure area from prototype to shipped.
• Design and maintain reusable gameplay frameworks and components with GAS-first patterns.
• Build networked gameplay with correct replication and responsiveness; manage prediction and relevancy.
• Collaborate with designers to iterate on combat, abilities and systems while preserving technical integrity.
• Debug gameplay issues across client and server; keep game stable during live shipping.
• Profile and optimise gameplay code against performance and bandwidth targets as counts scale.

Skills

UE5 C++

Blueprint familiarity

Multiplayer networking

GAS experience

Gameplay systems

Debugging performance

Code quality practices

Job description

Location: Cambridge, UK – This position offers flexible working options, including predominantly remote work. Applicants are preferably be based (or willing to relocate) within a comfortable commuting distance of our office to attend onsite as required.

Want to build multiplayer gameplay that feels responsive, scalable and genuinely fun to play?

As a Senior Gameplay Engineer on RuneScape: Dragonwilds, you will work hand in hand with designers to bring features to life in Unreal Engine 5, turning ideas and prototypes into polished, shippable gameplay. You will implement, iterate and balance player-facing systems day to day, making sure they feel great to play and stay robust in a large multiplayer environment.

What you’ll be doing:

• Own and implement gameplay features in UE5 C++ and Blueprint, using GAS for abilities, attributes, effects, cues and tags, taking an area from prototype to shipped so there is one person accountable for how it plays.
• Design and maintain reusable gameplay frameworks and components aligned with GAS-first patterns, giving designers room to iterate quickly without a programmer in the loop for every change.
• Build networked gameplay that replicates correctly and feels responsive, working with prediction, authority, RPCs and relevancy, because the networking model decides whether gameplay feels good or feels broken.
• Collaborate with designers to iterate on combat, abilities and systems, protecting technical integrity while still landing the version that plays best.
• Debug gameplay issues across client and server, from desyncs and edge cases to live repros, keeping the game stable while the team ships at pace.
• Profile and optimise gameplay code against performance and bandwidth targets so systems hold up as the game and its player counts scale.

What we’re looking for:

• Strong Unreal Engine (UE5) gameplay programming experience in C++, with Blueprint familiarity for collaboration and iteration.
• Strong multiplayer networking knowledge in Unreal: replication, RPCs, the authority model, relevancy and dormancy, prediction concepts, and client and server debugging.
• Proven ability to work directly with designers to iterate quickly while keeping implementations scalable and maintainable.
• Experience building and maintaining gameplay systems such as player abilities, combat, progression, items and UI-facing gameplay hooks, with practical Gameplay Ability System experience and a background shipping and supporting live multiplayer games a strong advantage.
• Solid debugging and performance awareness, including profiling gameplay code and diagnosing desyncs and edge cases.
• Strong code quality habits across testing, code reviews, documentation and refactoring, and demonstrable experience delivering at scale on sizeable teams.

What we offer:

When you join Jagex you can look forward to a generous Perks & Benefits package including:

• Private Healthcare, including Dental Plan.
• Discretionary annual performance bonus.
• Minimum 6% Pension contributions.
• Life Insurance.
• Enhanced family leave policies from day 1.
• Flexible working hours.
• 25 days annual leave + Bank holidays & the option to buy/sell holidays + so much more!

Inclusion & Accessibility Statement

We are committed to providing equal opportunities and creating an environment where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, and we recruit, develop, and promote based on merit and ability.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the recruitment process, please let us know when you’re invited to interview.

Right to Work Statement

This role is only open to applicants who have the permanent right to work in the UK. We are unable to provide or take over visa sponsorship for this position, either now or in the future. Applicants must therefore be able to demonstrate their ongoing eligibility to work in the UK without the need for employer sponsorship.

About Jagex

We are Jagex: The RuneScape Company. Home to one of gaming’s most enduring success stories. We create deep, community-powered games with worlds that evolve, inspire, and endure. Our flagship MMORPG franchise, RuneScape, has welcomed over 300 million player accounts, inspiring generations of players across PC and mobile for 25 years.

As we begin our 26th year, we are accelerating our strategy to expand RuneScape into a broader ecosystem of forever games and connected experiences, grounded in a renewed commitment to integrity and fair play. This includes the reduction of monetisation mechanics, as well as the launch of RuneScape: DragonWilds into Steam Early Access in 2025, representing a major step in building a multi-genre future for the RuneScape universe. We remain focused on building enduring worlds, empowering player-led innovation, and laying the foundations for the boldest era in RuneScape’s history. For more information, visit https://www.jagex.com/ .

Headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, we are home to passionate creators, storytellers, engineers, and even a few dreamers, all united by a single mission to shape the future of online worlds and empower players to make them their own. We’re looking for people to join us who share our ambitions and values. We foster an inclusive workplace built on trust, autonomy, and a shared passion for creating experiences that inspire our communities.
Our values guide everything we do: We Embrace Fellowship by collaborating and sharing openly. We Hone our Craft by always learning and improving; We Honour our Vows by being honest and transparent; We are our Customers’ Heroes by striving to understand our team & player needs, and We Seize The Day by making the most of every opportunity.

Join us. The next era of RuneScape and the next chapter of Jagex: The RuneScape Company starts now.