Features Engineer (Senior/Principal)

Bonfire Studios, Inc; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 192,500 - 237,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Full benefits package

Flexible work environment

Job summary

A game development studio in Irvine is seeking a Features Engineer to develop engaging game features. You will work collaboratively with designers and engineers, utilizing Unity DOTS and C#. Ideal candidates have over 5 years in game feature development. This position offers competitive compensation ranging from $192,500 to $237,500, along with equity and a full benefits package.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a software engineer with a focus on game features development.
• Experience shipping titles with owned major features from design to implementation.
• Passion for UI and understanding its role in player experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop features, systems, and tools in social, meta-progression, and core game flows.
• Leverage Unity’s Data-Oriented Tech Stack in C# and Blend/XAML.
• Collaborate closely with other designers and engineers.

Skills

Game features development

Unity DOTS

C#

UI development

Collaborative skills

Tools

Unity

Blend/XAML

Job description

Overview

Full-time Hybrid, Irvine, California, United States

What's the one game you couldn't put down? The game that connected you with friends, and made you feel like you belonged? If a game has ever defined a chapter of your life, then you already know the spark we’re chasing. Our mission is to ignite that same feeling for players; the thrill of competition, the joy of community, and the belonging of finding your own corner of a larger world.

Great games begin with people who dare to dream big. If that sounds exciting, you might be exactly who we’re looking for.

Bonfire is a group of experienced and ambitious developers, proud to be creating our first original IP: Arkheron. It is a fast-paced, competitive PVP game set in a surreal dark fantasy world where 15 teams of three battle their way up the Tower. In a world built from memories, you will loot powerful items to create and adapt a unique build-out that will change your strategy and combat experience with every Ascension.

The best way to understand our Engineering team is in their own words — here’s how they describe their work.

On the Engineering team at Bonfire, it is about more than code. For us, it's essential to build a deep understanding and intuitive sense of what makes our game special through our players' hearts and minds. Guided by this sensibility, we form close partnerships with artists and designers to challenge ourselves, exploring creative and fun ways to evolve the game together. We ruthlessly prioritize what matters most and continually weigh trade-offs in our pursuit of making both playing and building our game feel great.

As a Features Engineer, you’ll partner closely with designers, engineers, and cross-disciplinary teammates to build features end-to-end (from the UI to the backend). You’ll translate creative visions into technical realities, shaping the technology that powers Arkheron and creating an amazing experience for players.

YOU’LL CONTRIBUTE BY:

• Developing features, systems, and tools in areas like social, meta-progression, and core game flows.
• Leveraging Unity’s Data-Oriented Tech Stack (DOTS) in C# and Blend/XAML for UI development.
• Shaping and delivering features from design through implementation, collaborating tightly with other designers & engineers along the way.
• Learning and adopting new technologies quickly, applying them to improve the player and developer experience.

WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU:

• Bring 5+ years of experience as a software engineer with a focus on game features development.
• Have shipped titles where you owned major features end-to-end, from design to implementation.
• Are passionate about UI and features work, and understand its critical role in shaping the player experience.
• Possess an entrepreneurial spirit — you take initiative, self-direct projects, and dive into solving problems.
• Value collaboration, trust, and diverse perspectives, building strong partnerships across the studio.
• Embrace a growth mindset, caring about your own development, supporting others, and sharing a passion for making great games.

THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE ROLE FOR YOU IF:

• You’re happiest focusing only on either frontend or backend work. In this role, versatility is key.
• You prefer working entirely on your own. Our team is highly collaborative and we design, review, and iterate together.
• You’d rather stick with familiar tools. Here, adaptability matters, and you’ll have opportunities to learn and grow with new technologies like Unity DOTS or Blend/XAML.
• You’re not excited about shaping features from start to finish. At Bonfire, we value seeing ideas through (from design, to implementation, to iteration).

YOU’LL LOVE WORKING AT BONFIRE BECAUSE WE:

• Embrace bold challenges with creativity and courage, making the tough calls to build a game we’re proud to play every day.
• Keep fun at the core: we play Arkheron daily, staying grounded as players. If it’s not more fun than yesterday, we fix it. We don’t chase trends; we listen by playing.
• Stay truly independent, with decisions driven by the team — not by investors or a board.
• Thrive in a culture of passion, trust, and shared ownership; where transparency matters and egos don’t.

The base salary range for this role is $192,500 - $237,500. Depending on your experience and level (whether you’re closer to mid-level or principal), your offer may land above or below that range. We don’t just look at years on a résumé — we think about the impact you can have on the team and the game. Of course, compensation at Bonfire goes beyond salary. Every new teammate receives equity, plus a full benefits package and some extra perks to make work (and life) better. When we connect, we’ll happily walk you through the full details.

Want to get a feel for what it’s like to work here? You can check out more about our culture, team, benefits, and perks at www.bonfirestudios.com. And don’t worry — anything you share with us in the application process is just for recruiting and won’t be shared. You can read more in our privacy policy.