Gameplay Engineer II

Lightspeed Studios; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 78,390 - 202,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on payment

Relocation package

Restricted stock units

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off (15–25 vacation days)

Job summary

Lightspeed Studios in Irvine, California is seeking an enthusiastic gameplay engineer to join our burgeoning team. The role involves designing and supporting gameplay systems, with a focus on collaboration and optimization.

Ideal candidates will have over 3 years of game programming experience, strong skills in C++, and a passion for creating engaging gameplay. This position offers a competitive salary range and a variety of benefits, promoting a positive and dynamic workplace culture.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional game programming experience.
• Experience bringing a large-scale game title to completion on PC and consoles.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and support quality gameplay systems and features.
• Collaborate with engineers, designers, artists and animators.
• Profile and optimize gameplay features.

Skills

C++

Debugging

3D math

Game programming

Collaboration

Communication

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

About the Hiring Team

Welcome to Lightspeed LA, the first U.S.-based, AAA game development studio for Tencent Games. Lightspeed LA is focused on building open‑world games that emphasize an ambitious living world, sophisticated player‑driven gameplay, and mature, thoughtful storytelling. We are developing the first in a series of genre‑defining titles.

Why join Lightspeed LA?

• We encourage the showing of work that’s still in progress.
• We don’t attack or question unfinished work; we celebrate its promise.
• We have a No Blame Culture where we blame the problem, not the person. This is a safe place to fail, and we don’t view failure as a negative, but as the natural result of pushing boundaries and trying new things.
• We create together.
• We face challenges together.
• We succeed together.

What the Role Entails

Lightspeed LA is seeking a talented and enthusiastic gameplay engineer to join our new studio in sunny Irvine, California. The ideal candidate will have a strong passion for games and solving ambitious technical and creative problems. Join us and help build a team and culture of mutual respect and passion that pushes boundaries while having lots of fun!

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and support quality gameplay systems and features.
• Collaborate directly and proactively with engineers, designers, artists and animators to explore and identify needs and opportunities.
• Cultivate strong cross‑disciplinary working relationships based on honesty and transparency.
• Author lean, high‑performance, maintainable code.
• Actively profile and optimize the gameplay features.
• Participate in the testing and documentation of game systems.
• Help build and maintain an open and energetic team culture.

Who We Look For

• Passion and enthusiasm for creating fun and engaging gameplay through iteration and innovation.
• 3+ years of professional game programming experience.
• Experience bringing a large‑scale game title to completion on PC and consoles.
• Expert in C++, debugging, and 3D math.
• Enjoy working closely with creative and technical team members.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Value lean, simple, efficient, well‑tested code.

Preferred

• Experience working either AAA proprietary engines or third‑party engines like Unreal and Unity.
• Experience with game console hardware.
• Understanding of game asset pipelines.
• Knowledge of animation, physics or game AI.

Why Join Us?

Location: Irvine, California.
Expected base pay range: $78,390.00 to $202,900.00 per year. Benefits include sign‑on payment, relocation package, restricted stock units, medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 401(k) plan, and paid time off (15–25 vacation days, 13 holidays, 10 sick days). All benefits may be adjusted based on location, employment status, tenure and level.

Equal Employment Opportunity at Tencent

As an equal opportunity employer, we firmly believe that diverse voices fuel our innovation and allow us to better serve our users and the community. We foster an environment where every employee of Tencent feels supported and inspired to achieve individual and common goals.