Level Designer New

2K Games, Inc.; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Gearbox Entertainment is seeking a passionate level designer to join for upcoming first and third person shooters. You will work with the Lead Level Designer and Creative Director to pitch, build, polish, and ship levels using Unreal Engine, owning the vision and collaborating with artists, writers, coders, and mission designers to ensure timely, high-quality results.

Responsibilities include developing levels from paper to shipped product, prototyping gameplay, and mentoring junior staff.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of building and shipping large level environments.
• Excellent documentation, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Ability to mentor junior designers and share expertise.
• Experience shipping AAA titles is a plus; Unreal technology preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop single player and cooperative levels from design docs to shipping product.
• Prototype, iterate, and polish moment-to-moment gameplay with cross-discipline teams.
• Mentor junior designers and maintain a positive team culture.
• Collaborate with art, narrative, coding, and other departments to ship on time.

Skills

Level design

Documentation

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Leadership

Collaboration

Aesthetics

Tools

Unreal Engine

Job description

The Gearbox Entertainment Company is home to a world-class team that entertains the world with award-winning and genre-defining video games. Our games are entrenched with rich universes that are expanded upon via transmedia storytelling, live experiences, and consumer products. Gearbox Entertainment has become widely known for developing successful game franchises such as Borderlands, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, and Brothers in Arms, as well for continued development of acquired properties including Duke Nukem, Risk of Rain, and Homeworld.

The company was founded as Gearbox Software in 1999 by a team of industry veterans and is headquartered in Frisco, Texas. The Gearbox Entertainment Company is proud to be part of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

Gearbox Software is looking for a passionate level designer to join us in crafting upcoming first and third person shooters. This role involves working with the Lead Level Designer and Creative Director to pitch, build, polish, and ship levels using Unreal Engine. Level Designers are responsible for owning the vision of their levels, and working with a variety of other departments to see that vision come to fruition. It involves close collaborative work with artists, mission designers, writers, coders, and a variety of other disciplines to ensure the level ships on time at a high standard of quality, while also being fun and memorable to players.

Responsibilities

Develop single player and cooperative levels based on existing game design documents, direction from project leadership, and collaboration with peers. This involves taking a design all the way from a paper design to a shipping product, iterating over time based on feedback, creative goals, and project deadlines.

Prototype, iterate, and polish moment-to-moment gameplay while working with narrative designers, enemy designers, artists, and other disciplines to ensure quality combats and mission experiences for the final customers.

Mentorship and sharing of expertise with junior level designers and other design staff. Ability to model a positive tone and work ethic to junior members of the team. Ability to provide and receive good feedback when iterating levels.

Qualifications

Proven track record of building and shipping large level environments. Should include videos or screenshots of shipped levels, and any additional documentation showing design and iteration process.

Understanding of modern level design practices, including layout, pacing, technical implementation, and above all else creating fun experiences for players.

Strong eye towards aesthetics, with an ability to work hand-in-hand with art teams. Previous experience in an art role is a plus.

Excellent documentation, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills. Ability to maintain focus and self-motivation towards the current project goals.

Have shipped a AAA title, with a preference towards Unreal technology and first person shooters.

Nice-to-Haves

Shipped games using Unreal 4 or 5 technology.

Experience with the certification and shipping process on modern consoles.

Experience working with large inter-disciplinary teams.

Co-op and/or Online Multiplayer experience.

Previous leadership experience.

Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Gearbox Entertainment is committed to ensuring that all team members work in an environment free from discrimination and harassment, and one that reflects the diversity of the world it strives to entertain. As an equal opportunity employer, Gearbox Entertainment does not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Gearbox Entertainment is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential functions of a job, and to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by individuals without disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point during the job application process, please contact us for more information.

Please note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.

Please note that Gearbox is unable to provide visa sponsorship or assistance for this position. All candidates must be legally authorized to work in United States without requiring current or future employer sponsorship.