Mission Designer - STARCRAFT | Irvine, CA

Blizzard Entertainment; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 41,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) / retirement plans

Paid time off

Job summary

Blizzard Entertainment is seeking a Mission Designer for STARCRAFT in Irvine, CA. You will craft missions and locations, integrating gameplay and narrative, while collaborating across departments to deliver cohesive experiences.

With 5+ years in mission/level design and experience on shipped titles, you will iterate content in Unreal, prototype in-engine, and help drive short- and long-term deliverables within a dynamic, deadline-driven studio.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience designing missions, quests, or level-based gameplay.
• Experience contributing to shipped game titles.
• Solid understanding of mission design, level layout, and gameplay systems integration.
• Experience with technical design, scripting, and implementation in modern game engines (e.g., Unreal).
• Ability to work with general direction and manage day-to-day tasks independently.
• Experience collaborating across disciplines in a development environment.
• Strong spatial design skills and understanding of player navigation and flow.
• Ability to solve problems of moderate scope using established tools and techniques.
• A team-oriented approach and commitment to collaborative development.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement missions and locations that align with gameplay goals and narrative direction.
• Integrate gameplay mechanics, combat encounters, and challenges to support engaging player experiences.
• Collaborate with design, art, engineering, audio, animation, and VFX to deliver cohesive gameplay experiences.
• Prototype and iterate on mission content in-engine, incorporating feedback to improve quality.
• Contribute to short- and long-term deliverables, supporting features from concept through implementation.
• Apply problem-solving skills to moderately complex design challenges, working with team members to resolve issues.

Skills

Mission design

Level design

Gameplay systems integration

Scripting (Unreal)

Collaboration across disciplines

Problem solving

Teamwork orientation

Tools

Unreal Engine

Blueprint scripting

Job description

Job Title

Mission Designer - STARCRAFT | Irvine, CA

Team Name

StarCraft

Job Title

Mission Designer - STARCRAFT | Irvine, CA

Requisition ID

R028139

Job Description

Your Mission

Blizzard Entertainment is assembling a team to build the next chapter of StarCraft, returning to a universe forged in interstellar war. This mission offers something new: crafting an original story-driven, open-world shooter while honoring the legacy of one of Blizzard's most beloved games.

We are here to reignite this universe alongside you. We are here to make StarCraft, and it's about damn time.

We are looking for a Designer to help craft this new game for Blizzard. As a member of the development team, you will design and implement engaging missions and locations that support gameplay, narrative, and player experience. You are comfortable operating in a dynamic environment, navigating fluid deadlines and changing priorities with purpose.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement missions and locations that align with gameplay goals and narrative direction.
• Integrate gameplay mechanics, combat encounters, and challenges to support engaging player experiences.
• Collaborate with design, art, engineering, audio, animation, and VFX to deliver cohesive gameplay experiences.
• Prototype and iterate on mission content in-engine, incorporating feedback to improve quality.
• Contribute to short- and long-term deliverables, supporting features from concept through implementation.
• Apply problem-solving skills to moderately complex design challenges, working with team members to resolve issues.

Minimum Requirements (Experience, Knowledge & Skills)

• 5+ years of experience designing missions, quests, or level-based gameplay, or equivalent experience.
• Experience contributing to shipped game titles.
• Solid understanding of mission design, level layout, and gameplay systems integration.
• Experience with technical design, scripting, and implementation in modern game engines (e.g., Unreal).
• Ability to work with general direction and manage day-to-day tasks independently.
• Experience collaborating across disciplines in a development environment.
• Strong spatial design skills and understanding of player navigation and flow.
• Ability to solve problems of moderate scope using established tools and techniques.
• A team-oriented approach and commitment to collaborative development.

Extra Points

• Experience shipping AAA titles.
• Familiarity with programming or scripting languages such as C++, C#, Lua, or JavaScript.
• Experience designing gameplay content for narrative-driven or large-scale games.
• Experience working with Unreal Engine and Blueprint scripting.
• Experience working with cross-disciplinary development teams.

Required Application Materials

• Resume.
• Portfolio demonstrating mission design, level design, or gameplay implementation work.

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The video game industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all the qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [e-mail]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

Requirements

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $30.47 - $56.35 Hourly. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.