Senior Game Designer

Fanatics Betting & Gaming; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Fanatics Betting & Gaming's Seattle-based TCG studio is seeking a Senior Game Designer to define the game and shape how the design team organizes and executes its work. You will own major systems and releases while establishing the frameworks, documentation, review practices, and decision‑making processes that keep the team aligned.

This is a hands‑on senior role for someone who can solve difficult design problems, guide others, and protect the long‑term health and consistency of the game.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional game design experience, including data-driven design.
• Experience owning complex game systems from concept to production.
• Ability to establish design processes and maintain documentation standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead set-level and mechanic design for major releases, including prototyping, playtesting, iteration, balance, and handoff.
• Own the design and evolution of systems, rules, formats, and other major features from concept through implementation.
• Establish clear design frameworks, documentation standards, review practices, and workflows.
• Review design work, give actionable feedback, and mentor other designers while staying hands-on.
• Collaborate with product, creative, development, and playtesting teams to align from concept to launch.
• Identify systemic design risks and balance issues, driving solutions informed by testing and player behavior.

Skills

Game design

Systems design

Mentoring

Documentation

Leadership

Job description

About Us

Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.

About the Team

Fanatics TCG is a new Seattle-based trading card game studio within the Fanatics Collectibles family, founded by industry veterans with a long‑term mandate to build enduring franchises that live across tabletop, digital, community, and culture. We’re looking for skilled and passionate talent from the games industry and beyond to help us create the best trading card games in the world.

Who We Are Looking For

As a Senior Game Designer, you will help define the game and shape how the design team organizes and executes its work. You will own major systems and releases while establishing the frameworks, documentation, review practices, and decision‑making processes that keep the team aligned. This is a hands‑on senior role for a designer who can solve difficult design problems, guide the work of others, and protect the long‑term health and consistency of the game.

Responsibilities

• Lead set‑level and mechanic design for major releases, including prototyping, playtesting, iteration, balance, and final design handoff
• Own the design and evolution of systems, rules, formats, and other major features from concept through implementation
• Establish clear design frameworks, documentation standards, review practices, and workflows that help the team make consistent decisions and execute across multiple releases
• Review design work, provide actionable feedback, and mentor other designers while remaining deeply involved in hands‑on design
• Partner with product, creative, development, and playtesting teams to resolve tradeoffs and maintain alignment from early concept through launch
• Identify systemic design risks, player‑experience concerns, and long‑term balance issues, then drive solutions informed by testing and player behavior

Qualifications and Experience

• 5 or more years of professional game design experience, including substantial work on trading card games, collectible card games, strategy games, or other systems‑driven titles
• A record of owning complex game systems or major releases and carrying them from early design through production
• Experience creating or improving design processes, documentation, and team practices that support high‑quality work at scale
• Strong understanding of systems design, rules architecture, balance, game economies, metagame health, and long‑term content development
• Ability to lead through influence, give clear feedback, and guide other designers without stepping away from hands‑on design work
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, sound design judgment, and comfort working across disciplines in a fast‑moving studio environment

Location

All employees of Fanatics TCG are expected to work onsite in our Seattle office five days per week.

The salary range represents base pay only and does not include short‑term or long‑term incentive compensation. This salary range is specific to Seattle and may not be applicable to other locations. When determining base pay, as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training. For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com/

Seattle Salary Range

$130,000—$160,000 USD