Senior Software Engineer

31st Union; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

2K Games, headquartered in Novato, California, is seeking a backend engineer to design and build robust microservices for our live game services. You will own the maintenance of key service domains, optimize infrastructure, and collaborate with product managers, designers, and game teams to translate complex requirements into scalable technical deliverables.

The role emphasizes distributed systems, CI/CD, security, and observability, with knowledge of Go or Java, HTTP/gRPC, and cloud platforms

Qualifications

• Design and build backend microservices and APIs that are robust and scalable.
• Own maintenance and evolution of key service domains for reliability and performance.
• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and game teams to translate requirements into deliverables.
• Reduce technical debt through refactoring, automation, and modernization.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop robust, scalable backend microservices and APIs.
• Own maintenance and evolution of key service domains.
• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and game teams.
• Optimize infrastructure and runtime costs for a seamless player experience.
• Continuously reduce technical debt via refactoring and automation.

Skills

Go or Java

HTTP/gRPC APIs

Relational & NoSQL databases

CI/CD pipelines

Distributed systems

Observability

OIDC/OAuth2/JWT

Secure coding

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

Kubernetes

Amazon ECS

AWS

GCP

Job description

Who We Are

2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company, publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Our studios responsible for developing 2K’s portfolio of world-class games across multiple platforms, include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, 31st Union, HB Studios, and 2K SportsLab. Our portfolio of titles is expanding due to our global strategic plan, building and acquiring exciting studios whose content continues to inspire all of us! 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including sports, shooters, action, role‑playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment.

Our team of engineers, marketers, artists, writers, data scientists, producers, thinkers and doers, are the professional publishing stewards of 2K’s portfolio currently includes several AAA, sports and entertainment brands, including global powerhouse NBA 2K, renowned BioShock, Borderlands, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization and XCOM brands; popular WWE 2K and WWE SuperCard franchises, TopSpin 2K25, as well as the critically and commercially acclaimed PGA TOUR 2K

At 2K, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work! We encourage ALL applicants to explore our global positions, even if they don’t meet every requirement for the role.

What You Will Do

• Design and develop robust, scalable, and highly performant backend microservices and APIs.
• Own the maintenance and evolution of key service domains — ensuring reliability, performance, and alignment with long-term technical strategy.
• Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and game teams to translate complex requirements into clear technical deliverables and milestones.
• Optimize infrastructure and runtime costs to deliver a seamless player experience while maintaining operational efficiency.
• Continuously reduce technical debt by driving refactoring efforts, automating workflows, and modernizing legacy systems.

What You Bring

• 3–8+ years of experience designing and building backend systems and microservices using Go (Golang) or Java.
• Strong understanding of transport protocols (HTTP, gRPC) and API design best practices.
• Proficiency with both relational (RDBMS) and NoSQL databases, including schema design and query optimization.
• Practical experience with CI/CD pipelines and automation tools (e.g., GitHub Actions, Jenkins, ArgoCD).
• Solid grasp of distributed systems concepts and microservice design patterns.
• Familiarity with monitoring, logging, and observability frameworks.
• Knowledge of authentication and authorization standards (OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, JWT)
• Understanding of secure coding best practices and compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, SOC 2).
• Demonstrated ownership mindset and product-oriented approach to problem solving, including communication and collaboration
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience

Bonus Items

• Passion for gaming and building technology that powers player experiences.
• Hands‑on experience with containerization and orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes or Amazon ECS.
• Experience developing online service platforms or backend systems for AAA games.
• Bonus points for hands‑on experience building microservices with Go (Golang).
• Experience with public cloud platforms such as AWS or GCP.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.

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 2K Publishing 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.

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