Senior Combat Designer - Freelance

Join CI Games and be part of shaping the future of gaming . As we embark on an ambitious strategic roadmap with major releases planned for 2026-2028, we're seeking a talented and dedicated Senior Combat Designer to help us create ground-breaking experiences that captivate players worldwide. A career at CI Games is about being part of a team working on some of the most creatively rewarding and ambitious projects to be found in any entertainment medium. You would be welcomed to a dedicated and inclusive environment where you can learn and collaborate with some of the most talented people in the industry. Key Responsibilities: Combat Systems & Enemy Design • Develop our approach to combat by building upon and refining the project's core systems. • Pitch, prototype, implement, balance, and ship a wide variety of enemy archetypes and/or bosses. • Tune the combat experience at the micro level: animation lengths, I-frames, Hit boxes, and frame-data polish. • Collaborate to structure enemy behaviour in conjunction with overarching RPG mechanics and game progression, including weapon levelling, stats, and character builds. Technical Implementation & Oversight • Implement character combat behaviours using Unreal features such as Behaviour Trees, Animation Graphs, and Blueprints. • Provide Gameplay Programmers with comprehensive technical requirements and collaborate to achieve the desired feature implementation. • Build basic combat level setups to communicate design intent to Level Design, Art, and Production departments. • Address bugs and gameplay issues to ensure a stable, polished product through to shipping. Collaboration & Documentation • Work with other departments (Character Art, Animation, VFX, Audio, etc.) to ship characters with state-of-the-art levels of polish. • Create clear, concise, and visually oriented design material explaining mechanics, features, and systems. • Help assess project progress and quality by utilizing results from usability, focus, and in-house playtests. • Provide constructive feedback and propose solutions to improve the quality of the current project or future titles. Key Requirements: • 5+ years of Game Design experience. • Demonstrable prior experience as a Combat Designer for several years or in a comparable role. • A deep passion for and expertise in the Soulslike genre. • Preferably have shipped at least 1 AAA title in a design capacity. • Excellent knowledge of gameplay mechanics, features, and what makes modern games work. • Familiarity with Unreal Engine and experience with the creation of Blueprints. • Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills are essential for this role. • An open and creative mind with the ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines. What we offer: • 5 months freelance contract with immediate start. • Remote work with flexible schedules (core working hours 10am-4pm CET), allowing you to work alongside talented individuals from around the world. • An opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies and stay at the forefront of the gaming industry. • A diverse and inclusive workplace that celebrates all backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or social status. Originally posted on Himalayas