Lead Gameplay Systems Engineer

Founded by games industry veterans, Rushdown was created with a simple philosophy in mind: We believe that when talented developers are consistently challenged and given clear ownership of their work, extraordinary things will happen. As a co-dev game studio, we now focus on solving some of the most difficult problems that face multiplayer games — and we bring our experience working on games like PUBG, League of Legends, and Rocket League with us. We truly love the work we do and we want to funnel our passion and expertise into features and games that billions of players will enjoy worldwide.

Our Role

Rushdown Studios is looking for a Lead Gameplay Systems Engineer to join us in support of our partner studio! In this role, you’ll develop and maintain a variety of gameplay features and systems pertaining to player experience, character progression, and creator workflows.

Our ideal candidate is a self-motivated and demonstrated leader with the ability to juggle and jump between different tasks as necessary, including mentoring other team members working across a range of projects. Prior game development experience is required for this role, but we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements listed below!

Work Location: Rushdown Studios is based in Saratoga Springs, NY and we have a strong preference for local candidates willing to work from our office on a hybrid basis (i.e., Tuesday-Thursday) or fully remote candidates in the Eastern United States. However, we're always open to expanding our list of remote-eligible states for the right candidate, as well.

Responsibilities

• Integrate backend services with the game client using C++.
• Develop a wide variety of features for games utilizing Unreal Engine.
• Ensure backend APIs are used efficiently and data is cached properly in the client.
• Build tools that enable designers to easily work with and configure online systems.
• Estimate and prioritize a backlog of existing features, bugs, and tech debt.
• Solve crashes and other problems on both PC and console.
• Partner with designers to iterate on features and optimize for a smoother player experience.
• Collaborate with external programmers to integrate new features for multiplayer games and ensure their features run as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Requirements

• Six (6) years of professional experience working on multiplayer games in C++, including recent experience developing games in Unreal Engine (e.g., UE4, UE5).
• Professional experience leading a team, either through direct leadership or mentorship of less-experienced team members.
• Background designing gameplay systems for live-service games.
• Familiarity with non-engineering workflows and the ability to partner with various disciplines (e.g., art, animation, game design, and narrative design).
• Understanding of various Unreal Engine technologies, such as the Gameplay Ability System (GAS), UI tooling (e.g., UMG and Slate), asset systems (e.g., Asset Registry and Asset Async Loading), and rendering features (e.g., Nanite, Lumen).
• Willingness to selflessly put player experiences first — before even your own code and ego.
• Proactive approach to communication, particularly when it comes to unblocking yourself and navigating obstacles as part of a team.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience with additional game engines, including Unity or bespoke game engines.
• Experience developing SDKs or plugins to be used by other developers you may not be working with directly.
• Background developing games for consoles and integrating with console SDKs.

Benefits:

• Compensation: $145,000-165,000/year. Please note that final base pay will ultimately depend upon a combination of factors, including your prior experience, general qualifications, and broader skill set.
• 9 Paid Holidays plus Flexible PTO and Annual Winter Break Closure
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Annual Video Game Budget
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Paid Parental Leave

EEO Statement

At Rushdown Studios, we believe that we're made better by each of the different perspectives that our team members bring to the table. We said it above, and we'll say it again: We want to hear from you, even if you don't meet all of the requirements for a specific role.

We're also an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on the basis of race; color; ancestry or national origin; religion; physical or mental disability; age; sex, including pregnancy; sexual orientation; gender, gender identity, or gender expression; medical condition; genetic information; or marital, military, or veteran status.