Senior Systems Engineer

Senior Systems Engineer

ABOUT FIREWALK

Firewalk is dedicated to creating unforgettable multiplayer experiences that capture the joy of playing together. We believe in the power of multiplayer and want to delight players with worlds that spark imagination and forge connection through immersive gameplay, artistry, and heartfelt characters. In 2023, Firewalk joined PlayStation Studios and unveiled its debut project: Concord – an original sci-fi universe and PVP multiplayer FPS launching on PS5 and PC in 2024.

Creating worlds that ignite imagination and connection takes a collaborative team. Firewalk is building a world-class, next-generation game studio with a focus on a more sustainable approach to game development. For us, setting a high-quality bar, creating something extraordinary, and treating each other with trust and respect go hand-in-hand.

The role

Our team is looking for a Senior Systems Engineer interested in applying their skills to help bring exceptional entertainment to millions of players. You will be responsible for working cross-functionally with artists, designers and other engineers to develop experiences that are meant to be played in a Solo (single player), PvE or cooperative modes.

Who you are

• You have a thorough understanding of foundational features used to develop Gameplay, modes and Systems in online multiplayer or cooperative games.
• You have solid communication skills for a highly collaborative and multi-disciplinary team and can break down ambiguities into actionable tasks.
• You can act as a “bridge” between design and engineering - internalizing design goals for features you work on, while maintaining a strong technical foundation for implementation.
• You have experience in (and you thoroughly enjoy) working alongside design and other disciplines to develop core architecture that powers the game modes, scripted encounters in cooperative environment, leaderboards etc.
• Experience in working with shared code and systems between multiplayer and cooperative parts of the game – requiring a careful balance of reusability and mode specific implementation.
• You are passionate about diving into various systems such as gameplay, networking, UI to diagnose issues, or adapt to the needs of Solo/PvE experience.
• You have worked with online services group(s) to help design, architect, and implement unique needs for cooperative online game modes.
• You enjoy fixing tricky bugs and optimizing features while keeping the maintainability, iteration and scalability in mind.
• You have a keen interest for games, find time to play, and empathize deeply with our players, because you are a gamer at heart.

What your day might look like

• Working with the cross-disciplinary feature team to ideate, design, and implement unique gameplay modes and features.
• Working with your lead to help break down high-level design and technical requirements into specific tasks & dependencies.
• Collaborating with other teams like gameplay engineering, design, and backend services to architect and implement features that help achieve our Solo/PvE experience goals for the gameplay loop.
• Provide daily engineering support to the Solo/PvE feature team.
• Participate in playtests to provide feedback on overall game and help understand the evolving needs of the features you are responsible for.

Desired qualifications

• 4+ Experience with Unreal Engine and comfortable working in a large C++ codebase. You have taken responsibility to own multiple key features from conception to launching with them in a game and supporting them post launch.
• Have been a primary contributor to Solo/PvE aspects of the game for two full game development cycles (prototype to ship).
• Demonstrated success shipping features that were developed and iterated in close collaboration with designers.
• Ability to communicate smoothly with other disciplines, including gathering requirements; writing documentation; understanding design goals and holding technical vision for features you are currently working on; executing clean handoffs; and troubleshooting.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Firewalk, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.