Senior Software Engineer II, Gameplay - Diablo | Irvine, CA

Team Name

Diablo

Job Title

Senior Software Engineer II, Gameplay - Diablo | Irvine, CA

Requisition ID

R027083

Job Description

We Need You

The minions of hell are growing stronger…

Join us as we continue to shape the Diablo universe! Diablo games are action RPG experiences with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish Dungeons, and legendary loot. Come work with us, and together we’ll create something amazing. Our team of passionate developers is growing.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Gameplay Engineer to assist in the creation of new ARPG experiences within one of Blizzard’s most iconic worlds, Diablo. Partnering closely with designers, artists, and fellow engineers, you’ll create compelling, long‑lived gameplay systems that bring Sanctuary to life. You’ll define, own, and sustain core gameplay systems, working closely with leadership and cross‑disciplinary teams to ensure Diablo continues to grow and thrive over the long term.

This role offers a flexible hybrid work week from our Irvine, CA studio location, with a mix of remote and on-site days. While hybrid is the standard arrangement, you're also welcome to work on-site full-time if you prefer.

  

Responsibilities: 

• Architect, implement, and own major gameplay systems for Diablo, from early design through live operation and long‑term iteration.
• Partner closely with game designers to translate high‑level creative goals into scalable, extensible gameplay solutions.
• Provide technical leadership within the gameplay engineering group, setting best practices and raising the quality bar for systems design, performance, and maintainability.
• Collaborate across engineering, design, art, and production to deliver cohesive, player‑focused features.
• Act as a trusted senior voice in gameplay discussions, contributing to feature planning, technical direction, and risk assessment.
• Mentor and support other engineers through code reviews, design feedback, and shared problem‑solving.
  
  

 

Minimum Requirements

• 12 years of professional game programming experience, including multiple shipped titles, with at least one AAA game.
• Expert‑level proficiency in C / C , with experience working in large, long‑lived codebases.
• Extensive experience designing and maintaining complex gameplay systems across areas such as combat, player abilities and progression, quests and narrative content, AI behaviors, and player‑facing or systemic gameplay features.
• Proven ability to work effectively with multi‑disciplinary teams, especially designers and artists.
• A track record of technical ownership, sound judgment, and delivering gameplay systems that scale and evolve.
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset.
  
  

Bonus Points 

• Deep familiarity with Diablo or ARPG gameplay.
• Experience with client/server gameplay architectures.
• Experience building or supporting game development tools and pipelines.
• Experience developing user interfaces for game systems.
• Proficiency with C#.
  
  

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment.  We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The video game industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all the qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics. 

Rewards

Requirements

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.
  
  

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $121,500.00 - $224,880.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.