Staff Hero Designer (Combat, Traversal, 3Cs) - Insomniac Games

Insomniac Games is seeking a Staff-level Hero Designer specializing in combat, traversal, and 3Cs (Camera, Character, Controls) for an upcoming project. This role is responsible for ensuring the quality and on-time delivery of design and execution for one or more playable characters, including core combat, traversal, abilities, non-combat mechanics, camera systems, and more.

The ideal candidate will drive the creative vision, gameplay design, and execution quality of new playable hero characters while collaborating with Gameplay Programmers, Animators, VFX Artists, and Character Artists to deliver world-class moment-to-moment gameplay.

Candidates must be self-driven, highly technical, and extremely creative, with deep experience in leading and creating high-quality 3rd-person gameplay. Insomniac values designers who prioritize game feel, player clarity, and polish and thrive in a highly collaborative development environment.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Creative leadership and primary ownership of player character systems, including design, prototyping, iteration, and polish for hero core combat, movement/traversal, abilities, progression, and game balance.
• Directly prototypes, implements, and iterates on hero combat and non-combat gameplay using proprietary tools and scripting systems, focusing on innovation, clarity, playability, and polish.
• Collaborates with Gameplay Programming and Animation teams to leverage skills and creativity across disciplines, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Creative leadership for development pods, coordinating milestones, setting priorities, and managing feedback with Development Management.
• Works autonomously to drive quality, iterate, and innovate for the project’s creative goals, addressing problems and implementing solutions proactively.
• Collaborates with Mission Designers and Combat Designers to integrate player work into missions, encounters, and core combat gameplay.
• Works with Systems Designers, Gameplay Programmers, and UI/UX teams to create compelling long-term gameplay through progression systems and meaningful player growth.
• Collaborates with the Narrative Department to support player-driven storytelling through mechanics and interactive experiences.
• Writes and updates clear player system documentation, including tutorials and videos, to support development.
• Reviews player work in progress, gathers feedback, and drives iteration and quality, ensuring on-screen quality targets are met.
• Collaborates with the Combat Director and Game Director to ensure player design aligns with creative and technical goals and meets Insomniac’s quality standards.
• Creates, tracks, and supports player standards and metrics to ensure consistency and quality across the experience.
• Facilitates brainstorms, reviews, and champions design vision through clear communication and inclusivity.
• Drives innovation and improvement in internal design tools for 3rd-person character prototyping, implementation, and iteration.
• Reviews and mentors other Hero Designers, fostering a supportive and creative work environment.
• May take on additional gameplay systems design as needed.

Qualifications:

Experience:

• Eight or more years of professional game design experience, with at least one shipped title as a primary design owner of player combat and/or overall player character systems.
• Proven expertise in creating, tuning, and polishing high-quality player movement, combat, controls, and gameplay balance.
• Deep expertise in the current state and history of design craft across the games industry, especially 3rd-person narrative games.
• High proficiency with modern game engines like Unreal Engine or proprietary engines, with experience in scripting, prototyping, and iterating gameplay systems. Experience with 3D layout is a plus.
• Proven ability to implement, iterate, and tune high-quality game feel with polished presentation.
• Extremely strong skills in written, verbal, and visual communication across disciplines.

Reasoning Skills:

Ability to solve practical problems and interpret instructions in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills:

Intermediate knowledge of level editing tools and scripting (Unreal Engine, Unity), intermediate knowledge of Maya or other 3D modeling programs, and experience with animation tools or programming languages. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Miro, Confluence.

Other Skills:

Strong interpersonal skills and effective communication with team members and developers.