Founded by Bad Robot (Lost, Cloverfield, Westworld, Star Wars, Star Trek), we at Bad Robot Games are on a mission to continually reinvent how stories are played.We are a remote-first games company represented by a diverse team, which empowers us to make the kinds of games in which all players can see themselves. Working closely with our colleagues at Bad Robot Productions, our projects unite our extensive network of games, TV, and film industry talent to create original IPs, expansive worlds and tell new stories across all media platforms which are as fun to watch as they are to play.Bad Robot Games is looking for a Principal Gameplay Engineer who lives and breathes multiplayer. This role is squarely focused on the networking layer, the systems that keep players in sync, minimize latency, and make online play feel seamless and fair. You'll be a technical anchor for the team, solving hard distributed systems problems, and helping other engineers grow their networking chops. If you get excited about replication graphs, rollback, and the challenge of making a game feel great at whatever ping, we want to talk.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESArchitect, implement, modify, and maintain networking and gameplay systems with long term stability and scalability in mindDesign and own core networking pipelines including replication, prediction, and lag compensation systems in close collaboration with designers and engineersPrototype and iterate rapidly on features, embracing critical feedback and applying it constructivelyAdvocate for quality, stability, performance, and appropriate prioritization across the projectCoordinate efforts across products to encourage code and feature sharingBring technical excellence across multiple features and platforms, optimizing and fixing bugs in existing networking and gameplay systemsCollaborate with design, art, audio, and production to problem-solve and generate new ideasProactively identify opportunities and challenges before they become blockersParticipate in playtesting and provide hands on feedback as the project progressesKEY QUALIFICATIONS10+ years of game development experience in an engineering role, with a significant network engineering focusNetworking experience on at least one Unreal multiplayer title (ideally multiple) on PC and consoleStrong C++ skills with the ability to architect gameplay mechanics, networking systems, and toolsProficiency with multiple areas of Unreal Engine's networking tech stack, including: Actor Replication, RPCs, NetSerialize, Network Prediction Plugin, Gameplay Ability System networking, Push Model replication, and IrisSolid understanding of Unreal’s listen server architecture, focusing on making excellent client hosted co-op systemsExperience implementing various latency compensation methods, including rollback, lag compensation, and interpolationDeep understanding of the distinction between server and client roles within Unreal's network modelComfortable with the tradeoffs between bandwidth, CPU cost, and fidelity in networked game state, with an understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of each approachDeep familiarity with the pipelines, tools, and processes of creating, building, shipping, and supporting live gamesExcellent communication and collaboration skills, with a track record of inspiring teamsA passion for multiplayer online gaming and a rich history of playing across a wide variety of game genresAll of our roles require up to 10% air travel. Examples include Studio/Team Offsites, Team/Studio Events, etc.BONUSESExperience with Unreal's Network Prediction Plugin or similar rollback networking frameworksProcedural or data-driven approaches to networked game state managementExperience developing or maintaining custom net drivers or network middleware in UnrealKnowledge of or experience with Unreal's Iris replication systemExperience implementing multiplayer lobbies, matchmaking, and session management systemsHistory with backend services, dedicated server infrastructure, and cloud hosting for live gamesStrong math skillsOur ranges are based on California market rate regardless of work location in the US.
Find out more about our benefits and team on our careers page!Bad Robot Games is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.Bad Robot Games recruiters will never ask you for money or to provide financial information during our recruiting process. Scammers often request money transfers for Visa processing fees or travel expenses, as well as personal information including passport info, social security numbers, credit card or bank account information. Bad Robot Games recruiters will never use personal email (including @gmail) accounts when contacting candidates. We also do NOT interview or screen candidates over messenger or text-based chat. All communication will be tied to no-reply@ashbyhq.com or an email address tied to badrobotgames.com.
