Senior Technical Combat Designer

Side

. Build and balance bosses and enemies in Unreal Engine .

Posted 9/19/2026contractRemote • Portugal, United States, Brazil, CanadaSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in designing and implementing combat systems in Unreal Engine, with a strong grasp of animation principles and combat mechanics. Proficient in using tools like Maya and Blueprints to enhance gameplay and combat experience.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Unreal Engine Combat DesignAnimation PrinciplesBlueprints and Behavior TreesCombat Frame Data AnalysisC++ Knowledge

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Combat System DesignAnimation IntegrationHitbox TimingInput BufferingCancel WindowsThird-Person Combat ExperienceCombat Variety ImprovementAnimation AuthoringNiagara PrototypingAI-Assisted Coding

Soft Skills

Problem-SolvingOwnershipCollaboration

Tools & Technologies

Unreal EngineMayaMotionBuilderBlenderNiagara

Industry Keywords

Video Game Combat DesignFighting GamesShooter GamesAnimation BlueprintsState Machines

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Unreal EngineC++

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Build and balance bosses and enemies in Unreal Engine
Own at least two combat characters or equivalent systems
Design attacks end to end, including animation hookup, hitbox timing, cancel windows, hit reactions, i-frames, and telegraphs
Increase combat variety and improve the overall combat experience through hands-on iteration and balancing
Apply animation principles around weight, timing, anticipation, and readability
Author or modify animations and integrate them into gameplay
Diagnose combat and animation issues using frame data, startup/active/recovery, hitstop, input buffering, and cancel windows
Implement combat using Unreal Blueprints, Behavior Trees, Animation Blueprints, state machines, blend spaces, montages, and animation notifies
Use Niagara to prototype combat effects and visual feedback
Collaborate with engineering, animation, VFX, and design teams to troubleshoot and iterate on gameplay

Requirements

What you’ll need

5+ years of experience designing and implementing combat for video games, including ownership of 2+ combat characters or equivalent systems
Strong understanding of animation principles and combat feel
Hands-on Unreal Engine experience with Blueprints, Behavior Trees, Animation Blueprints, and related animation systems
Experience with third-person combat, fighting games, shooters, or other combat-focused titles
Ability to author or modify animation using Maya, MotionBuilder, Blender, or similar tools
Working knowledge of combat frame data, hitstop, input buffering, cancel windows, hit reactions, and i-frames
Basic C++ knowledge and comfort using AI-assisted coding tools to support gameplay implementation
Ability to work independently, take ownership of craft, and drive problems to solutions
Candidates must be available to overlap with the CEST team's working hours

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive Salary
Dynamic, multicultural and fun environment
You will be working for the world's leading provider of game services
Regular progression opportunities
Remote freelance contract