Lead Game Designer

Lead Game Designer

Location: Mumbai | Pune | Bangalore | Hyderabad | Chennai | Delhi | Gurgaon

About Company

DNEG is a global leader in visual effects, animation, and creative technology, now expanding into game development with a new Mumbai-based studio. The team is building an original Unreal Engine 5.5 MMO/action RPG where gameplay systems, progression, combat, and live-service experiences will define the foundation of a next-generation player experience.

Job Roles & Responsibilities

• Lead the design vision for gameplay systems, player progression, combat, quests, rewards, and long-term engagement across an original MMO/action RPG.
• Define scalable gameplay systems, progression mechanics, economy principles, monetization loops, and implementation-ready design documentation for cross-functional teams.
• Mentor and guide game designers through regular reviews, design critiques, documentation standards, playtesting, and iterative feature development.
• Collaborate closely with gameplay programmers, artists, producers, technical designers, analysts, and QA teams to deliver cohesive and polished gameplay experiences.
• Drive balancing, prototyping, tuning, and data-informed iteration to continuously improve player engagement, progression pacing, retention, and gameplay quality.
• Identify gameplay risks early, maintain consistency across interconnected systems, and ensure a unified player experience throughout the game lifecycle.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 6–10 years of professional game design experience with significant ownership of gameplay systems, progression, or live-service features on shipped or publicly released games.
• Strong expertise in systems design, player progression, economy balancing, combat systems, monetization mechanics, and long-term player engagement strategies.
• Demonstrated experience leading design initiatives, mentoring designers, establishing documentation standards, and maintaining a consistent gameplay vision across multiple features.
• Hands-on experience prototyping gameplay mechanics using Unreal Engine Blueprints or comparable scripting and game development tools is highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of MMO, RPG, action, or live-service game design, including balancing, retention mechanics, progression loops, and player psychology.
• Excellent communication, leadership, collaboration, documentation, and problem-solving skills while working across multidisciplinary game development teams.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to play a foundational leadership role in DNEG's new Mumbai game studio while shaping the vision for an original Unreal Engine 5.5 MMO/action RPG.
• Ownership of gameplay systems, progression, combat, economy, and player engagement alongside experienced creative, technical, and production leaders.
• Collaboration with world-class artists, gameplay engineers, designers, and production teams within one of the industry's leading entertainment technology companies.
• High-ownership environment where creativity, innovation, mentorship, rapid iteration, and player-focused design drive the development of world-class gaming experiences.

Hiring Process

Round 1: Flexiple Interview focused on gameplay systems leadership, shipped-game experience, design philosophy, communication skills, availability, and compensation expectations.

Round 2: Flexiple Profile Review to evaluate gameplay leadership, portfolio quality, and overall role fit before client submission.

Round 3: Studio Fit Interview assessing gameplay vision, systems design, progression strategy, portfolio walkthrough, leadership approach, and studio alignment.

Hiring Process

Flexiple Interview → Profile Review → Studio Fit Interview

Applications are being reviewed this week. Apply today to be included in the first round of interviews.

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