Principal Gameplay Programmer (Steel Hunters)

Job Overview

Join the Steel Hunters team, the newly announced free-to-play mech shooter game, by Wargaming, one of the biggest publishers of free-to-play games in the world.

This strategic and tactical game in unreal Engine 5, blends mech hero combat with Battle Royale and Extraction gameplay in a rich, futuristic setting, where players fight over a rare resource called Starfall. Each Hunter comes with its own abilities and progression paths, setting the stage for intense, memorable battles. For more information: https://www.youtube.com/@SteelHuntersOfficial

The role will involve working on gameplay systems. You will work alongside the gameplay programming team, your lead and designers to implement various gameplay features.
The Principal role is akin to a Technical Lead. You will remain hands on, but also have managerial responsibilities, like running a small group of 121s, setting individual and team goals, working with the Lead and Tech Director to set direction of the project

The candidate will have to be a hardworking motivated team player who is able to work within a multidisciplinary team of developers in a global community, to create and be responsible for the crucial communication between player and game, to both share your hard-earned knowledge and continue to develop your skill set by learning from your teammates.

Reports to

The Principal Gameplay Programmer reports to the Technical Director and will be hybrid working in our Guildford studio.

What will you do?

• Develop gameplay features and systems for a free-to-play UE5 based PC game, in close collaboration with other disciplines (art, design, backend etc.)
• Prove out gameplay ideas by working with designers during the prototype stage to hone the gameplay.
• Work closely with your lead to mentor and train the other programmers on the team. Review and feedback on their work.
• Be the vanguard for improvements in the tech department.

What are we looking for?

• Extensive experience developing networked multiplayer games in the industry.
• Extensive C++ skills.
• Proven mentoring/management skills.
• Strong Unreal Engine 4/5 development experience.
• PC and current gen console development experience.
• Loves working in cross-discipline feature teams.
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English.

What additional skills will help you stand out?

• Experience working with highly distributed teams
• Experience operating a live free-to-play game service
• Familiarity with multiple areas of code; including AI, physics, networking, optimization, etc

Work mode

Hybrid 

Benefits

Benefits and perks are tailored to the local market and culture. Our benefits in Guildford include:

• 5 weeks of Annual Leave per calendar year -increasing over time to a maximum 30 days per year, with the ability to buy up to an additional 5 days through our holiday buy scheme
• Dog-friendly office
• Onsite canteen (with an endless supply of free snacks and drinks)
• Video games area
• Family coverage for Private Medical Insurance (pre-existing conditions are covered), Life Insurance, Pension scheme offering a matched 4% tax free employee contribution
• Mental well-being program (iFeel)
• Wellbeing perks (Mental Health Days, Dedicated Well-being room, Team of Mental Heath First Aiders)
• Career development and education opportunities within the company
• Employee discounts via Perkbox
• Personal Wargaming Gaming Account
• Company events (including events for partners/children)
• Seniority Awards
• Referral program - you can recommend the best talents to the Company and receive a reward
• DPS Games, a Wargaming company, is one of the main European hubs for game development with 25 years of experience on the market
• To learn more about our studio in Guildford, follow this link: https://dpsgames.com/studio

Please submit your CV in English to ensure smooth processing and review.