---
title: 'Lead Designer at 2K'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-designer-2k-san-mateo-california-4mp6bf83tp8p'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# Lead Designer at 2K

- **Company:** 2K
- **Location:** San Mateo California, United States
- **Posted:** 2026-08-20
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/2k/jobs/7919518003

## Job description

## WE ARE GAME MAKERS

Who We Are:

We are a diverse team of developers driven by a passion for our art, united by our core values and inspired by a culture of inclusivity to build amazing games that thrill players everywhere. We pursue growth and innovation in an environment of safety and trust. Our culture is built on the belief that the more varied voices in our collective will strengthen our team and our games.  We are looking for our next teammate who will raise our bar and make us better.

Who You Are:

We’re looking for a Lead Designer to join our team and help us shape the future of online multiplayer gaming. This role will be a key leader on one of our major gameplay pillars to lead the team on day-to-day work, where you will help the vision come to life, align the team around gameplay objectives and ensure how we design meets a high bar of rigor. You have proven expertise in leading mechanics and systems-based teams and features, developing people and building buy-in through strong working relationships across disciplines to bring things into reality. If you have a passion and drive to bring out the best in others, build teams and shepherd a great experience for players, we’d like to hear from you.

What You’ll Do:

- Lead a feature team by setting scope, approach and design objectives that meet our overall game goals

- Manage other designers by giving them support, growth and actionable feedback on both what they work on and how they work

- Define and set sprint and milestone objectives for your team - including appropriate tradeoffs, costs, and the right areas of work to focus on

- Evaluate and diagnose work to find improvements and opportunities for improvement - along with plans of how to get there

- Work cross-functionally within and outside of your team to communicate and align on the work, tradeoffs and dependencies. Radiate changes across the organization

- Maintain and enforce good executional standards and practices for scripting and design execution - including in-engine and documentation

What Will Make You a Great Fit:

- 8+ years of professional game design experience, including at least 1 year managing, mentoring, and maintaining accountability for multiple designers within a feature team or area on a AAA development team.

- Background in shaping and building a live-service game or major live-service systems from development through launch.

- Proven experience designing and leading multiplayer features that touch multiple systems and need strong integration - such as game mode, characters, economy, progression, etc.

- Theory-crafting skillset & past experience designing for depth and multiplayer gameplay.

- Deep understanding of the various components (UI, Art, Engineering, Audio, VFX, etc.) to ensure gameplay is cohesive and integrated

- Proactive approach that creates movement in the right direction

- Capable of rapidly filtering large volumes of feedback into concrete and useful improvements

- Adept at managing, articulating and advocating for effective tradeoffs

- Well-played in the multiplayer PvP / Competitive Space and able to deconstruct what works and why.

- Capability to abstract designs outside of single solutions into patterns and models of player behavior; providing options and flexible design solutions

- Strong experience with Unreal Engine and Blueprint visual scripting; programming experience (C++, C#, etc.) is a plus.

The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $127,500 and $190,000 per year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations.

Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program.

Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company’s discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses. Ontario only: The use of Artificial Intelligence is not being used to screen candidates. The position is for an existing vacancy.

#LI-Remote #LI-Onsite #LI-Hybrid

## About 2K

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: 2K is a major video game publisher and developer, best known for iconic franchises like *NBA 2K*, *Borderlands*, *Civilization*, *BioShock*, *Mafia*, *WWE 2K*, and *XCOM*.
- **Entity Type**: Private subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive (public parent company, NASDAQ: TTWO)
- **Headquarters**: Novato, California, USA (with global offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia)
- **Founded**: January 25, 2005 (as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive)
- **Founders**: Founded as a corporate entity by Take-Two Interactive; key early leaders included Christoph Hartmann (former President). Current President is David Ismailer.

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Video game development and publishing (AAA, sports, and strategy games)
- **Target customers**: B2C (consumers/gamers globally across PC, console, and mobile platforms)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "We enable all gamers to build, connect, escape and dream big!" (from their official values page)

## Products & Services
- **NBA 2K Series**: Flagship basketball simulation franchise, released annually across console and PC.
- **Borderlands Series**: Acclaimed first-person shooter looter-shooter franchise.
- **Civilization Series**: Legendary turn-based strategy series (developed by Firaxis Games, a 2K studio).
- **BioShock Series**: Critically acclaimed narrative-driven first-person shooter series.
- **Mafia Series**: Open-world crime drama franchise.
- **WWE 2K Series**: Professional wrestling simulation franchise.
- **XCOM Series**: Tactical strategy franchise.
- **PGA Tour 2K Series**: Golf simulation franchise.
- **Top Spin Series**: Tennis simulation franchise (revived in 2024).
- **2K Foundations**: Social impact program that builds community and youth engagement programs, including refurbishing basketball courts globally.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: 2K is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive. Take-Two's market cap is approximately **$30+ billion** (as of mid-2025), with 2K being one of its two core publishing labels alongside Rockstar Games.
- **Key Metric**: 2K is a private subsidiary; exact revenue is not disclosed separately. However, Take-Two Interactive’s total net revenue for fiscal year 2024 was approximately **$5.6 billion**, with 2K contributing a significant portion. The company employs approximately **4,000 people**.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Parent company is Take-Two Interactive. Key development studio partners include Visual Concepts (NBA 2K), Firaxis Games (Civilization), Gearbox Software (Borderlands), and Hangar 13 (Mafia).
- **Growth Signals**: 2K has been actively expanding its development network, including the acquisition of Gearbox Software in 2024. The company continues to launch major franchise entries and invest in new IP. It has a growing presence in mobile gaming and live-service models.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Iconic IP Portfolio**: Owns some of the most valuable and long-running franchises in gaming (*NBA 2K*, *Borderlands*, *Civilization*, *BioShock*).
- **Massive Global Reach**: Games sell tens of millions of copies annually across all major platforms.
- **Strong Parent Backing**: As a core label of Take-Two, 2K has significant financial resources for marketing, development, and acquisitions.
- **Diverse Studio Network**: Operates a wide range of internal studios with specialized expertise (sports, strategy, action, RPG).
- **2K Foundations**: A unique social impact program that builds brand goodwill and community engagement.

## Strategic Focus
- **Franchise Expansion**: Continuing to grow its flagship franchises with annual releases, new entries, and expanded content.
- **Live Service & Engagement**: Deepening post-launch engagement through in-game events, battle passes, and microtransactions (especially in *NBA 2K*).
- **Mobile & New Platforms**: Expanding into mobile gaming and new platforms.
- **Studio Investment**: Acquiring and investing in top-tier development talent (e.g., Gearbox).
- **Technology & AI**: Investing in R&D for game engines, AI, and data science to improve game quality and player experiences (evidenced by job postings for AI R&D, data science, and Unreal Engine roles).

## Why Work Here
- **Work on Iconic Franchises**: Opportunity to contribute to some of the most beloved and best-selling game series in the world.
- **Culture**: Described as a blend of "NYC roots with a Northern California vibe," with a focus on being direct, open, and friendly. The company emphasizes "Come As You Are" and "Give a ^%$*" as core values.
- **Remote/Hybrid/Office Policy**: 2K has a hybrid work model. Many roles are listed with specific locations (Novato, Los Angeles, Montreal, Bengaluru, etc.), but some positions offer remote flexibility.
- **Notable Perks**: Located in a unique headquarters (converted airplane hangars in Novato, CA) near hiking, biking trails, and wine country. The company also runs a motion capture studio in Petaluma, CA.
- **Engineering Culture**: Strong emphasis on technical innovation, with dedicated teams for AI R&D, Core Tech/Tools, Data Science, and Online Services. Many job postings focus on Unreal Engine, data engineering, and systems architecture.
- **Social Impact**: Employees can participate in 2K Foundations, which refurbishes basketball courts and builds community spaces globally.

## Sources
1. [2k.com/careers/](https://2k.com/careers/)
2. [2k.com/about/](https://2k.com/about/)
3. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/2k](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/2k)
4. [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2K_(company)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2K_(company))

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