--- title: 'Senior Backend Engineer (Golang) - Draft Showdown at Voodoo' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-backend-engineer-golang-draft-showdown-voodoo-paris-a7hwwbgqxvc9' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-08' --- # Senior Backend Engineer (Golang) - Draft Showdown at Voodoo - **Company:** [Voodoo ](https://feeny.ai/companies/voodoo) - **Location:** Paris, France - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** hybrid - **Posted:** 2026-08-05 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/voodoo/1de2e2bf-23ec-42b0-b2b9-ed7298d61c19 ## Job description ## ABOUT VOODOO Founded in 2013, Voodoo is a tech company that creates mobile games and apps with a mission to entertain the world. Gathering 800 employees, 7 billion downloads, and over 200 million active users, Voodoo is the #3 mobile publisher worldwide in terms of downloads after Google and Meta. Our portfolio includes chart-topping games like Mob Control and Block Jam, alongside popular apps such as BeReal and Wizz. This position is Paris-based, with relocation support available. ## TEAM For this position, you will be an integral part of a newly established internal studio, a dynamic and focused team dedicated to one of our most promising prototype in scale. This studio is specifically chartered to improve this high-potential game up to the successful and market-ready title it is meant to become. You will be part of the team building Draft Showdown, a turn-based multiplayer game, working alongside its client engineers and game designers as a full member of the game team. You will be part of a small group owning the backend that this game needs as its requirements become more specific and demanding. You’ll also be plugged into Voodoo's shared gaming backend platform - the same architecture and patterns that power titles like Mob Control and Block Jam 3D - building on it and contributing back, in close collaboration with the wider backend team. You get the focus and ownership of a dedicated game engineer with the leverage and support of a battle-tested platform behind you. This is a pivotal hire: Draft Showdown is moving towards competitive multiplayer, which means moving game logic from the client to the server. They are also implementing cheat detection safeguards to the game. You will be central to that transition. ## ROLE You will design and build the server-side foundation that takes Draft Showdown from a client-authoritative game to a competitive, server-validated one. The current game computes everything on the device - progression, economy, and match outcomes alike, which won't hold up for competitive PvP. Your job is to change that. Working closely with client developers and game designers from feature design through delivery, validation and iteration, you will: - Build server-side validation for the metagame - currency, card upgrades, chest opens, and progression - staged by risk, replicating economy and reward logic on the server. - Move toward server authority for competitive features, where game state lives in one place and can be trusted. - Implement and improve matchmaking and cheat detection safeguards for a Deterministic lockstep PvP architecture - Design APIs and player-state management that the Unity client integrates against, and help shape how client and server split responsibilities. The responsibilities are cross-functional, ranging from infrastructure, API design & coding all the way to client-side integration (we are using Golang). To succeed in this role, you will need to have passion for everything you do. You love to write code that scales to millions of users, are skilled at requirements gathering, champion new tech initiatives & leverage existing solutions. ## PROFILE - 5+ years of backend development experience - Strong knowledge of computer science fundamentals - Extreme fluency in Golang (at least 1 year in a professional environment) - Mastery of SQL and NoSQL - Background in high-scale systems - Understanding of Unix-like environments - Experience working in cross-functional agile teams - Strong analytical skills with a track record of solving complex problems related to scalability, performance, and integration in high-stakes environments. - Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, capable of influencing teams and interfacing effectively with various stakeholders. - Ability to be self sufficient and work autonomously. - A deep interest in game development is a plus. - Based or willing to relocate in Paris ## BENEFITS - Best-in-class compensation - Other benefits according to the country you reside ## About Voodoo ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Voodoo is a global tech company that entertains the world through iconic mobile apps and games, empowering bold creators to turn their ideas into hits. - **Entity Type**: Private (minority stakes from Tencent, Goldman Sachs, and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert) - **Headquarters**: Paris, France - **Founded**: 2013 - **Founders**: Alexandre Yazdi, Laurent Ritter ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Mobile gaming, mobile apps, social platforms - **Target customers**: B2C (mobile consumers worldwide) - **Mission or purpose statement**: "Entertain the world through iconic apps and games" – Voodoo aims to empower bold creators and deliver engaging mobile experiences. ## Products & Services - **Mob Control**: Hybrid-casual game that grossed nearly $100 million; started as hyper-casual and evolved post-launch. - **Block Jam 3D**: Block-matching puzzle game; also crossed $100 million in revenue. - **BeReal**: Photo-sharing social app acquired for €500 million in June 2024; 50 million users globally. - **Wizz**: Social media platform launched in 2020; 1 million MAU in the US. - **Publishing Platform**: Voodoo evaluates and publishes games from over 2,000 external studios, providing user acquisition, monetization, and product support. - **Other notable titles**: Paper.io, Helix Jump, Hole.io, Aquapark.io, Snake vs Block, Baseball Boy. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: €1.7 billion (as of August 2021, per Groupe Bruxelles Lambert stake) - **Key Metric**: Annual revenue of $670 million in 2024 (up from $570 million in 2023) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Tencent (minority stake, 2020), Goldman Sachs (minority stake), Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (16% stake, 2021) - **Growth Signals**: - 8 billion total downloads, 150 million monthly active users - 20% revenue growth and strong profitability in 2024 - Acquisition of BeReal for €500M to expand into social apps - Headcount grew from ~750 (2023) to 800+ (2024) - Opened offices in Singapore, Japan, Istanbul, and Montreal to support global expansion ## Competitive Advantages - **Data-driven rapid prototyping**: Launches nearly one game per week, testing retention and playtime metrics to iterate quickly. - **Massive scale and distribution**: 8 billion downloads and a network of 2,000+ external studios give Voodoo unmatched reach in mobile gaming. - **Successful pivot**: Transitioned from hyper-casual to hybrid-casual games and apps, demonstrating adaptability to market changes. - **Strong monetization**: In-app purchases and advertising revenue; Mob Control and Block Jam each generated nearly $100 million. ## Strategic Focus - **Diversification beyond hyper-casual**: Investing in hybrid-casual games and social apps (BeReal, Wizz) to build resilient revenue streams. - **Asia-Pacific expansion**: Leveraging Tencent partnership and new offices in Singapore and Japan. - **Continued innovation**: Maintaining a high-velocity testing culture while scaling the publishing platform to attract more external developers. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Values include speed, risk-taking, direct feedback, fighting bureaucracy, high standards, ownership, and long-term thinking. Described as fast-paced and focused on learning quickly. - **Hiring process**: Aimed at completion within 30 days; includes recruiter conversation, case study/skill test, Q&A, and final interview with senior leadership. - **Teams**: Growth, Engineering & Data, Gaming, Apps, Strategy & Operations, Corporate. - **Work environment**: Global offices in Paris (HQ), Istanbul, Montreal, Singapore, and Japan. Remote/hybrid policy not explicitly stated, but roles are likely office-based in key hubs. - **Notable perks**: Opportunity to work on products with billions of users; ownership mindset encouraged; flat hierarchies with direct feedback culture. ## Sources 1. [voodoo.io](https://voodoo.io/company) 2. [voodoo.io](https://voodoo.io/) 3. [voodoo.io](https://voodoo.io/careers) 4. [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voodoo_(company)) 5. 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