---
title: 'Senior Combat Designer (Enemies / Bosses) at Insomniac Games'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-combat-designer-enemies-bosses-insomniac-games-united-states-4n7573070jkk'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-30'
---

# Senior Combat Designer (Enemies / Bosses) at Insomniac Games

- **Company:** Insomniac Games
- **Location:** United States
- **Compensation:** $70–$90/hr
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-10-26
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-30
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/insomniac/jobs/6230690004

## Job description

This position is for temporary engagement through our staffing partner, Yoh Enterprise Solutions. This is a 6-month contract.

Insomniac Games is looking for a Senior Combat Designer (Enemies/Bosses). In this role, the Senior Combat Designer (Enemies/Bosses) is accountable for the quality and on-time delivery of combat gameplay, specifically focused on enemies, mini-bosses, and bosses. Designer will be responsible for initial pitches, prototyping, implementation, iteration, polish and balance for AI enemies, smaller-scale mini-bosses, and larger boss encounters, as needed. Work will be done in a highly collaborative, cross-disciplinary pod, under the direction and review of combat and design leads.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

- Hands-on implementation work on initial design, prototyping, iteration, balance and polish of AI enemy combatants, mini-boss characters, and large-scale boss encounters.
- Directly implements and iterates on Enemy AI and bosses through proprietary internal tools and scripting systems.
- Works within a cross-disciplinary pod. Collaborates directly with Gameplay Programming, Animation, and other pod members to best leverage skills and creativity across all departments.
- Writes and regularly updates clear gameplay system documentation detailing functionality and best practices for using Enemy AI across missions and levels.
- Gathers and prioritized feedback from multiple sources. Proactively implements changes and improvements in enemy / boss design to respond to issues around clarity, balance, and playability. Drives continual improvement on assigned combat work.
- Supports Mission Designers, as needed, through best practices, training, and model encounters. May also work on combat encounters directly within Missions.
- Coordinates with other combat design staff on game-wide combat issues, including difficulty, balance, enemy differentiation, enemy introductions, etc.
- Contributes to a safe, supportive, and creative work environment that exemplifies our studio values.
- Other creative duties as needed.

## Experience and Education

- Five or more years of professional game design experience, with at least one shipped title as a Combat Designer.
- Expertise in the current state of combat design craft across the games industry.
- Experience in designing, prototyping, implementing, and polishing enemy AI combatants and boss characters.
- High proficiency with modern game engines, such as Unreal or proprietary engines. Proven experience in scripting, prototyping, and iterating gameplay systems directly. Experience in 3D layout a plus.
- Strong skills in written, verbal, and visual communication across disciplines.

Mathematical Skills

- Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.
- Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

Reasoning Ability

- Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
- Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills:

- Intermediate knowledge and experience with level editing tools and scripting (Unreal Engine, Unity, or similar editors).
- Intermediate knowledge of Maya or other major 3D modeling programs.
- Adobe Illustrator experience and UE4 Blueprint scripting skills are a plus.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

Other Skills:

- Individual must have very good interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with team members and other developers.
- Strong communication skills including verbal and written skills are required.

At SIE, working with our partners, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.

Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

In addition, this role is eligible for benefit offerings that include medical, dental, and vision. Click [here](https://www.dzconnex.com/summary-of-benefits) to learn more.

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below, this is an hourly rate. $70—$90 USD

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

Please refer to our[Candidate Privacy Notice](https://www.playstation.com/legal/careers-privacy-notice/) for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.

## About Insomniac Games

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Insomniac Games is a AAA video game developer best known for creating the *Spyro the Dragon*, *Ratchet & Clank*, *Resistance*, and *Marvel's Spider-Man* franchises.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment, acquired in 2019)
- **Headquarters**: Burbank, California, USA (with a second studio in Durham, North Carolina)
- **Founded**: 1994
- **Founders**: Ted Price

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Computer Games / Interactive Entertainment (AAA Game Development)
- **Target customers**: B2C (console gamers, primarily on PlayStation platforms)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To create games that have a positive and lasting influence on people's lives.

## Products & Services
- **Marvel's Spider-Man (2018)**: Open-world action-adventure game, a critical and commercial smash hit.
- **Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)**: Standalone expansion/sequel.
- **Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (2023)**: Sequel featuring both Peter Parker and Miles Morales.
- **Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021)**: A flagship PlayStation 5 title showcasing near-instant loading and dimensional rifts.
- **Spyro the Dragon (1998)**: Iconic classic platformer that defined a generation.
- **Resistance (2005)**: First-person shooter franchise for PlayStation 3.
- **Marvel's Wolverine (In Development)**: An upcoming, darker, mature-themed action game.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not applicable (private subsidiary). Acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2019 for an undisclosed sum.
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue estimated at **$120.0M** (per LinkedIn). Over 70 million games sold lifetime.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: **Sony Interactive Entertainment** (parent company), **Marvel Entertainment** (key IP partner).
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew **+11.5% YoY** to 387 employees. Actively hiring for *Marvel's Wolverine* and future projects. Continues to be one of the most prestigious first-party PlayStation studios.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proven Track Record**: Consistently delivers critically acclaimed, high-selling games (Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank).
- **Proprietary Engine & Tech**: Uses a heavily customized version of Insomniac's own engine, allowing for technical innovations like the near-instant loading in *Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart*.
- **Strong IP Relationships**: Exclusive partnership with Marvel for high-profile games, and owns beloved original IPs like *Ratchet & Clank*.
- **Sony Backing**: As a first-party studio, has access to massive resources, marketing, and job stability without the financial volatility of an independent studio.

## Strategic Focus
- **Current priorities**: Shipping *Marvel's Wolverine*; continuing the *Spider-Man* franchise; maintaining a high standard of quality and technical innovation for PlayStation 5.
- **Direction for growth**: Expanding the team (especially in technical and design roles) to handle multiple AAA projects simultaneously.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & Awards**: Has earned 20 local, regional, state, and national awards for its workplace culture.
- **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Supports **remote, in-studio, or hybrid** work arrangements. Remote employees must be based in the US or Canada. [insomniac.games](https://support.insomniac.games/hc/en-us/articles/46679299624595-Does-Insomniac-Games-support-remote-work-Can-I-work-remote-from-an-international-country-Can-I-work-from-Europe)
- **Notable Perks**: Comprehensive benefits including health insurance, 401(k) matching, profit sharing, paid time off, sabbatical, game discounts, and a strong focus on work-life balance. [insomniac.games](https://insomniac.games/benefits-perks/)
- **Engineering Culture**: Highly collaborative environment with a focus on technical excellence. Talent frequently moves between Insomniac and other top studios like Naughty Dog, Epic Games, and Blizzard.
- **Employee Rating**: 4.1/5.0 on LinkedIn (57 reviews), with strong scores in Culture (4.1) and Compensation (4.1).

## Sources
1. [Insomniac Games Official Site](https://insomniac.games/)
2. [Insomniac Games Careers](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/insomniac)
3. [Insomniac Games Remote Work FAQ](https://support.insomniac.games/hc/en-us/articles/46679299624595-Does-Insomniac-Games-support-remote-work-Can-I-work-remote-from-an-international-country-Can-I-work-from-Europe)
4. [Insomniac Games Benefits & Perks](https://insomniac.games/benefits-perks/)
5. [Insomniac Games LinkedIn Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/company/insomniac-games)

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