---
title: 'Senior Game Designer (Combat) at Naughty Dog'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-game-designer-combat-naughty-dog-united-states-santa-monica-cw9n6e8kaesj'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-15'
---

# Senior Game Designer (Combat) at Naughty Dog

- **Company:** Naughty Dog
- **Location:** United States Santa Monica, CA
- **Compensation:** $145k–$181k
- **Posted:** 2026-07-16
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-15
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/naughtydog/jobs/6117785004

## Job description

Ability to work onsite from our Santa Monica, CA based studio is required.

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC.

Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

What you will do:

- Pitch, design, implement, and own enemy NPC archetypes
- Work with AI programmers to develop foundational NPC technology and implementing and tuning enemy AI behaviors
- Work with animators to develop enemy locomotion and traversal, melee moves, ambient behaviors, and other custom abilities. Make every enemy archetype feel unique and memorable
- Collaborate with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems
- Communicate with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the enemies you’re owning
- Write and maintain documentation that establishes the core vision of the enemy archetypes
- Drive communication and collaboration for enemies you design and the levels they are in, ensuring communication across disciplines and meeting deadlines
- Effective and respectful communicator and collaborator, both with other designers and members of other departments
- Facilitate playtesting and feedback sessions to iterate on combat systems and fine-tune them based on player experiences
- Mentor junior designers and contribute to the overall growth of the design team

What skills you will use:

- 5+ years of industry experience in combat design and/or technical design for games, specifically focused on developing action-adventure or shooter games
- At least one shipped title as a combat designer or similar role. Experience with behavior trees or similar NPC AI concepts preferred
- Strong coding ability: Computer Science degree preferred though not required
- Proficient in using game engines and tools (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) for combat implementation and design scripting (C#, Lua, Visual Scripting)
- Welcomes feedback on their work and embraces the “let’s try it” mentality
- Proficient and effective communication skills, including diagramming and sketching
- Fluent in modern character action-adventure and shooter combat games. Maintains knowledge of the broader gaming landscape trends
- Knowledge of narrative structure and how it intersects with gameplay and combat
- A keen eye for detail in character action games, able to tune gameplay systems to make them feel smooth and impactful
- Strong leadership and mentoring skills

The estimated USA base pay range for this zone (Los Angeles area) is listed below. This role may be eligible for additional compensation packages that includes annual bonus and other incentive plans. $145,100—$181,400 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 Naughty Dog

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Naughty Dog is an award-winning first-party video game developer for Sony Interactive Entertainment, renowned for critically acclaimed franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Uncharted, and The Last of Us.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment / PlayStation Studios)
- **Headquarters**: Santa Monica, California, USA
- **Founded**: 1984 (42 years ago)
- **Founders**: Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Video game development (AAA console/PC titles)
- **Target customers**: B2C (gamers and consumers on PlayStation platforms, with recent PC releases)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To create cutting-edge, character-driven, and evocative games that push the boundaries of technology and storytelling, earning the trust of millions of players worldwide.

## Products & Services
- **Crash Bandicoot Series (1996-1999)**: Classic 3D platformer franchise that launched the studio into prominence.
- **Jak and Daxter Series (2001-2005)**: Action-adventure platformer series for the PlayStation 2.
- **Uncharted Series (2007-2022)**: Acclaimed third-person action-adventure series (Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy). The franchise has sold over 41.7 million copies globally (as of 2017).
- **The Last of Us Series (2013-present)**: Critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic action-adventure franchise (The Last of Us, The Last of Us Part II). The series has spawned a successful HBO television adaptation.
- **Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet (forthcoming)**: A new intellectual property (IP) announced for the PlayStation 5, the studio’s first new IP since The Last of Us.
- **ICE Team**: A central technology group within Sony’s Worldwide Studios that creates core graphics technologies, game engine components, and profiling tools for first-party titles.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (Private subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment).
- **Key Metric**: The Uncharted franchise sold over 41.7 million copies by December 2017. The Last of Us Part II was released to massive critical and commercial success in 2020.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Parent company is Sony Interactive Entertainment (acquired in 2001). Key leadership includes Neil Druckmann (Head of Creative, President), Alison Mori (Studio Manager).
- **Growth Signals**: The studio is actively developing a new IP (Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet) for the PS5, expanding its franchise into TV (The Last of Us on HBO), and has recently released games on PC. The studio has over 400 employees (as of July 2023) and has maintained a strong talent pipeline for decades.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Award-Winning Legacy**: Consistently delivers some of the highest-rated and most commercially successful games in the industry (multiple Game of the Year awards).
- **Proprietary Technology**: Home to the ICE Team, which develops cutting-edge graphics and engine technology used across Sony’s first-party lineup.
- **Narrative & Character Mastery**: Renowned for deep, cinematic storytelling and character-driven experiences that set industry standards.
- **Strong Brand & Franchise Power**: Owns some of the most iconic and beloved IPs in gaming (The Last of Us, Uncharted), creating a powerful ecosystem for sequels, remasters, and transmedia adaptations.
- **Stable Parent Company**: As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony, the studio enjoys financial stability and access to top-tier resources without the volatility of independent studios.

## Strategic Focus
- **New IP Development**: Actively developing *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet*, signaling a commitment to creating new worlds and stories beyond existing franchises.
- **Transmedia Expansion**: Successfully expanding *The Last of Us* into a major TV franchise on HBO, indicating a strategy to grow its IP beyond gaming.
- **Technical Innovation**: Continuing to push the boundaries of graphics, animation, and AI through the ICE Team and internal R&D.
- **PC & Multi-Platform Growth**: Releasing titles on PC (e.g., *The Last of Us Part I*), suggesting a strategy to reach a broader audience beyond PlayStation consoles.
- **Nurturing Talent**: Investing in a strong culture and career development to retain veteran staff while attracting new talent.

## Why Work Here
- **Award-Winning Studio**: Be part of a legendary team with over 35 years of history and multiple Game of the Year awards.
- **Cutting-Edge Technology**: Work on proprietary engine technology (ICE Team) and push the limits of console and PC hardware.
- **Culture & Collaboration**: The studio is known for a collaborative, passionate environment with minimal middle-management and a focus on creative excellence.
- **Comprehensive Benefits**: Offers a 401K plan with company match, comprehensive health/dental/vision insurance, generous PTO, fitness reimbursement, and a referral program.
- **Remote-Friendly**: Some roles (e.g., Associate QA Tester / Language Development Support) are listed as remote, and the studio is based in Santa Monica, CA.
- **Team-Building**: Wide variety of team-building events and a dog-friendly office culture.
- **Diverse Departments**: Opportunities across Programming, Art, Animation, Design, Production, QA, IT, Communications, and Editorial.

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

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