{"id":149392,"url":"https://alion.io/job/2k-games-game-designer","title":"Game Designer (Systems)","company":{"id":46865,"name":"2K","domain":"2k.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/2k-games","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":89,"open_postings":25,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.24,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":89,"computed_at":"2026-10-17T05:46:00Z"}},"role":"Games","role_family":"Games","seniority":"middle","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Burnaby, Canada"],"countries":["CA"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":62800,"max":92920,"currency":"CAD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":65209},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":3,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"Unity","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-28T13:37:05Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-29","last_verified_at":"2026-10-17T15:15:51Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":50,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":50},"description":"Who We Are\nFounded in 2023, Small Axe Studios is 2K’s newest stand-alone studio, built to push the boundaries of game development and bring 2K’s next groundbreaking sports franchise to life. Headquartered in Burnaby, we are assembling a world-class team of visionaries, builders, and passionate gamers who thrive on creative collaboration, technical excellence, and bold ideas. At Small Axe Studios, we believe big things start with sharp focus-and we’re crafting an exceptional, player-first experience from the ground up. If you’re ready to tackle unique challenges, leave your mark on a brand-new IP, and help shape the future of interactive sports entertainment, we want you on our team!\nWhat We Need\nOur studio is looking for a thoughtful and detail-oriented Systems Designer to help shape the foundation of our player experience. In this role, you'll contribute to the design, balancing, and implementation of gameplay systems that bring depth, dynamism, and replayability to our game.\nAs part of the Core Fantasy team, you’ll work closely with senior systems designers, engineers, producers, and other stakeholders to bring systemic features to life that support player freedom, progression, and agency. This is an exciting opportunity to grow as a designer while contributing to a large-scale sports game with an ambitious and player-driven vision.\nThe Systems Designer will report to the Lead Designer (Core Fantasy) and collaborate regularly with feature teams across the studio.\nWhat You’ll Do\nDesign Core Gameplay Systems\nSupport the development of game systems such as progression, economy, rewards, player stats, and game modes (Help balance gameplay loops, and related systemic mechanics) \nWork within an established vision to help translate high-level goals into clear, scalable systems\nOwn discrete systems or subsystems, and take them from concept to implementation\nBalance and Tune for Engagement\nHelp balance gameplay loops, player progression, in-game currencies, and related systemic mechanics\nAdjust tuning values based on feedback, metrics, and playtest results\nAnalyze and model systemic outcomes to maintain a healthy gameplay economy\nPartner with Cross-Functional Teams\nCollaborate with engineers, artists, and other designers to prototype, implement, and iterate systems\nContribute to scoping and feature planning discussions with producers and project leads\nEnsure systems integrate cleanly with other game areas such as gameplay, UI, and content pipelines\nDocument and Communicate Design\nCreate clear and comprehensive documentation for system logic, flows, and tuning guidelines\nMaintain design specs and balance sheets to support clarity and iteration\nPresent your designs in team reviews and be open to feedback and collaboration\nChampion Systemic Play\nContribute to the game's player-driven and emergent storytelling through robust systems\nHelp ensure the systems empower player expression, decision-making, and meaningful trade-offs\nBring a player-first mindset to design discussions and problem solving\nWhat Will Make You A Great Fit\n3-5 years of experience in game design, with a focus on systems design\nExperience designing and tuning game systems such as progression, stats, or in-game economies\nSolid understanding of balancing principles, player motivations, and systemic interaction\nStrong analytical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills\nPassion for sports games and/or systemic gameplay\nComfortable working with spreadsheets and design tools for balance and documentationPositive, proactive attitude and willingness to learn and adapt in a fast-paced environment\n\nBeneficial Qualifications\nExperience working on sports games or simulations\nFamiliarity with live service design, balancing for long-term engagement, or seasonal models\nExperience with scripting or configuration in a game engine (e.g., Unreal Blueprint, Unity, proprietary tools)\nExposure to telemetry-driven design and KPI-informed iteration\nAs an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.\nThe pay range for this position in British Columbia at the start of employment is expected to be between CAD $62,800 and CAD $92,920per 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 employees in regular roles may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, provided that temporary or intern roles will not be eligible for many of these payments or benefits. Details of participation in compensation and benefit plans (if applicable) will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.\nPlease note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews, and when emailing, we only use 2K.com accounts.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5391,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":3,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Game Development","Console Games","PC Games"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-08-28T13:37:05Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":62,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.859,"p_room":0.72,"age_days":49,"expected_fill_days":89,"reasons":["conf:0","velocity","win:mid","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-17T05:46:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":65209,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/2k-games-game-designer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/2k-games-game-designer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-17T15:24:21Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":20813,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-18T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":46865},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=46865"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2F2k-games-game-designer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2F2k-games-game-designer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2F2k-games-game-designer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/2k-games-game-designer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2F2k-games-game-designer"}]}