Narrative Designer - Trading Card Game

About Us

Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally. 

About the Company

Fanatics Collectibles is a new company operating at the intersection of collectibles, culture, and technology. Backed by world-class investors, operators, and sports & entertainment partners, we are building the global leader in next-generation collectibles. As part of the broader Fanatics ecosystem, we leverage a digital sports platform that spans over 900 sports properties and engages more than 81 million fans. Together, we are reimagining every part of the collectibles experience for fans, partners, and creators.

Role Overview

Fanatics Collectibles is building the future of trading card games.

The Fanatics TCG studio is focused on creating original worlds that are designed to live for decades - expressed through gameplay, art, story, and collectible objects. Our ambition is to build franchises that are not only widely played, but deeply felt.

We are seeking a Narrative Designer to help shape the worlds, characters, and stories that define our games.

This is not a role focused solely on writing text. It is a role about building worlds - establishing the underlying logic, tone, and emotional core of new universes, and ensuring that every part of the player experience reflects that foundation.

You will work closely with Creative, Game Design, and Art to develop narrative systems that live inside the cards themselves - where mechanics, visuals, and story reinforce one another.

The ideal candidate brings strong storytelling instincts, a systems mindset, and a passion for creating worlds that players want to return to again and again.

What You’ll Do

Build Worlds That Can Sustain a Franchise

• Develop the foundational lore, cosmology, and narrative structure  of new TCG worlds. 
• Define factions, cultures, characters, and conflicts that can evolve over many sets and years. 
• Help establish the tone, themes, and emotional identity  of each franchise. 

Integrate Story with Game and Product

• Partner with Game Design to ensure that mechanics and narrative reinforce each other. 
• Collaborate with Art and Creative teams to align on visual storytelling and world cohesion. 
• Contribute to the development of set themes, narrative arcs, and character moments. 

Design Narrative Systems for Cards

• Develop approaches for how story is expressed through card names, flavor text, mechanics, and set structure. 
• Ensure that narrative is discoverable through play and collection, not just external content. 
• Help define how narrative evolves across releases and expansions. 

Create and Support Narrative Content

• Write  flavor text, card names, and supporting narrative content. 
• Contribute to world guides, story bibles, and internal documentation. 
• Support external storytelling efforts (e.g., web content, marketing beats, potential media extensions). 

Collaborate Across the Studio

• Work closely with Creative, Design, Product, and Marketing teams to ensure narrative consistency. 
• Participate in early ideation, helping shape concepts before they become fully defined. 
• Provide feedback that elevates the coherence and emotional impact  of the world. 

What You Bring

• 3+ years of experience  in narrative design, writing, or worldbuilding for games, publishing, or related media. 
• Strong ability to develop original worlds, characters, and narrative frameworks. 
• Experience working in collaborative, cross-functional environments. 
• Ability to balance creative vision with system constraints. 
• Excellent writing skills across both  short-form (e.g., flavor text)  and  long-form (e.g., lore, story guides). 
• Passion for fantasy, sci-fi, and worldbuilding-driven storytelling. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on trading card games, tabletop games, or live service games. 
• Background in fantasy or sci-fi writing. 
• Familiarity with how narrative can be expressed through game systems and mechanics. 
• Experience contributing to original IP or franchise development. 

Why Join Fanatics TCG

Fanatics Collectibles is building the future of fandom.

The Fanatics TCG studio is a rare opportunity to create entirely new worlds - worlds that will be expressed through millions of cards, shared across global communities, and evolved over many years.

As a Narrative Designer, you will help define the stories that live inside those worlds - shaping the characters, conflicts, and moments that players and collectors connect with.

If you’re excited about building worlds and telling stories that unfold one card at a time, we’d love to hear from you.

Ensure your Fanatics job offer is legitimate and don’t fall victim to fraud.  Fanatics never seeks payment from job applicants. Feel free to ask your recruiter for a phone call or other type of communication for interview, and ensure your communication is coming from a Fanatics email address (including @collectfanatics.com).  For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at www.fanaticsinc.com/careers

The salary range represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation.  This salary range is specific to Seattle and may not be applicable to other locations.  When determining base pay, as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training. For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com/

Seattle Salary Range

$123,050—$154,100 USD

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