Senior Gameplay Designer Job Overview

• Company Name: Firesprite (A PlayStation Studio)
• Project Type: Unannounced AAA Narrative Adventure
• Engine Technology: Unreal Engine 5 (UE5)
• Employment Type: Full-Time / Permanent
• Location: Liverpool, UK (Relocation Support Available)
• Salary Range: £65,000 – £88,000 GBP annually (Estimated)
• Core Values: Inclusivity, Bravery, Responsiveness, Entrepreneurialism

Liverpool is home to one of the most exciting hubs of creative innovation in the global gaming industry: Firesprite. As a cornerstone of the PlayStation Studios family, Firesprite is dedicated to crafting showcase titles that push the boundaries of narrative, technology, and player emotion. We are currently seeking a world-class talent for a Senior Gameplay Designer job to lead the creation of systems and features for a highly anticipated, unannounced AAA narrative adventure game powered by Unreal Engine 5.

This is not just a design role; it is a leadership and technical implementation challenge. You will be responsible for taking abstract creative visions and turning them into tangible, thrilling gameplay experiences that millions of PlayStation fans will eventually enjoy.

The Vision – Creating Shared Moments of Excitement

Firesprite’s mission is to create games that take players on thrilling journeys. Within the PlayStation Studios ecosystem, our work must meet the “Gold Standard” of quality. The Senior Gameplay Designer job is central to this mission. You will be tasked with building memorable characters and captivating narratives through the lens of interactive mechanics.

In this role, you are a visionary and a builder. You won’t just write design documents; you will get your hands dirty in Unreal Engine 5, prototyping the very systems that will define the player’s journey. Whether it’s a high-octane chase sequence or a quiet, emotionally resonant character interaction, you are the architect of that experience.

Comprehensive Key Responsibilities

The Senior Gameplay Designer job requires a professional who can bridge the gap between “Blue Sky” creative thinking and “Down in the Trenches” technical execution.

Feature Prototyping & Development

• UE5 Blueprint Mastery: You will lead the hands-on creation of feature prototypes using Blueprints, ensuring that gameplay feels responsive and intuitive from the very first iteration.

• Systems Architecture: Develop key gameplay features—such as character movement, combat mechanics, or environmental interactions—from initial concept to final, polished delivery.

• Cinematic Integration: Utilize Sequencer and Animation Blueprints to blend gameplay and narrative seamlessly, ensuring that cinematic moments don’t feel detached from the player’s control.

Documentation & Cross-Team Communication

• Technical Writing: Create clear, concise documentation that outlines feature goals, findings from prototypes, and implementation plans.

• Discipline Collaboration: As the owner of your content, you will act as the primary representative for your features. You will work alongside Level Designers, Technical Animators, and Software Engineers to ensure that systems are robust, well-balanced, and performant.

• Stakeholder Reviews: Present findings and feature progress to Design Leads and Creative Directors, incorporating feedback to refine the game vision.

Quality & Technical Leadership

• Proactive Improvement: As a Senior, you are expected to look beyond your assigned tasks. You will identify opportunities to add new features or improve existing systems independently.

• Tuning & Balancing: Work with content implementors to deploy and tune features within game levels, ensuring the difficulty curve and player pacing match the intended experience.

• Agile Planning: Accurately plan and estimate your work cycles within an Agile/Scrum framework to ensure milestones are met without compromising quality.

Required Qualifications & Expertise

To succeed in the Senior Gameplay Designer job, candidates must demonstrate a high level of technical proficiency and professional maturity.

• Professional Experience: A proven background in AAA gameplay design, ideally with at least one full product cycle (Conception to Launch).

• Unreal Engine 5 Depth: Deep, expert-level knowledge of UE5, specifically with Blueprints, Sequencer, and the animation pipeline.

• Communication Skills: The ability to communicate complex technical ideas to non-technical team members is vital. You must be approachable, friendly, and open to critique.

• Pragmatic Creativity: We need designers who can dream big but also understand the technical constraints of a console environment. You solve problems with a mind toward both quality and performance.

• Narrative Passion: A genuine love for narrative-driven adventures and cinematic gameplay. You understand that gameplay should always serve the story.

Desirable Skills (Bonus XP)

While the core technical skills are mandatory, Firesprite values candidates who bring “extra” to the Senior Gameplay Designer job:

• Camera & Control Mastery: Specific experience in tuning “3Cs” (Character, Camera, Controls) for third-person or first-person narrative games.

• Tool Proficiency: Familiarity with industry-standard software like Jira for task tracking and Perforce for version control.

• Cinematic Flair: A background in film or cinematography that helps you create more immersive, visually stunning gameplay moments.

• Technical Background: While this is a design role, a background in scripting or light programming is highly beneficial when working with the engineering team.

Studio Culture & The PlayStation Family

Working at Firesprite means being part of a studio that values the human being behind the screen. Our culture is built on:

• Inclusivity: We reflect the diverse community we make games for. We welcome applications from all walks of life.

• Bravery: We encourage our designers to take risks and explore bold new ideas in gameplay.

• Entrepreneurialism: We want seniors who take ownership of their work as if it were their own studio.

As a Sony Interactive Entertainment company, Firesprite offers a level of stability and resource access that is rare in the industry. You will be working at the cutting edge of what the PlayStation 5 (and future hardware) can achieve.

Health, Well-Being & Security

Sony and Firesprite prioritize the safety and well-being of their employees.

• Background Checks: Please note that background checks (including criminal checks) are conducted at the offer stage.

• Privacy: We handle all personal data in strict accordance with our Candidate Privacy Notice.

• Inclusive Benefits: We offer a range of benefits designed to support mental health, physical well-being, and work-life balance.

Application & Interview Strategy

When applying for the Senior Gameplay Designer job, your portfolio is your strongest asset. Ensure it showcases:

1. Playable Prototypes: If possible, show videos of features you built in UE5 Blueprints.

2. Narrative Integration: Demonstrate how your mechanics helped tell a story.

3. Documentation Examples: Provide snippets of GDDs (Game Design Documents) or technical specs you’ve written.