Senior Software Engineer

Team Name:

Overwatch

Job Title:

Senior Software Engineer, Graphics - Overwatch

Requisition ID:

R025476

Job Description:

Soldiers, scientists, adventurers, oddities…engineers! We are the Overwatch team, passionate gamers at heart, and we’re looking for a new hero to help us make Overwatch - the globe-spanning sequel to Blizzard Entertainment’s acclaimed team-based game.

We are seeking a talented and passionate Graphics Programmer to join our core engine team who shares our values:

• We take responsibility for delivering our work
• We collaborate constantly, helping each other to be successful
• We continuously improve our knowledge, workflows and processes
• We communicate openly, calling out issues, opportunities, and sharing feedback
• We have integrity, maintain confidentiality, and share a sense of ownership in our success
• We have passion for the game, our players, quality work, and technology

In this role, you will be instrumental in implementing and optimizing graphical systems that bring Overwatch to life. You'll work closely with a cross-functional team of engine programmers, gameplay programmers, designers, technical artists, and artists to deliver stunning visuals while ensuring robust performance across target platforms.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work from home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate closely with members across the team to understand their needs, enhance their workflows, and support content creation.

• Debug and troubleshoot rendering issues, visual artifacts, and stability problems.

• Contribute to core rendering features, pipelines, and backends within our proprietary game engine.

• Develop and maintain shaders (HLSL, GLSL, or similar) for various visual effects, materials, and lighting models.

• Actively participate in code reviews, sharing knowledge, and mentoring junior team members.

Required Skills & Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years' experience in graphics programming or combination of education and experience. 

• Proficiency in C++ with an understanding of object-oriented design and data structures.

• Proficiency in shader programming languages (HLSL, GLSL, or similar).

• Experience with at least one modern graphics API (DirectX 12, Vulkan, Metal, PS5, etc.).

• Familiarity with game content pipeline and tools.

• Solid understanding of 3D graphics fundamentals, including linear algebra and trigonometry, as they apply to computer graphics.

• Must be comfortable working within and adding to an established code framework.

• Excellent communications skills.

• Passion for video games, especially FPS games, and a strong desire to contribute to high-quality visual experiences.

Pluses:

• A degree in computer science, or a related field.

• Familiarity with multi-threading and optimization.

• Experience developing for a wide range of PC hardware and console platforms.

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment.  We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The video game industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all the qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [email protected]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!  Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company.  You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $101,000.00 - $186,754.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.