Full-Time
Associate Game Designer
Technical, Contingent
Posted on 2/17/2026
Naughty Dog
1,001-5,000 employees
Creates exclusive, story-driven video games for PlayStation
Compensation Overview
$37 - $50/hr
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Hybrid
 Software Engineering (1) |
|---|
- Significant programming ability (Computer Science undergraduate degree preferred)
- Knowledge of 3D math
- Experience with C++, C#, Lua, or other scripting language
- Broad understanding of gaming landscape
- Self-starter with excellent communication and teamwork skills
- Willingness to take design direction when offered, brainstorm, iterate and come up with fun and creative solutions
- Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed
- Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviors
- Collaborating with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems
- Communicating with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the areas you’re owning
- Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed
- Experience developing third-person action games
- Experience with 3D level editors
- Understanding of narrative principles, and conveying emotion through gameplay
- Experience with the following areas of design: Behavior Trees, Melee, Combat Systems, Character animation, Enemy & boss design
Naughty Dog is a video game developer known for creating story-driven, high-quality games that are exclusive to PlayStation. Its products are AAA console games built around cinematic narratives, memorable characters, and detailed worlds, released as physical and digital titles with additional DLCs and remasters. The company collaborates on related media projects, such as a TV series adaptation of The Last of Us with HBO, to extend its franchises beyond games. What sets Naughty Dog apart is its track record of iconic franchises (like Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, and The Last of Us), multiple Game of the Year awards, and a strong emphasis on emotional engagement and character development, all while staying tightly integrated with PlayStation hardware and ecosystems. The goal is to maintain leadership in story-driven gaming, grow a loyal fan base, support the PlayStation platform, and expand its franchises into other media to reach broader audiences.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Acquired
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Santa Monica, California
Founded
1984
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet targets mid-2027 with Trent Reznor soundtrack.
- Uncharted 5 develops under Shaun Escayg for 2028 release.
- Neil Druckmann mentors second project, enabling dual AAA launches.
What critics are saying
- Crunch for Intergalactic 2027 launch causes developer exodus to Insomniac.
- Intergalactic delays past 2027 skip PS5 lifecycle to God of War.
- Dual projects overload cancels Uncharted 5 like TLOU Online in 2023.
What makes Naughty Dog unique
- PlayStation-exclusive story-driven games like Uncharted and The Last of Us.
- Cinematic storytelling with cutting-edge technology since 1984.
- Iconic franchises including Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Wellness Program
Remote Work Options
Hybrid Work Options
Company News
Insider claims Naughty Dog is developing new Uncharted game alongside Intergalactic. A new claim from an industry insider suggests that Naughty Dog may be developing a new entry in the Uncharted series alongside its already announced project, Intergalactic The Heretic Prophet. The information comes from Alir, who previously shared details related to a State of Play announcement. Responding to a user who said, "Naughty Dog has been developing a second single player game alongside Intergalactic for a few years now." When asked whether the project could be tied to the Uncharted franchise, the insider responded, "Yes, it's indeed an Uncharted game." This aligns with earlier reports pointing to a second ongoing project at the studio. Naughty Dog has already acknowledged that it is working on another title in addition to Intergalactic. In March 2025, insider DanielRPK stated that the unannounced project was not The Last of Us III and was instead being directed by Shaun Escayg, known for his work on Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and Marvel's Avengers. "Naughty Dog has a second project (not The Last of Us III), directed by Shaun Escayg (Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Avengers)," he said, adding, "It's been in development for three years now." Further speculation has been fueled by Escayg's recent social media activity, where he shared a post captioned "Research..." alongside an image from Fort George in Trinidad and Tobago. The location has drawn attention due to its historical ties to maritime conflicts and lost treasure, elements that closely align with the themes traditionally explored in the Uncharted series. Trinidad and Tobago has long been associated with stories of sunken ships, pirate legends, and lost cargo from the colonial era, making it a plausible setting for a new installment. Meanwhile, narrative threads from Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, including the introduction of Nathan Drake's daughter Cassie, have previously been seen as a possible direction for the series moving forward. Naughty Dog has not issued any official statement regarding a new Uncharted title. The studio's currently announced project, Intergalactic The Heretic Prophet, also remains without a confirmed release date.
Naughty Dog reportedly planned Uncharted 5 before COVID-19. April 6, 2026 1:42 PM, by Thibaut Instant Gaming haven't got a new Uncharted game since August 2017. In fact, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is the most recent title. The fourth installment will celebrate its tenth anniversary next month. According to journalist Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming, Naughty Dog had reportedly planned to develop Uncharted 5 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, Instant Gaming don't know if such a project is still in the works. It's worth noting that Naughty Dog was working on The Last of Us Online before its cancellation in December 2023. The American studio is now focused on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which could arrive in 2027.
The Last of Us boss says there are A "few stops that remain on the road ahead" Neil Druckmann, the Naughty Dog veteran best known for his work on the Uncharted and The Last of Us franchises, has teased that there might be more The Last of Us to come. In a post on Instagram, Druckmann said he came across his original sketches from 2003 for the game that would become The Last of Us, and remarked that it's been a "wild journey." Then he went on to tease that he might not be finished with the series. "Grateful for every part of it, especially the few stops that remain on the road ahead," he said. Mar 31, 2026 Druckmann could be referring to HBO's The Last of Us series, which is coming back in 2027 for its third and potentially final season. He's not involved with Season 3, however. He might also be referring to a new entry in The Last of Us game series. After all, Druckmann has heavily teased that a third game might be on the way. GamesNu also know that Naughty Dog has had at least two games in development since 2023, one of which is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet-the other is a mystery. Naughty Dog was working on a live-service The Last of Us game called The Last of Us Online, and the studio said it was the team's most ambitious game ever. It was canceled in 2023. Druckmann said he left HBO's The Last of Us ahead of its third season so he could focus on "all the various Last of Us things I'm working on" beyond the TV series, and many fans took that as a tease for future The Last of Us games. Despite the ambiguity of it, his latest statement certainly won't dispel that speculation.
Sanzaru Games pitched a Jak and Daxter remake to Sony. March 26, 2026 2:04 AM, by Thibaut After Crash Bandicoot on the original PlayStation, Naughty Dog developed the Jak and Daxter series for the PS2. Despite its undeniable merits, the platformer franchise hasn't seen a single new installment since 2009's Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier. Back in 2012, the original trilogy returned to the PS3 via a remaster, and the PS2 version of the first game was ported to the PS4 in 2017. However, Sony could have offered players a complete overhaul... Travis Howe, who worked at Sanzaru Games from February 2018 until its closure by Meta last January, revealed on LinkedIn that the studio had pitched a "long while back" a remake/remaster of Jak and Daxter to PlayStation. Howe even created a frame-by-frame cutscene to show what the project might have looked like. He notes that this remake had not been commissioned by Sony and that Sanzaru had simply tried to obtain permission to do it. Of course, the remake never saw the light of day. Sanzaru Games was known for developing titles such as Secret Agent Clank, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Sonic Boom on 3DS, and Asgard's Wrath.
PS5 exclusive Intergalactic has A new Cinematic Supervisor. March 24, 2026 Ex-Blizzard cinematic director, Jason Hill, has joined Naughty Dog to "help push cinematic storytelling" as part of the Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet team. Announcing it on LinkedIn (via PSU), Hill will be the game's cinematic supervisor. Considering a small push is being made to promote Intergalactic. PSX Extreme has seen new casting reveals, how it may lean into being an RPG of sorts, how it's being dubbed the studio's "most ambitious" game ever, and how late last year PSX Extreme has heard murmurs of the game nearing the final phase of development. "New adventure unlocked! Happy to share I've joined Naughty Dog as their Cinematic Supervisor. I'm super excited to work with this team and help push cinematic storytelling for what's coming next. Stay tuned!" Intergalactic marks a big deal for the studio, as despite not wanting to be known as The Last of Us studio forever, this will mark the first new IP they've done since the 2013 narrative adventure that really pushed the PS3 into the homes of many. What do you think? Let PSX Extreme know below!