Combat Designer

Position Summary

AGBO is looking for a Combat Designer to be hands-on in designing and implementing the moment-to-moment gameplay that defines how our games feel in action. You’re a system-savvy, feel-first designer who understands that great combat lives at the intersection of character, camera, and controls – and you know how to bring those elements together in ways that deliver precision and fluidity while being rewarding to play. Working closely with programmers, animators, and other designers, you’ll help shape and refine the core combat loop – from prototyping new ideas to tuning the final experience. This is a hands-on, high-impact role on an ambitious team creating something special and exciting.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design, implementation, and iteration on combat systems including player abilities, hit reactions, and moment-to-moment flow, building a player experience that is intuitive to learn and deeply rewarding to master
• Prototype combat scenarios and encounters in-engine using scripting and design tools to rapidly test and validate feel, balance, and readability before full production
• Partner with Animation, VFX, and Audio teams to ensure combat actions feel responsive and impactful
• Contribute to and maintain combat design documentation including system specs, encounter design guidelines, tuning spreadsheets, and balance frameworks that keep the team aligned
• Playtest rigorously and advocate for the player, synthesizing feedback from internal sessions and external playtests into actionable design revisions with a clear rationale
• Collaborate with leadership to ensure combat mechanics reinforce character identity and story context – making sure the ‘how’ of fighting always serves the ‘why’

Qualifications & Skills

• 3-6 years of professional game design experience, with at least one shipped title where combat or action systems were a significant part of your contribution
• Hands-on proficiency in Unreal Engine 5, with the ability to prototype and implement combat scenarios directly in-engine without heavy engineering support
• A strong foundation in game design principles
• Experience working cross-functionally with animation, engineering, and VFX pipelines, with an understanding of how technical constraints shape design decisions and how to advocate for quality within them

Additional Information

• This role is based in Raleigh, NC, and we are primarily seeking candidates who are currently located in the area or are open to relocating.
• In-person collaboration with our technical and creative teams is essential to the success of this position.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.
• AGBO Labs LLC is committed to operating fair and unbiased recruitment procedures allowing all applicants an equal opportunity for employment, free from discrimination on the basis of religion, race, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, color, ethnic or national origin or any other classification as may be protected by applicable law. We aim to recruit the right people for the jobs we have to offer, and to assess applications on the basis of relevant skills, education and experience.
• AGBO participates in E-Verify - English | Spanish