Principal Game Designer, Competitive Systems - VALORANT

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve competitive systems that reward player skill, growth, and long-term investment in VALORANT.
• Guide the design of ranked, matchmaking, and adjacent competitive systems to support fairness, competitive integrity, and player engagement.
• Work closely with product managers, engineers, analysts, and design leadership to ensure systems are cohesive, consistent, and in line with VALORANT’s overall vision.
• Keep the focus on player value by leveraging feedback, research, and game data to iterate on designs and improve the competitive experience.
• Create multiple design solutions and clearly articulate the trade-offs, risks, and player impact of each.
• Provide direction, mentorship, and feedback to other designers, fostering collaboration and craft excellence across systems design.
• Playtest VALORANT regularly and help push improvements for existing systems and new concepts.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in professional Game Design.
• Deep experience developing competitive multiplayer systems such as matchmaking, ranked, and skill systems.
• Shipped or contributed to at least one AAA+ online competitive title.
• Demonstrated ability to design and iterate on complex systems with a clear understanding of player impact and downstream effects.
• Strong communication skills with proven ability to articulate design rationale, trade-offs, and decision frameworks to cross-disciplinary partners.
• Experience working in a live-service development environment.

Desired Qualifications

• Deep passion for and understanding of competitive online games and their player communities.
• Familiarity with online shooters, especially VALORANT or tactical shooters.
• Experience balancing competitive integrity with engaging and rewarding systems.
• Experience as a senior craft leader or thought partner on materially impactful design initiatives.
• Ability to interpret and learn from charged or emotional player feedback to improve the product experience.
• Experience developing across multiple platforms, including PC, console, or mobile.