Senior/Principal Combat Designer (PC/Console, UE5)

Nekki is a game development studio with over 20 years of experience. We create games for mobile, PC, and consoles, focusing on product quality and player experience.
The Shadow Fight series and Vector have been downloaded over 1 billion times, and we continue to grow and support these franchises. At the same time, we’re building new titles: SPINE, Fight Me, and Ninja Party.

We are looking for a Principal Combat Designer to join the Core Game Design team of our upcoming single-player third-person action game – SPINE.

SPINE is made with Unreal Engine 5 and centered around cinematic gun-fu shootouts. It’s a third-person beat’em’up with a full set of PC gaming features, including a deep storyline, a unique setting, cutscenes, intriguing enemies, memorable bosses, character progression, and, most importantly, breathtaking battles with a wide array of firearms.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic Direction: Develop and refine the combat system design (Combat, AI, Game Feel) in collaboration with the Game Director and Lead Game Designer
• Cross-Team Alignment: Act as the bridge between Combat, Bots, and Boss teams to maintain a unified vision
• Feature Ownership: Take full responsibility for complex gameplay systems from concept to live tuning
• Quality Control: Conduct playtests and process feedback to perfect the battle experience

What we are looking for:

• Experience: 3+ years in core gameplay design (PC/Console). Must have shipped or contributed at least 1 title as Senior/Lead and worked on a AA/AAA game
• Systems Ownership: Proven track record of owning melee combat and gameplay systems (weapons, encounters, AIs, abilities, gamefeel) from concept to release
• Technical Skills: 2+ years in Unreal Engine, confident with GAS (Gameplay Ability System), Blueprints, and Skill editors
• Experience leading other designers: setting vision and quality bars for combat/systems, reviewing work, and aligning cross-discipline teams

Will be a plus:

• Current gaming experience in the action genre
• Experience with level design and storytelling
• Proficiency in Russian language (not a must-have)