IEG - Senior / Principal Gameplay Combat Designer

Job summary

About NetEase Games: As a leading internet technology company based in China, NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX:9999, “NetEase”) provides premium online services centered around content creation. With extensive offerings across its expanding gaming ecosystem, the Company develops and operates some of China’s most popular and longest-running mobile and PC games. Powered by industry-leading in-house R&D capabilities in China and globally, NetEase creates superior gaming experiences, inspires players, and passionately delivers value for its thriving community worldwide. By infusing play with…

Job details

About NetEase Games: As a leading internet technology company based in China, NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX:9999, “NetEase”) provides premium online services centered around content creation. With extensive offerings across its expanding gaming ecosystem, the Company develops and operates some of China’s most popular and longest-running mobile and PC games. Powered by industry-leading in-house R&D capabilities in China and globally, NetEase creates superior gaming experiences, inspires players, and passionately delivers value for its thriving community worldwide. By infusing play with culture and education with technology, NetEase transforms gaming into a meaningful vehicle to build a more entertaining and enlightened world. NetEase’s ESG initiatives are among the best in the global media and entertainment industry, earning it a distinction as one of the S&P Global Industry Movers and an “A” rating from MSCI. For more information, please visit: http://ir.netease.com/ Overview: We are building a high-quality competitive football mobile game aiming to deliver a world-class real-time football gameplay experience. As a core gameplay designer, you will lead the design and iteration of match gameplay systems, including player behaviors, positioning AI, ball interactions, and match pacing and balance. This role will directly shape the core gameplay experience of the product. Responsibilities: 1. Lead Core Match Gameplay Design Design and iterate key gameplay systems including: Passing mechanics Shooting systems Dribbling and skill moves Defending and tackling Physical interactions Continuously improve the game feel, responsiveness, and competitive depth 2. Player Behavior & AI Systems Lead the design and tuning of the following systems: Player positioning and spatial awareness Offensive and defensive decision making Tactical execution Dynamic formation transition 3. Match Balance & Pacing Responsible for the overall match experience: Offensive and defensive pacing Skill success rates Player attribute impact Match fairness 4. Cross-Team Collaboration Work closely with Gameplay Engineers, Animators, Technical Artists, Data Analysts to improve animation startup and transtions, input responsiveness, ball physics, and overall match realism. 5. Competitive Research Continuously study real-world football tactics, competitive football games (EA FC / eFootball), and high-level player game behaviors. Translate real-world football knowledge and insights into implementable game systems. Requirements: 1. Basic Qualifications 8+ years of experience in game design Experience in designing core gameplay systems Experience in competitive or action games Strong system design and analytical skills 2. Strongly Preferred Experience working on sports games Familiar with EA FC Mobile / eFootball Mobile Experience in AI behavior systems design Experience in gameplay balancing Deep understanding of football tactics High-level player of football games 3. What We’re Looking For A strong sensitivity to competitive gameplay feel Passion for competitive gameplay Ability to solve problems in complex systems Strong ownership of gameplay quality

What you’ll do

The role involves leading the design and iteration of core match gameplay systems, including player behaviors, ball interactions, and match pacing for a competitive mobile football game. Responsibilities cover mechanics like passing, shooting, dribbling, defending, and tuning player positioning and tactical execution.

Requirements

Candidates must have at least 8 years of game design experience, specifically in designing core gameplay systems for competitive or action games, requiring strong system design and analytical skills. Preferred experience includes working on sports games, familiarity with titles like EA FC Mobile/eFootball Mobile, and experience in AI behavior systems design.

Listed skills

• responsiveness · Preferred
• Analytical · Preferred
• Technical · Preferred
• Collaboration · Preferred
• Positioning · Preferred
• Attribute · Preferred
• Execution · Preferred
• iteration · Preferred
• Decision Making · Preferred
• mechanics · Preferred
• Team Collaboration · Preferred
• Time · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Gameplay Design
• System Design
• Player Behavior
• AI Systems
• Match Pacing
• Game Feel
• Responsiveness
• Competitive Depth
• Tactical Execution
• Cross-Team Collaboration
• Competitive Research
• Football Tactics
• System Analysis
• Problem Solving
• Ownership