Technical Designer - Combat & Gameplay Feel (Unreal Engine 5)

Job Title:

Technical Designer – Combat & Gameplay Feel (Unreal Engine 5)

Location:

Dubai, UAE (On-site preferred; remote considered for exceptional candidates with strong timezone alignment)

About StrayShot / iBLOXX Studios:

StrayShot is an ambitious third-person shooter built in Unreal Engine 5, blending fast-paced extraction gameplay, battle royale action, team deathmatch, and intense boss encounters. We're pushing high-fidelity visuals and responsive combat to make every shot, hit, and fight feel impactful and addictive. Join a passionate team in Dubai to elevate the core player experience.

Role Overview:

We're seeking a Technical Designer with strong ownership mindset to take end-to-end responsibility for making combat — especially boss fights and enemy behaviors — look stunning, feel incredibly satisfying, and deliver that "juicy" third-person shooter polish. You'll own the full pipeline: prototyping, implementing, tuning, integrating feedback layers, identifying and resolving asset gaps (e.g., missing animations, VFX, or sounds), and driving cross-team alignment until the combat feels perfect in-game. This is Blueprints-heavy work in UE5 with a focus on rapid iteration and subjective feel, not deep engine-level C++ programming.

Key Responsibilities:

• Take full end-to-end ownership of combat polish features (boss fights, enemy behaviors, hit feedback, etc.): from initial prototyping and design intent through final implementation, tuning, integration, and ship-ready quality.
• Prototype and implement responsive combat mechanics and boss/enemy behaviors using Unreal Engine 5 (primarily Blueprints, data-driven systems).
• Own the "feel-good" tuning loop: hit reactions, impact feedback, recoil, aim/momentum preservation, input buffering, procedural elements — iterating until it feels snappy, weighty, and rewarding.
• Set up and refine combat animation systems (Montages, Blend Spaces, notifies, Control Rig basics, IK) — and if animations are missing or need tweaks, proactively align with animators to define requirements, provide feedback, and integrate updates.
• Layer juicy visual/audio feedback: hit-stop, camera shakes, Niagara particles, synced sound cues — and if VFX or sounds are incomplete/mismatched, drive alignment with VFX artists and sound designers to spec, iterate, and ensure perfect sync.
• Design and implement boss fight patterns/phases (telegraphs, vulnerability windows, minion spawning, state transitions) with strong emphasis on readability, pacing, satisfaction, and end-to-end execution.
• Rapidly iterate via playtesting: identify feel issues, adjust timings/values/effects, and own the fixes until combat passes subjective polish benchmarks.
• Create/support simple tools or data setups (data tables for behaviors/stats) to enable efficient tuning and future-proofing.
• Collaborate cross-discipline as the combat owner: work closely with animators, VFX artists, sound designers (and programmers when needed) to fill gaps, provide clear direction/feedback, and ensure assets integrate seamlessly for the best possible player feel.
• Ensure combat polish holds up in multiplayer contexts (extraction, battle royale, team modes).

Requirements:

• 4+ years professional experience as a Technical Designer, Combat Designer, or similar in Unreal Engine projects (UE4/UE5 strongly preferred).
• Proven portfolio/reel demonstrating end-to-end combat ownership: examples of juicing hits, polishing boss fights, or third-person action feel — showing before/after passes, asset integration, and cross-team collaboration results.
• Strong UE5 hands-on skills: Blueprints mastery, animation integration, Niagara/particle systems, camera tools, behavior trees/EQS for enemy logic.
• Demonstrated ownership mindset: you take features from concept to final polish, proactively spotting/fixing gaps (e.g., "this hit needs better VFX — let's align with the artist") rather than handing off prematurely.
• Deep passion for game feel — you can diagnose why combat feels "off" and drive iterations (including cross-team) to make it exceptional.
• Experience in third-person shooters/action games — bonus for boss fight polish and end-to-end delivery.
• Excellent collaboration and communication: you thrive on aligning specialists (animators, VFX, sound, gameplay programmers) with clear specs, feedback, and follow-through.
• Ability to own rapid playtest → iteration cycles independently.

Nice-to-Haves:

• Shipped titles with standout combat feedback (indie/AA/AAA).
• Experience leading boss phase balancing and polish passes.

Interested in relocating to United Arab Emirates? Check out our comprehensive Relocation Jobs in United Arab Emirates page with detailed relocation packages and benefits.

• Light C++ exposure for reading/modifying existing code.
• Dubai-based/relocation willingness preferred but remote candidates will also be considered

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary 
• Ownership of high-impact features in a growing UE5 shooter.
• Creative freedom to chase perfect combat feel.
• Chance to define StrayShot's addictive core loop.

How to Apply:

Send your resume, portfolio/reel (focus on end-to-end combat examples, boss polish, feel iterations), and a short note on a combat feature you owned from start to finish (including any cross-team alignment) to hr@ibloxx.com.