For months, there have been new job openings for the Diablo Unannounced Game team. Reading through the various listings sometimes you can find unique terms that describe more details about the project.

At first glance, some of the job openings clearly state it is a Diablo mobile game for Android & iOS devices. What intrigued me most is only one of the job openings kinda leaked this game might have some kind of Map Editor-like component to it.

Only one of the job openings (Senior Software Engineer, Graphics/Engine) describes First-person engine.

This is not only a Mobile Game, however. This game is made from the ground up to work on PC/MAC, and on Android/iOS Mobile devices: “Experience with shaders and GPU programming Knowledge of DirectX 11+ or OpenGL APIs.” — only one job opening revealed this portion (Senior Software Engineer, Graphics, Diablo).

Only one job opening describes this jaw-dropping requirement: “The ideal candidate will have experience working on the animation and gameplay aspects of core combat gameplay in modern 1st/3rd person AAA titles.” (Senior Software Engineer, Gameplay/Animation)

Wait… “Core Combat” gameplay … where have I heard that term before? ReadyAtDawn has a similar-worded job opening — and they compare it to Street Fighter 2. Makes you wonder if this Diablo unannounced game features PvP eSports. When I think about “Core Combat” what comes to mind is Boxing, Kickboxing, and martial arts — with “Fighting” game as the more palatable term.
Other details seeping through the latest Diablo Unannounced game openings:

  • It is a small team (This means it is independent from the main Diablo III Team. Think Classic Games Team or Hearthstone Team size-wise.)
  • It is a Mobile game for Android / iOS (Only one of the job postings described exactly what platforms they are targeting)
  • Top-notch gameplay features for content creators and enjoyable experiences for players (Only one job opening says this: Software Engineer, Gameplay)
  • Support a wide variety of aspect ratios and resolutions
  • First-person engine
  • Work on core animation systems, physics, IK and procedural animations in a dynamic world.
  • Deep understanding of the animation pipeline from start to end—techniques used for facial capture and motion capture, rigging, data clean-up, etc.
  • Experience developing or working with animation blend graphs, real-time IK, animation compression, and/or advanced animation memory management (streaming).
  • Extensive experience with one or more real-time animation middleware (eg: Havok Animation, Granny, HumanIK, Morpheme)
  • Author environmental assets for a modern pipeline including modeling, and texturing assets for the Diablo World

Some of the job requirements include knowledge in:

  • IMGUI framework
  • Unity
  • C#
  • C and/or C++
  • Python
  • Familiarity with Git, Perforce, or Subversion
  • Mastery of TCP & UDP communication
  • Experience with NoSQL databases
  • Experience with VM and container setup
  • Familiarity with WebSockets or WebRTC
  • LUA
  • Deep understanding of 3D graphics and shaders.
  • Familiar with state-of-the-art rendering techniques, shader development and graphics hardware and API’s.
  • Javascript
  • Maya
  • 3DS Max
  • Z-Brush
  • Substance or Painter
  • Unreal
  • Frostbite
  • Photoshop

SENIOR QUEST DESIGNER

Blizzard Entertainment is looking for an exceptional Senior Quest Designer to work on an unannounced mobile project. The ideal candidate will collaborate with the Lead Quest Designer to ensure that individual quests become the building blocks to tell a greater story. The perfect candidate has experience with quest design, documentation, implementation, interactive storytelling techniques, questing systems, and mobile best practices.

Responsibilities

Meticulously craft delightful quests and stories, including conception, presentation, implementation, and iteration.
Review and provide detailed feedback on quests implemented by other designers.
Evaluate and critique environment designs, level design, creature spawning, creature abilities, NPC spawning and actions, and level flow.
Collaborate and build relationships with designers, writers, and partners.
Help formulate and evangelize storytelling philosophies and techniques on mobile.
Write high-quality storylines with interesting characters, text, and dialogue.

Requirements

Experience world building and writing for games.
Experience with quest design and implementation.
Passion for playing and making video games.
Clear, effective communication with a wide variety of designers, artists, and engineers.
A positive and self-driven attitude with the ability to be collaborative in a team environment.
Ability to take initiative and self-manage.
Must have a positive attitude and be a team player.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
A minimum of five years’ experience in a design role with at least one shipped product.

Pluses

Strong familiarity with Blizzard IP
Willingness and ability to travel
Published titles demonstrating excellent design ability
Previous experience designing for mobile devices
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Required Application Materials

Resume
Cover letter, including:
What games you are currently playing
Your experience with PC and mobile game design

Blizzard Entertainment is a global company committed to growing our employees along with the business. We offer generous benefits and perks with an eye on providing true work/life balance. We’ve worked hard to foster an intensely collaborative and creative environment, a diverse and inclusive employee culture, and training and opportunities for professional growth. Our people are everything. Our core values are real, and our mission has never changed. We are dedicated to creating the most epic entertainment experiences ever. Join us!

 


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