Associate Design Director
Listed on 2026-01-03
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Entertainment & Gaming
Video Game, Game Development / Testing
Team Name: Diablo Immortal
Job Title:Associate Design Director
Requisition : R026570
Job Description:
We Need You
The minions of Hell are growing stronger...
Join us as we write the next chapter in the Diablo universe! Diablo Immortal—our Massively Multiplayer Action-RPG mobile game—brings the world of Sanctuary to players everywhere. As our team continues to grow, we’re looking for an Associate Game Director who can help shape the future of a global live game enjoyed by players across both Eastern and Western markets.
In this role, you will lead the creative direction alongside our development partner for core gameplay systems, story content, balance and economy. You will define “what’s next” for a mature, three-year-old live product by developing a forward-looking design strategy that drives impactful evolution. You will partner with cross-functional leaders, guide and elevate design teams, and craft experiences that resonate with players worldwide.
This role offers a flexible hybrid work week, with a mix of remote and on-site days. While hybrid is the standard arrangement, you're also welcome to work on-site full-time if you prefer. Our primary studio location is in Irvine, CA.
Responsibilities Creative & Strategic Direction- Set, evolve, and communicate the creative vision for core gameplay systems, content, and economy/balance while ensuring alignment with Diablo Immortal’s long-term goals.
- Lead the “what’s next” strategy for a 3-year-old live mobile game by identifying the most impactful opportunities for meaningful change.
- Create a coherent design strategy that tightly connects systems design, content design needs.
- Balance the expectations and gameplay preferences of both Western and Eastern audiences, ensuring a globally resonant player experience.
- Clearly articulate the value of high-quality design for partners and leadership, building alignment and driving decisions that improve player impact.
- Lead, mentor, and grow design teams with a positive, open, and collaborative mindset.
- Instruct, influence, and coach design partners to raise the bar for design craft across the product.
- Provide clear direction while embracing shared ownership — setting the vision without requiring total control over implementation.
- Collaborate deeply with art, engineering, product, narrative, and other partners to deliver cohesive, high-quality gameplay.
Gameplay Systems, Balance, Economy and Content
- Oversee dungeon, class, and systems design, leveraging data, player feedback, and intuition to drive engagement, retention, and monetization.
- Champion iterative development, generating insights that elevate design quality and execution.
- Prioritize ruthlessly — identifying the most critical design elements that move the product forward.
- Utilize analytics and player-behavior data to inform gameplay improvements and optimize core combat and systems.
- Communicate complex and abstract design concepts using the right tools — documentation, visualizations, prototypes, presentations — tailored to each audience.
- Influence partners through clarity, rationale, and player-focused storytelling.
- 10+ years of game design experience, including 3+ years in a senior leadership role (Lead Designer, Associate Game Director, or equivalent).
- Demonstrated success operating live-service mobile titles, ideally within action or RPG genres.
- Proven ability to lead and mentor design teams (10+ designers).
- Highly analytical and fluent in data-informed design, with a strong ability to translate insights into impactful decisions.
- Exceptional cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration skills with co-dev partners, be able to convey complex or abstract ideas clearly.
- Deep knowledge of the Diablo franchise and action RPG design principles.
Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies. We are home to beloved franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™, and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of…
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