Senior Gameplay Engineer

About the Hiring Team

Lightspeed LA, the first U.S.

-based, AAA game development studio for Tencent Games, focuses on building open‑world games that emphasize an ambitious living world, sophisticated player‑driven gameplay, and mature, thoughtful storytelling. We are developing the first in a series of genre‑defining titles.

For us, it’s not only about the exciting new AAA open‑world game we’re developing but also about team values and studio culture. We foster an open and transparent environment where everyone feels comfortable providing constructive feedback about all aspects of our games.

• We encourage the showing of work that’s still in progress.
• We don’t attack or question unfinished work; we celebrate its promise.
• We have a No Blame Culture where we blame the problem, not the person.

This is a safe place to fail, and we don’t view failure as a negative, but as the natural result of pushing boundaries and trying new things. We create together, face challenges together, and succeed together.

Lightspeed LA is seeking a talented and enthusiastic senior gameplay engineer to join our new studio in sunny Irvine, California. The ideal candidate will have a strong passion for games and solving ambitious technical and creative problems. Join us and help build a team and culture of mutual respect and passion that pushes boundaries while having lots of fun!

• Design, implement, and support quality gameplay systems and tools
• Collaborate directly and proactively with engineers, designers, artists, and QA to explore and identify needs and opportunities
• Cultivate strong cross‑disciplinary working relationships based on honesty and transparency
• Author lean, high‑performance, maintainable code
• Actively profile and optimize the game's codebase
• Participate in the testing and documentation of game systems and tools
• Mentor, develop, and learn from colleagues
• Help build and maintain an open and energetic team culture

• Passion and enthusiasm for creating fun and engaging gameplay through iteration and innovation
• 5+ years of professional game programming experience
• Experience bringing a large‑scale game title to completion on PC and consoles
• Expertise in C++, debugging, and 3D math
• Enjoy working closely with creative and technical team members
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Value lean, simple, efficient, well‑tested code

• Experience working either AAA proprietary engines or third‑party engines like Unreal and Unity
• Experience with game console hardware
• Understanding of game asset pipelines
• Deep knowledge of animation, physics, AI, and/or networking

Perks and Benefits:
Just some of the benefits of working with us here at our newly built studio in Irvine, CA.

• Free daily lunch
• Beverages, fresh fruit, and snacks
• 401k with employer match
• Monthly cell phone bill reimbursement
• Financial wellness sessions
• Flexible spending account
• Team building and company outings
• Parental leave for new parents
• Company paid health insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Wellness training
• Travel insurance
• Preventive care

Location:

US-California-Irvine

Expected base pay range: $ to $ per year. Actual pay may vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. Employees hired for this position may be eligible for a sign‑on payment, relocation package, and restricted stock units, which will be evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis. Subject to the terms and conditions of the plans in effect, hired applicants are also eligible for medical, dental, vision, life and disability benefits, and participation in the Company’s 401(k) plan.

The Employee is also eligible for up to 15 to 25 days of vacation per year, up to 13 days of holidays throughout the calendar year, and up to 10 days of paid sick leave per year.

As an equal opportunity employer, we firmly believe that diverse voices fuel our innovation and allow us to better serve our users and the community. We foster an environment where every employee of Tencent feels supported and inspired to achieve individual and common goals.