New

Associate Game Designer (Technical) (Contingent)

Sony Interactive Entertainment
United States, California, Santa Monica
Feb 17, 2026
Why PlayStation? PlayStation isn't just the Best Place to Play - it's also the Best Place to Work. Today, we're recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation5, PlayStation4, PlayStationVR, PlayStationPlus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more. PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team. The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. This position is for temporary engagement through our staffing partner, Yoh Enterprise Solutions. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position. This is a hybrid / onsite position. For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we're busy at the kennel working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PC and we'd love to find talented individuals to join us. Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together. In this role you'll be responsible for prototyping gameplay using our in-house tools and scripting language, which could range from combat encounters to narrative sequences to player mechanics and enemy behaviors. Then working across departments to bring your prototypes into production and polish your work to the high level of quality Naughty Dog is known for. We're looking for self-motivated, proactive designers who enjoy creating unique experiences and can combine their technical and creative skills while iterating rapidly. What you will do Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviors Collaborating with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems Communicating with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the areas you're owning Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed What skills will you use Significant programming ability (Computer Science undergraduate degree preferred) Knowledge of 3D math Experience with C++, C#, Lua, or other scripting language Broad understanding of gaming landscape Self-starter with excellent communication and teamwork skills Willingness to take design direction when offered, brainstorm, iterate and come up with fun and creative solutions Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed Bonus Skills Experience developing third-person action games Experience with 3D level editors Understanding of narrative principles, and conveying emotion through gameplay Experience with the following areas of design Behavior Trees Melee Combat Systems Character animation Enemy & boss design As part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates should expect to be given a technical interview #LI-SP3 *Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Noticefor more information about how we process your personal information, and your data protection rights.* At SIE, working with our partners, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location. Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this role is eligible for benefit offerings that include medical, dental, and vision. Click hereto learn more. The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below, this is an hourly rate. $37 — $50 USD Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks. Please refer to ourCandidate Privacy Noticefor more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights. Equal Opportunity Statement: Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category. We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.