Team Name:

Diablo

Job Title:

Lead Class Design - Diablo | Irvine, CA or Albany, NY

Requisition ID:

R026779

Job Description:

We Need You

The minions of hell are growing stronger...

Join us as we continue to shape the Diablo universe! Diablo games are action RPG experiences with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Come work with us, and together, we’ll create experiences that not only meet but exceed the expectations of those who call Sanctuary home.

We are seeking a Lead Class Designer to assist in the creation of new ARPG experiences within one of Blizzard’s most iconic worlds, Diablo. In this role, you will lead the design and development of character classes, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure every class feels distinct, balanced, and deeply satisfying to play. You’ll be a key voice in shaping the systems and philosophies that drive Diablo forward.

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 locations are in Albany, NY, and Irvine, CA.

Responsibilities

1. Own the design of character classes, abilities, and gear, ensuring they’re fun, balanced, and aligned with the Diablo experience.
2. Lead class development from early concepts through implementation, iteration, and live service evolution. service evolution.
3. Collaborate closely with design, engineering, and art leads to integrate features seamlessly into the game.
4. Partner with production to plan, scope, and execute on our long-term vision.
5. Drive playtesting and iteration, identifying balance issues and opportunities for improvement.
6. Champion innovation in class design while maintaining accessibility and clarity for players.
7. Partner with Systems Design to ensure classes scale meaningfully across progression, itemization, and endgame content.
8. Analyze player feedback and gameplay data to inform design decisions.
9. Clearly document and communicate design goals, decisions, and systems to the broader team.
10. Lead initiatives that support design consistency, team alignment, and long-term scalability.
11. Foster a healthy feedback culture by providing and receiving objective, actionable feedback.
12. Coach, mentor, and support a team of class designers, setting standards and best practices for class development.

Minimum Requirements

1. 8+ years of professional game design experience, with a strong focus on systems or class design.
2. 1+ year of experience as a Lead or People Manager in the Design field.
3. Proven ability to lead features or systems from concept through implementation and iteration.
4. Deep understanding of gameplay balance, progression, and player behavior analysis.
5. Strong collaboration and communication skills across multiple disciplines.
6. A well‑developed sense of what makes classes and systems fun, rewarding, and replayable.
7. Familiarity with scripting languages and a solid foundation in math or analytical problem‑solving.
8. Deep familiarity with ARPG gameplay and player motivations.
9. Experience contributing to or supporting live‑service games and post‑launch content updates.
10. Hands‑on experience designing classes that are tightly integrated with itemization, progression, or endgame systems.
11. Comfort prototyping gameplay or implementing abilities using scripting languages or proprietary tools.
12. Demonstrated success growing, mentoring, and developing designers through sustained leadership and feedback.

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

1. Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
2. 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
3. Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
4. Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
5. If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $97,200.00 - $179,900.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.

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