About Sumo Digital, Sheffield
Founded in 2003, Sumo Sheffield was the first of the Sumo Digital studios. Firmly established as the premium development partner of leading publishers, we are trusted to deliver high quality games associated with some of the most iconic and valued properties in the industry. We are also generating innovative new IP! With a highly skilled body of over 300 developers we work across all platforms, on a selection of AAA games covering multiple genres including Sports, FPS, and platform adventure.
Day in the life of a Principal Game Designer (AI)
We are looking for a Principal Game Designer (AI) to join our team and help craft a rich, responsive world filled with compelling NPCs and challenging enemies. This is an incredible opportunity to contribute meaningfully to an ambitious AAA third-person action RPG based on a globally beloved IP. As a master of your craft, youâ ll focus on enemy design and AI behaviour systems that support meaningful player choice and create dynamic, engaging encounters across a variety of gameplay scenarios.
As a Principal AI Designer, you will design and iterate on enemy archetypes and AI behaviour to ensure that combat feels fluid, reactive, and alive. You will work closely with code, animation, and art teams to help implement responsive, believable AI characters. Your primary focus will be documentation and cross-discipline collaboration, supported by hands-on work using tools such as Blueprint for prototyping and fine-tuning behaviour and balance after implementation.
Within this role you will:
â ¢ Design AI that is systemic, responsive, and creates meaningful player challenges.
â ¢ Create combat encounters that support variety, player choice, and tactical decisions.
â ¢ Define gameplay states that support player strategy and flexible AI behaviour.
â ¢ Work with animation, code, and art to bring responsive AI characters to life.
â ¢ Align AI design with world-building, story, and player experience goals.
â ¢ Build combat scenarios that scale in challenge and support different playstyles.
â ¢ Own AI systems from concept to delivery with clear vision and accountability.
â ¢ Tune AI behaviours post-implementation for balance and player satisfaction.
â ¢ Mentor designers and help raise the overall quality of design across the team.
What do you need to do this job:
â ¢ Proven experience designing AI and enemies for first/third-person action or RPG titles.
â ¢ Deep understanding of AI systems that create believable tactical/strategic enemy behaviours.
â ¢ Ability to design distinct enemy types with unique, compatible roles and behaviour sets.
â ¢ Proficiency in creating diverse unit combinations, providing gameplay variety and depth.
â ¢ Solid grasp of encounter pacing and second-to-second gameplay rhythm.
â ¢ Experience collaborating with animation, level design, and engineering.
â ¢ Excellent communication and clear, concise design documentation skills.
â ¢ Ability to prototype and adjust behaviours using Blueprint or similar tools.
â ¢ Passion for player choice, systemic design, and emergent gameplay.
You will also need to demonstrate that you have:
â ¢ Shipped one or more AAA titles using UE4/UE5 or a similar engine.
â ¢ Experience balancing difficulty and behaviour across a wide range of players.
â ¢ Strong grasp of combat pacing, player feedback, and moment-to-moment flow.
â ¢ Familiarity working with licensed IP and aligning with tone and canon.
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