Technical Designer - RuneScape: Dragonwilds

Office location: Cambridge, UK – This position can accommodate flexible working options, including predominantly remote work. However, applicants should be based (or willing to relocate) within a comfortable commuting distance of our office to attend onsite as required.

This role is a Fixed Term Contract anticipated to end late 2027 / early 2028.

Are you a hands-on designer who thrives at the intersection of gameplay and systems, and loves getting stuck into engine prototyping?

As a Technical Designer on RuneScape: Dragonwilds, our open-world survival crafting game currently in early access and built in Unreal Engine 5, you’ll work closely with the Lead Designer to create gameplay systems that shape the moment-to-moment player experience. You’ll be prototyping, iterating, and tuning mechanics that span traversal, combat, encounters, and more.

This role is ideal for someone who loves scripting, collaborating with cross-discipline teams, and solving gameplay problems creatively. You’ll help bridge the gap between engineering and design, ensuring that the systems we create are not only exciting and intuitive to play, but technically viable and scalable.

What you’ll be doing:

• Prototype, refine, and implement new gameplay systems and features that support the vision of the Lead Designer.
• Translate vision documents and feature specs into detailed technical and design specs.
• Build and iterate in-engine (UE5), using Blueprint scripting to bring mechanics to life quickly and cleanly.
• Collaborate across disciplines—including animators, engineers, and designers, to deliver high-quality, playable content.
• Define gameplay variables and tuning systems to support easy balancing and iteration.
• Establish quality benchmarks for design implementation, setting the bar for reusability and polish.
• Create and maintain documentation on systems, tools, and best practices.
• Contribute to improving team workflows and pipelines for faster, more efficient development.
• Help develop player-facing features that feel great, from combat pacing and responsiveness to feedback systems and traversal mechanics.

What we’re looking for:

• Demonstrable experience working on gameplay features, ideally within an action, adventure, or survival title.
• Proven professional games industry experience and proficiency with Unreal Engine 5 and Blueprint scripting.
• Experience working on networked or multiplayer features, with an understanding of Blueprint replication.
• A strong sense for gameplay feel, polish, and iteration, particularly around combat and player movement.
• Ability to work cross-discipline with excellent communication and collaboration habits.
• Comfortable working in a feedback-driven environment and iterating based on input from leads and peers.
• Passion for delivering satisfying, intuitive gameplay that players will love.

What we offer:

When you join Jagex you can look forward to a generous Perks & Benefits package including:

• Private Healthcare, including Dental Plan.
• Minimum 6% Pension contributions.
• Employee Assistance Programme & onsite Counselling.
• Life Insurance.
• Discretionary annual performance bonus.
• Enhanced family leave policies from day 1.
• Flexible working hours.
• 25 days annual leave + Bank holidays & the option to buy/sell holidays + so much more!

About Jagex:

We are Jagex: The RuneScape Company. Home to one of gaming’s most enduring success stories. We create deep, community-powered games with worlds that evolve, inspire, and endure. Our flagship MMORPG franchise, RuneScape, has welcomed over 300 million player accounts, inspiring generations of players across PC and mobile for 25 years.

As we begin our 26th year, we are accelerating our strategy to expand RuneScape into a broader ecosystem of forever games and connected experiences, grounded in a renewed commitment to integrity and fair play. This includes the reduction of monetisation mechanics, as well as the launch of RuneScape: DragonWilds into Steam Early Access in 2025, representing a major step in building a multi-genre future for the RuneScape universe. We remain focused on building enduring worlds, empowering player-led innovation, and laying the foundations for the boldest era in RuneScape’s history. For more information, visit www.jagex.com.

Headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, we are home to passionate creators, storytellers, engineers, and even a few dreamers, all united by a single mission, to shape the future of online worlds and empower players to make them their own. We’re looking for people to join us who share our ambitions and values. We foster an inclusive workplace built on trust, autonomy, and a shared passion for creating experiences that inspire our communities.
Our values guide everything we do: We Embrace Fellowship by collaborating and sharing openly. We Hone our Craft by always learning and improving; We Honour our Vows by being honest and transparent; We are our Customers’ Heroes by striving to understand our team & player needs, and We Seize The Day by making the most of every opportunity.

Join us. The next era of RuneScape, and the next chapter of Jagex: The RuneScape Company, starts now.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities and creating an environment where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, and we recruit, develop, and promote based on merit and ability. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the recruitment process, please let us know when you’re invited to interview.