Advanced Designer, Narrative

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Avalanche is a Warner Bros. Games studio located in downtown Salt Lake City nestled against the backdrop of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. We’ve been in the video game business since 1995, creating interactive experiences for fans of the world’s largest franchises. Join the team behind the blockbuster open world, action RPG Hogwarts Legacy as we create what’s next!

ADVANCED NARRATIVE DESIGNER

 

Join the team behind 2023's smash hit Hogwarts Legacy! Avalanche Software, a division of WB Games Inc., is seeking an Advanced Narrative Designer to join the team that created Hogwarts Legacy. We are looking for a visionary storyteller whose passion is providing stories that the player can affect through their choices. The ideal applicant has a deep understanding of the Wizarding World and is excited to tell new wizarding stories through player agency. Applicants should be creative, self-motivated problem solvers who enjoy collaborating with writers and other designers to create immersive narrative experiences. This position involves direct collaboration with design and narrative leadership, writers, artists, IP owners, producers, and peers across every discipline.

*Position is classified as Hybrid with onsite days weekly at our Avalanche studio in Salt Lake City, Utah. Relocation is provided for candidates living out of the area.

 

The Daily

• Craft compelling missions and rich stories that build a satisfying player experience.
• Collaborate with directors and IP owners to ensure authentic stories that tickle fans, ignite the imagination, and connect with players on an emotional level.
• Champion the narrative goals of the project on a day to day basis
• Promote and drive narrative, thematic, and mechanical coherence across story and gameplay.
• Visualize, track, manage, and communicate the branching structure of narrative choice content in the game.
• Resolve issues, mediate, provide feedback, and iterate on mission designs based on direction from the development team and franchise representatives.
• Provide narrative support for design elements, such as story beat creation, game mechanics delivery, character profiles, character motivations, narrative feature design, player choices, and the player emotional journey as delivered through narrative during game development.
• Evaluate missions and provide feedback to mission implementors and artists for how to maximize storytelling and narrative immersion through game mechanics, player choices, dialog options, and environmental storytelling.
• Own and drive production on large or complex narrative features or content arcs from initial design through polish and ship.
• Translate creative direction, team feedback, and cross-discipline conversations into clear mission specs, narrative documentation, and implementation plans.
• Work with discipline leads and stakeholders across the studio to gather input, vet proposals, and align narrative content with the broader needs of the project.
• Work with production to prioritize narrative content and keep milestones on track.
• Provide clear guidance and feedback to other narrative designers on mission design, documentation, and franchise alignment.

 

The Essentials

• Previous experience in interactive storytelling, narrative design, and game writing, RPG experience preferred.
• A strong record of quality in writing and/or narrative focused game design.
• Experience working within an established franchise, authoring exciting new experiences that still feel authentic and tonally consistent.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills including documentation of narrative plans.
• Contributed to shipped titles and participated in a full dev cycle from concept through release.
• Familiarity with standard game-development processes and workflows.
• Possess a deep literacy in games, film, television, and literature with a love of the fantasy genre.
• Knowledge of the Wizarding World franchise is a definite plus.
• Experience with Unreal Engine 5, Blueprint, and dialogue authoring tools such as Articy considered a plus.

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.