HOW TO GET A
JOB AT BLIZZARD
Careers, Hiring Process, and Salaries
Are you passionate about video game development but can’t find a way to break into the video game industry? Popular gaming companies like Blizzard are always looking for top talent, whether in engineering, management, or information technology. While you may have to go through a challenging hiring process, these jobs are worth the effort.
At Blizzard, you could become a game designer, software engineer, animator, and more. This guide on how to get a job at Blizzard takes you through their current job opportunities and the hiring process. Read below to learn tips and more information about getting a job at Blizzard.
Blizzard Background
Launched in 1991 by three UCLA graduates, Blizzard was initially known as Silicon and Synapse Inc. At first, the company focused on game port production for other studios. Once it was acquired by Davidson and Associates and renamed Blizzard Entertainment, it started creating its own games.
In 2021, Blizzard boasts some of the most adventurous and globally recognized games like Overwatch, Hearthstone, and a collection of sequels. Whether you want to become an online game designer or software engineer, Blizzard can help you propel your career at your dream company.
What's It Like to Work at Blizzard
Working at Blizzard is overwhelmingly positive, according to employee reports from Glassdoor and Indeed. This company makes you feel part of a community that loves games. In addition, Blizzard promotes creativity, offers good pay, and has supportive colleagues who make up a positive working environment.
What Employees Say About Working at Blizzard
According to Blizzard reviews of Glassdoor, working at Blizzard Entertainment can be demanding, although the company tries to maintain a work-life balance. The majority of the employees are happy to work with colleagues and peers who help them. They also praise the company for its competitive benefits.
Nevertheless, there are few complaints as they lack promotion opportunities and career development. While people in Blizzard Entertainment are excited to be part of the company, they express uncertainty about its future adapting to the fast-changing industry. Some employees also report a “frat-boy environment” and occasionally a sense of favoritism.
Blizzard Work Environment and Culture
As a company that motivates its staff to embrace its inner geek, this game studio allows you to express your opinions. The workspace presents a collaborative team of nice people to work with, and through technology, employees learn from each other. There are also strong company values from Blizzard management.
The Blizzard offices typically have a relaxed environment with a focus on innovations. Upper management wants to focus on professional development for everyone in the gaming industry and is taking action for all Blizzard employees. Overall, the Blizzard work environment is positive and collaborative.
Blizzard Careers: Job
Requirements, Salaries, and Descriptions
Blizzard Entertainment is always on the lookout for talented people in video game development. The company posts different openings on its career page. Some of the common positions you may find include DevOps engineers, software engineers, and mobile engineers. Read below to see more example careers at Blizzard.
Lead Software Engineer
Salary: $120,249
Level: Senior
Location: Irvine, CA
Minimum Experience Required: 7 years of experience in software development
Education Required: Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science
In this job, you will lead a team of engineers to develop features and systems for Blizzard’s game and coordinate across fields with other engineers, artists, and designers. Some of the responsibilities include working with product and design to implement features end-to-end and championing Blizzard’s core values, notably Gameplay First.
Senior Project Manager, Cyber Security
Salary: $115,601
Level: Senior
Location: Irvine, CA
Minimum Experience Required: 5 years of experience as an IT engineer or technical project lead
Education Required: Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science or related field
As a senior project manager, you will be providing overall leadership guidance to your teams. Your duties will draw from expertise in IT engineering, enterprise IT security, application development, and IT operations. You will work closely with different teams to develop and implement cyber security programs and projects.
Senior UX Designer - Diablo Immortal
Salary: $104,491
Level: Senior
Location: Irvine, CA
Minimum Experience Required: 5 years of relevant professional experience in gaming or interactive design
Education Required: Not stated
As a UX designer, you will work closely with Blizzard Entertainment designers, engineers, and artists to conceptualize, design, and iterate all the gameplay features and systems. In addition, you will help create a positive experience for players by contributing to the new chapter of Diablo Immortal.
Senior Software Development Engineer in Test, Service Tech
Salary: $103,273
Level: Senior
Location: Austin, TX
Minimum Experience Required: 5 years of experience as a software engineer, quality assurance engineer, or similar occupation, 4 years of experience in software engineering
Education Required: Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science
As part of the quality assurance team, you will play development and testing roles. You will be responsible for developing frameworks, automation, and processes to test Blizzard’s games. Some of your duties will include writing test plans, setting quality goals, and analyzing test data to find solutions and improve software quality.
Staff Data Engineer - Activision Blizzard Media
Salary: $92,650
Level: Senior
Location: New York, NY
Minimum Experience Required: 7 years of practical experience designing and developing software, 2 years working with a relational database like My SQL, 2 years working with NoSQL
Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science
As a staff data engineer, you will be working with people from different business units. You will have to translate business needs into technical requirements and implementation. Some of the duties you will perform include collaborating with different teams to develop scalable data services and working with the product team to enhance the gaming experience.
Lead Unity Mobile Engineer, Mobile Services
Salary: $92,511
Level: Senior
Location: Austin, TX
Minimum Experience Required: 5 years of experience in Unity development, 2 years of experience managing and leading a team, 2 years of experience developing mobile games
Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science
In this job, you will be working with the Austin-based mobile services team to grow and develop Blizzard’s mobile platform. You will also help create mobile features such as app messaging, telemetry, push notifications, and player attribution. Blizzard expects you to collaborate with product management to build new strategies.
Software Engineer, GamePlay
Salary: $87,797
Level: Senior
Location: Irvine, CA
Minimum Experience Required: 5 years of professional experience in software development
Education Required: Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science
Your primary role in this job will be to help develop new features and systems for Blizzard’s games. You will also coordinate across disciplines with artists, designers, and other engineers. Some of your duties will include implementing client-side UI and customizing game features and systems for scalability, flexibility, and easy use.
Senior Animator - Overwatch 2
Salary: $87,178
Level: Senior
Location: Irvine, CA
Minimum Experience Required: 4 years of experience in game developing and animating characters with Maya or a similar 3D program
Education Required: Not stated
As an animator, you will be working closely with game designers to create an immersive and exciting game experience. You will develop animations and assets for video games, such as prototypes for draft visualizations. As part of the animation team, you work closely with designers and engineers to ensure game assets meet technical and gameplay needs.
Associate Operations Engineer
Salary: $76,273
Level: Mid-level
Location: Irvine, CA
Minimum Experience Required: Not specified
Education Required: Not specified
Your role as an associate operations engineer will entail combining networks and systems with software engineering to enact monitoring and service response in worldwide operations. You will be part of other engineers focusing on rapid detection, mitigation of issues impacting players, and progressive enhancement of service operations.
Test Analyst, World of Warcraft
Salary: $64,409
Level: Senior
Location: Irvine, CA
Minimum Experience Required: 3 years of experience in software testing
Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related field, ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL).
Working as a test analyst, you will be responsible for designing and executing automatic and manual tests of World of Warcraft. The role also demands you develop test plans using specific test methodologies such as data validation and performance/load testing. If you like playing video games, this job is a great choice for you.
How to Get
a Job at Blizzard
Getting a job at Blizzard requires specific qualifications and experience, and you should make sure you read the job description thoroughly. The hiring process may entail a one-on-one interview, so you should familiarize yourself with common interview questions. Below are some details that may help you secure a job at Blizzard.
Is It Hard to Get a Job at Blizzard?
Yes, depending on the position, it’s hard to get a job at Blizzard. Blizzard Entertainment looks for top talent, and you can expect high competition from other applicants. Blizzard has a challenging application process, and it can be difficult to stand. If you put your best foot forward, ace the interview, and write a strong cover letter, you can get a job at Blizzard.
How to Apply for a Job at Blizzard
Blizzard Hiring Process
To start with, go to Blizzard’s careers page and search job titles or visit other sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor. Once you identify your dream job, you can start preparing all the necessary documents to apply. Whether you’re applying for a mobile game development or concept artist job, you should prepare as much as possible.
Ensure your resume is up-to-date and include any helpful information that will influence your chances of securing the position. Indicate your accomplishments, projects, and any additional skills. When everything is ready, send your documents to complete your online application through their application portal.
1
Online Application
Every hiring process begins with an application that HR takes into consideration before contacting you. If the recruiters find your resume and cover letter you sent through the Blizzard application platform impressive, they call you for the first interview.
2
Phone Interview
It can take a week or so before you get a phone interview. At this point, the recruiter will do a quick screening call that may take a few minutes to an hour. During the interview, they may ask you common software development interview questions. This step will help them determine whether you are eligible for an in-person interview.
3
In-Person Interview
When you pass the screening interview, you will receive a call for a panel interview. This step demands adequate preparation, and while it may take weeks before receiving a call, it can be demanding. The interviewers are potentially from the team you will work with. As a result, you have to demonstrate that you’re the best person for the position.
4
Design Test
If you apply for a game design job or a similar position, the panel will ask you to complete a test. You will need to showcase your analytical skills and talent to influence their decision. This step is mostly for people who are applying for a 3D artist job and need to demonstrate their current skills.
5
Onboarding
If the panel finds you suitable for the position, the HR department will contact you to discuss the offer. If you don’t like the salary or benefits, you can negotiate at this point. The HR department will also discuss with you the responsibilities of your position. You will then decide to take the job offer or not.
What Should I Study to Get a Job at Blizzard?
For most jobs at Blizzard, you should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. However, this depends on the job you’re applying for as well as your previous experience. In most Blizzard jobs, the focus is usually on the applicant’s experience rather than a college education. Programming skills, creativity, and hands-on experience are vital.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Get Me a Job at Blizzard?
Yes, with one of the best coding bootcamps, you’ll acquire technical skills in different disciplines such as cyber security and software engineering. You also develop advanced skills that match the current job opportunities in Blizzard. If you want to get a job at Blizzard, a coding bootcamp is the best place to start.
How to Get a Job at Blizzard FAQ
Is Blizzard a good company to work for?
Yes, Blizzard is a great place to work. It has a high rating on Glassdoor, and employees say they enjoy the positive environment and innovative projects.
What programming languages does Blizzard use?
The typical programming languages you will find at Blizzard include Python, JavaScript, and C++.
What is Blizzard Entertainment or Blizzard Activision Media known for?
Blizzard owes its popularity to video games such as World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and StarCraft.
Does Blizzard pay well?
Yes, Blizzard pays well. According to PayScale, the average salary at Blizzard Entertainment is $97,000.
