Multiplayer Engineer

Who is PlaySide Studios?

PlaySide Studios is a dynamic and innovative company that employs individuals across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. As Australia's largest publicly listed independent video game developer, PlaySide is committed to delivering cutting-edge interactive experiences across mobile, VR, AR, and PC platforms. With a diverse portfolio of more than 60 titles and collaborations with industry giants like Netflix and Activision Blizzard, working at PlaySide is not just a job but an opportunity to be part of an innovating the gaming industry.

Position Overview:

Passionate about bringing players together through seamless online experiences? We're seeking a talented Multiplayer Engineer to join our game development team In this key role, you'll design and implement the core multiplayer systems that power our game, from networking to synchronization. You'll work closely with diverse teams to build robust, scalable, and responsive features, ensuring a smooth and fair online adventure for every player. If you thrive on technical challenges, deeply understand deterministic multiplayer architectures, and are excited to shape the future of online gaming, we'd love to connect

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Own the creation of robust, scalable, and maintainable multiplayer features and tools, aligning them with project goals and technical requirements.
• Drive the development of deterministic multiplayer game features, ensuring consistent and reliable gameplay across all clients.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve complex determinism bugs and synchronization issues to enhance gameplay stability and fairness.
• Ideally, you'll contribute to building deterministic validation tooling (e.g., checksum validation, replay systems), or at the very least, you'll be highly proficient in utilizing such tools to ensure game consistency.
• Implement and optimize network code for low latency and high reliability, ensuring smooth and responsive player interactions.
• Leverage your knowledge of game server backends to ensure robust server-side logic and player persistence.
• Work closely with gameplay programmers, designers, and QA to integrate multiplayer features seamlessly and ensure they meet design and quality standards.
• Drive best practices for long-term sustainability in multiplayer architecture and code design.
• Provide technical guidance to junior engineers and contribute to key engineering decisions, fostering a collaborative and accountable team culture.
• Continuously learn and apply new knowledge in multiplayer technology to improve our codebase and introduce innovative solutions.

What You Bring to the Table:

• 4+ years of professional development experience specifically in multiplayer game engineering.
• Demonstrable previous experience working on deterministic multiplayer games is a must.
• Solid understanding of engineering principles, including data structures, algorithms, memory management, and network protocols.
• Strong proficiency in programming languages like C++ (highly preferred for performance-critical multiplayer systems), C#, Typescript, or Lua.
• Hands-on experience with game engines such as Unreal or Unity, and version control systems like Git or Perforce.
• Exceptional ability to debug and optimize complex network code, ensuring performance, stability, and minimal latency.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a keen attention to detail and an analytical approach to complex distributed systems.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of clearly discussing technical concepts with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Adaptable, takes ownership of technical areas, and passionate about continuous learning and improvement in multiplayer technologies.

What We Offer Here at PlaySide:

• Playdays - an additional 5 paid days off per year to do something you love.
• Incredible studios based in gorgeous Port Melbourne, right next to the city and many public transport options.
• Industry-leading Parental Leave benefits.
• Relocation Assistance.
• Employee Assistance Program to support mental well-being.
• Mentoring opportunities to help you grow in your role.
• Half-price state-of-the-art Gym access (right next door) - you can wear your free PlaySide swag
• Social events including Games night, karaoke nights, Movie Nights (We hire out the cinema), group activities, and food trucks Just as some examples