Senior Gameplay Programmer

At Rockstar Games, we create world-class entertainment experiences.

Become part of a team working on some of the most rewarding, large-scale creative projects to be found in any entertainment medium - all within an inclusive, highly-motivated environment where you can learn and collaborate with some of the most talented people in the industry.

Rockstar is on the lookout for a talented Senior Gameplay Programmer with a passion for game development. You will be working as part of a small but experienced team, ideally taking responsibility for one or more classic game technology areas and stepping outside your comfort zone to work in other areas as necessary.

Candidates must have extensive knowledge and experience in software development and be comfortable working in large codebases with complicated build processes.

This is a full-time, permanent and in-office position based in Rockstar’s state-of-the-art game development studio in Sydney, Australia.

WHAT WE DO

• The Rockstar Games Gameplay Programming team builds and modifies core gameplay systems and control interfaces using a combination of C++ and game script.
• We follow an iterative process to tune and polish features to establish the correct look and feel for our games.
• We create tools to facilitate the implementation of game features, improve iteration times, and increase productivity of all teams.
• We produce performant, stable and well-documented code which is often complex and intricate, as well as debug, analyse, and optimise, code created by colleagues.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with designers and artists to architect, engineer, and implement gameplay features and systems.
• Identify areas for improvement and extend/modify existing gameplay systems.
• Provide solutions and planning for design changes and feedback.
• Support and mentor less experienced team members.

REQUIREMENTS

• 5+ years of experience developing video games using C++.
• Ability to optimize both your own code and team code to meet performance goals.
• Experience engineering and implementing clean and concise APIs.
• A strong understanding of top-down design, object-oriented programming, design patterns, and game design principles.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to find optimal solutions to a given task.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks in a dynamic, milestone-driven environment.
• Strong math skills, including knowledge of vectors, matrices, and linear algebra.

PLUSES

Please note that these are desirable skills and are not required to apply for the position.

• Prior experience in gameplay-focused roles, specifically focusing on building and refining gameplay systems and features.
• At least one shipped title, preferably on Xbox or PlayStation.
• Knowledge of mobile devices and development processes.
• In-depth knowledge of multithreaded synchronisation primitives.
• Professional game design/scripting experience.
• Online portfolio of code samples.
• Familiarity with scripting languages such as C#, Python, or Lua.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This role will be open for applications from May 21, 2026 with a closing date of June 18, 2026.