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Microsoft UK • Atherstone, United Kingdom

Internship Opportunities: Gameplay Engineer

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top 3 scores:
83%

Location flexibility

81%

Hours flexibility

79%

Autonomy

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Job Description

Rare is an Xbox Game Studio creating the kind of games the world doesn’t have. Our values – explorers, evolving, together – are fundamental to the games we make and how we make them. Rare offers rewarding and fulfilling careers for exceptional people, supporting you to learn and grow. Our studio is a welcoming campus in the heart of the Midlands, where the majority of our team work in a flexible hybrid work pattern.

Could you be our next Gameplay Engineering Intern? We’re looking for applicants with a growth mindset and who aren’t afraid to get involved in areas they know little about first-hand. As an intern in our gameplay department, you can expect to have a diverse experience working between many different areas of game development.

It all begins with your onboarding, where you'll join an established team working alongside industry experts. Throughout the placement your learning and development won't stop, and you will receive on-the-job coaching, mentoring and personal development from colleagues. As a valued part of the team, we'll expect you to give your insights and opinions and make a real contribution to our business!

Responsibilities

Gameplay Engineers can expect to work on many aspects of game creation, whether it's networked gameplay, artificial intelligence, or user interfaces. Flexibility and the desire to give things a try is crucial. You may work in prototyping environments or on games that are already in production. Player feedback is closely tied to gameplay engineering, and you’ll get to see players directly interacting with the features you’ll develop!

Past interns in the Gameplay Team at Rare have:

  • Added new AI abilities and behaviours.
  • Implemented vital accessibility features for our players.
  • Created new interactable player items.
  • Developed new environmental threats.
  • Supported technical design to deliver new story quests.

What you might get up to:

  • Originate, implement, and iterate on game features in conjunction with other Engineers, Designers, Artists and Testers.
  • Identify and surface risks in the areas that are being worked on.
  • Solve problems through the application of sound engineering practice.
  • Continuously work to minimise technical debt and maintenance hazards.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

  • A good understanding or passion for computer programming and software creation.
  • Some hands-on experience or projects where you've applied your programming skills.
  • Familiarity with one or more of these languages: C, C++, or C#.
  • You must be legally authorised (have citizenship or a valid visa/work permit) to work in the UK for this position. (Legally authorised = Has citizenship or has been granted a valid visa or work permit).
  • Relocation expenses are not provided as part of this role - please be aware that this role will be based at Rare Studio, Twycross, Leicestershire, CV9 3QN and the successful applicant will be required to work on-site to get the best out of their 12-month internship.

Please note, you don't need to have experience in video game development or be studying it specifically. Also, you don't need any formal diplomas or degrees to apply. We value your skills and enthusiasm.

Preferred Qualifications

  • A managed, object-oriented language (e.g., C#, Java).
  • A scripting language (e.g., Python, Perl, Powershell).
  • Automated Testing (e.g., Google Test Framework).
  • Working within a team.
  • Experience with commercial game engines like Unreal Engine, Unity or Godot.
  • Web service development/Cloud deployment.
  • Contribution to an open-source community.
  • Rendering or computer graphics experience (e.g., DirectX/OpenGL/Vulkan).
  • A background in mathematics, physics, or a subject with similar mathematical underpinnings.

How to apply

Please include a copy of your CV with a cover letter and portfolio. We realise that your portfolio may be a work in progress and that’s fine, it’s your potential that will catch our eye. Here are some things you can do to help your portfolio stand out:

  • Include things you are genuinely proud of – this is your chance to show off so please make the content easily accessible.
  • Demonstrates why you want to work for our team at Rare. We’re a creative lot so it doesn’t have to be a letter, it could be a video, comic, or even a game!

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

Company benefits

Wellbeing allowance
Health insurance
Dental coverage
Gym membership
Mental health platform access
Buy or sell annual leave
Shared parental leave
Charity donation scheme
Employee assistance programme
Employee discounts
Volunteer days
Fertility treatment leave
Open to compressed hours
Open to job sharing
Fertility benefits
Enhanced sick pay
Enhanced sick days
Compassionate leave
Travel insurance
20 days annual leave + bank holidays
Enhanced maternity leave
Enhanced paternity leave
Adoption leave
Childcare credits
Carer’s leave
Cycle to work scheme
Faith rooms
Annual bonus
Annual pay rises
Company car
Hackathons
Open to part-time employees
Pregnancy loss leave
Life insurance
Equity packages
Financial coaching
Relocation packages
Sabbaticals
Enhanced pension match/contribution

We asked employees of Microsoft UK what it's like to work there, and this is what they told us.

Location flexibility
83%
Employees are very happy with their working location freedom
Hours flexibility
81%
Employees are very happy with the flexibility in the hours they work
Benefits
67%
Employees are largely happy with the benefits their company offers
Work-life balance
63%
Employees feel that they can switch off quite easily from work
Role modelling
74%
Employees feel that most people work flexibly
Autonomy
79%
Employees feel that they can mostly manage how they get their own work done

Working at Microsoft UK

Company employees

Globally: 228,000

Gender diversity (male:female)

67:33

Currently Hiring Countries

United Kingdom

Office Locations

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