Blizzard Entertainment · 1 day ago
Lead Software Engineer, Online - Diablo | Irvine, CA or Albany, NY
Irvine, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/Staff
$146K/yr - $270K/yr
10+ years expBlizzard Entertainment is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences, known for iconic video game universes. They are seeking a Lead Software Engineer, Online to define and evolve the online architecture for Diablo games, focusing on creating resilient and scalable systems that enhance player experiences.
SoftwareGamingMMO GamesVideo Games
Responsibilities
Help shape and drive the online technical strategy, defining architectures and services that support scalable, resilient, and secure connected gameplay
Provide technical direction, mentorship, and code‑level guidance to a team of engineers that elevate engineering quality and craft
Build and maintain backend systems that deliver reliable, performant online features, from foundational services to gameplay‑driven networked interactions
Partner closely with design, client engineering, and cross-team leadership to bring social, multiplayer, and service‑driven features from concept to shipped implementation
Collaborate with central technology and platform teams to integrate shared services, align requirements, and deliver cohesive online experiences across Blizzard ecosystems
Work with production and project leadership to prioritize work, understand dependencies, and ensure smooth execution across teams
Champion engineering excellence, promoting sound architecture, maintainability, testing practices, and efficient workflows that scale with the project
Qualification
Required
10+ years of professional experience developing online or systems-level features, ideally including work on a shipped game or large‑scale interactive product
Deep expertise in C++ and strong software engineering fundamentals, with the ability to drive architectural decisions and uphold code quality across a team
Hands‑on experience with distributed systems or client/server architectures, and an understanding of how to build scalable, resilient online services
Familiarity with backend and data technologies such as Redis, Cassandra, Pulsar, or comparable platforms used in large online ecosystems
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work closely with cross‑disciplinary partners and guide technical discussions
A track record of thriving in dynamic, iterative development environments, balancing long‑term technical vision with day‑to‑day delivery
Preferred
Experience shipping and supporting a live, globally‑scaled online game or service
Expertise with Windows and Linux server environments, including performance profiling and operational considerations
Hands‑on experience with cloud, containerization, or virtualization technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, or equivalent platforms
Strong networking fundamentals, including practical experience with TCP, UDP, and higher‑level protocols used in real‑time multiplayer systems
Familiarity with large‑scale backend and data technologies (e.g., SQL, Cassandra, Pulsar) and how they apply to modern game services
Understanding security best practices for online systems, including encryption, threat mitigation, and denial‑of‑service considerations
Benefits
Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance
401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching
Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave
Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others
If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance
Company
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment develops and publishes gaming software and computer games such as World of Warcraft, Hearthstone and StarCraft.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Blizzard Entertainment has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (60)
2024 (58)
2023 (46)
2022 (51)
2021 (38)
2020 (41)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Walter Kong
SVP, Head of Development, Live Games/Mobile
Jamie Ortiz
Associate Production Manager, Creative Development
Recent News
2026-02-12
2026-02-12
Company data provided by crunchbase