Lead AI Designer (Apex Legends)

Description & Requirements
Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Founded in 2010 by the original creators of the Call of Duty Franchise, Respawn was created with the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they'll make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected. From our roots as an indie studio to joining the expansive roster of studios at Electronic Arts, this remains our guiding principle. We truly love what we do and want to share our passion with players worldwide. Our shipped titles include critically acclaimed multi-platform games Apex Legends, Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Star Wars™ Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars™ Jedi: Survivor and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. Join us for the opportunity to create groundbreaking games with some of the best developer talent in the industry.

We are seeking a Lead AI Designer to join our veteran team at Respawn Entertainment. This is an opportunity to define, drive and own the vision for AI systems and behaviors and help craft the future of Apex Legends.

In this role, you will be responsible for shaping how AI enemies, allies, and the world itself react to players — delivering combat experiences that are intelligent, challenging, and immersive. As the bridge between design, animation, and engineering, you’ll lead a small team of AI designers and collaborate closely with AI engineers, using the Source engine to take your ideas from paper to production and work directly in-engine with your team to help implement gameplay experiences and bring your vision to life.

Responsibilities

• Define the creative and technical vision for AI design (enemy, ally, training and NPC behaviors) across all modes of Apex Legends


• Lead the cross-disciplinary AI team to execute that creative vision across all Apex gameplay experiences and modes


• Design and tune AI systems including perception, combat logic, navigation, coordination, and decision-making frameworks.


• Establish reusable AI archetypes, behavior trees, and encounter templates that support a range of combat scenarios.


• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of AI designers; provide clear goals, feedback, and support career development.


• Collaborate cross-discipline with engineering, animation, and level design to ensure AI systems integrate smoothly into the overall player experience.


• Own the quality of AI combat and systemic behaviors, ensuring they meet performance, difficulty, and fun targets.


• Collaborate with partner teams (User Research/Analytics/Playtests) to optimize the AI experience


• Work in a live game environment partnering with production to plan and manage a live service development schedule and release plan.

Requirements

• 7+ years of professional game design experience, with at least 2 shipped AAA titles (preferably shooters or action games).


• Experience leading a team and executing the creative vision


• Live service development experience is an asset but not required


• Deep understanding of combat AI, behavior systems and group coordination in shooter gameplay.


• Proven experience designing AI for FPS or third-person shooters


• Experience with AI scripting tools, visual behavior trees, and debugging environments.


• Strong cross-disciplinary communication skills and a track record of collaborating effectively with engineering and animation teams.


• Passion for emergent gameplay, player agency, and creating AI that feels alive and reactive.


• Quality-first mentality. No ego, just a commitment to get to the best quality experience in-game.

Pay Transparency - North America
Compensation And Benefits
The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

PAY RANGES

• British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria) *$133,500 - $186,400 CAD


• California (depending on location e.g. Los Angeles vs. San Francisco) *$153,700 - $233,600 USD

Pay is just one part of the overall compensation at EA.

In the US, we offer a package of benefits including paid time off (3 weeks per year to start), 80 hours per year of sick time, 16 paid company holidays per year, 10 weeks paid time off to bond with baby, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.

For Canada, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.

About Electronic Arts
We’re proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.