Senior Creative Director, New Games at Activision-Blizzard

Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden

Activision-Blizzard Logo
Not SpecifiedCompensation
Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
Gaming, Mobile GamesIndustries

Requirements

  • 10+ years of experience in game design and creative leadership, with at least 5 in a senior or director-level role
  • Proven record of defining and shipping successful free-to-play mobile games, ideally in the casual or puzzle space
  • Deep understanding of game systems, player motivation, economy design, and engagement loops
  • Strong creative sensibility combined with data fluency and player empathy
  • Excellent communication and storytelling skills — able to inspire teams and stakeholders alike
  • Experience building and mentoring creative teams across multiple crafts
  • Passion for games (inferred from context)

Responsibilities

  • Define and champion the overall creative vision and design philosophy for the new Candy Crush game
  • Create a clear, inspiring north star that guides all gameplay, content, and visual design decisions
  • Balance innovation with approachability, ensuring the game feels fresh yet familiar to the Candy Crush audience
  • Shape the game’s tone, style, and emotional engagement — from visual language to player journey and rewards
  • Lead the game design discipline across core loop, mechanics, progression, and meta systems
  • Collaborate with UX, Art, and Tech to ensure cohesive and delightful player experiences
  • Drive design decisions through prototyping, testing, and iteration, with a clear understanding of what makes games fun and sticky
  • Partner with analytics and insights to validate design hypotheses, connecting creativity with measurable impact
  • Ensure that player joy and engagement sit at the heart of every decision
  • Establish creative success criteria — emotional engagement, flow, clarity, and satisfaction — and track progress through player testing
  • Lead the definition of creative KPIs alongside the GM and Data teams (e.g., retention, satisfaction, NPS)
  • Review and guide all major creative milestones (concepts, prototypes, soft launch builds)
  • Serve as a core member of the leadership team, collaborating with Tech, Product, and Art leads to align creative direction with technical feasibility and business goals
  • Build, mentor, and inspire a team of Game Designers, UX Designers, and Narrative Designers
  • Foster a creative, inclusive, and high-trust environment where ideas are tested, shared, and refined collaboratively
  • Present creative direction and progress to executives and stakeholders, articulating both player and business impact
  • Drive innovation in puzzle mechanics, meta progression, and player engagement systems to push the genre forward
  • Champion experimentation and creative risk-taking, grounded in player insight and data
  • Contribute to King’s creative craft community, sharing learnings and elevating design excellence across studios
  • Deliver a compelling, aligned creative vision for the new Candy Crush game
  • Deliver high-quality gameplay and design experiences that achieve key KPIs
  • Ensure creative coherence across all aspects of the product (gameplay, UI/UX, art, tone)
  • Build and maintain a high-performing design team with clear ownership and accountability
  • Achieve successful creative validation through internal and external playtests prior to soft launch

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Game DesignCreative DirectionGameplay MechanicsPrototypingPlayer TestingUX DesignVisual DesignProgression SystemsMeta SystemsAnalyticsKPIsRetentionNPS

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

Is this position remote or does it require office work?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What salary or compensation is offered for this Senior Creative Director role?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What key skills and experience are required for this role?

The role requires visionary creative leadership, strong game design expertise in core loops, mechanics, progression, and meta systems, and the ability to collaborate with UX, Art, Tech, analytics, and leadership teams while driving innovation through prototyping, testing, and data.

What is the company culture like for this team at King?

The culture emphasizes a creative, inclusive, and high-trust environment where ideas are tested, shared, and refined collaboratively, with a focus on fostering joyful, meaningful play and championing experimentation grounded in player insights.

What makes a strong candidate for this Senior Creative Director position?

Strong candidates will have experience defining creative visions for games, leading design teams, balancing innovation with audience familiarity, and connecting creative decisions to business success through data and player testing.

Activision-Blizzard

Develops and publishes interactive video games

About Activision-Blizzard

Activision Blizzard develops and publishes video games, creating popular franchises like World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and Candy Crush. Their games are available on various platforms and cater to a wide range of players, from casual mobile users to serious console and PC gamers. The company generates revenue through game sales, in-game purchases, subscriptions for games like World of Warcraft, and advertising through Activision Blizzard Media. They also profit from merchandise and esports events. What sets Activision Blizzard apart from competitors is its focus on high-quality gaming experiences that promote community and social interaction among players. The company's goal is to provide engaging and immersive entertainment that connects gamers worldwide.

Santa Monica, CaliforniaHeadquarters
1979Year Founded
$975MTotal Funding
IPOCompany Stage
Entertainment, GamingIndustries
1,001-5,000Employees

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Parental Leave
Mental Health Support
Wellness Program
Relocation Assistance

Risks

Employee morale issues due to layoffs could affect productivity and innovation.
Backlash from the Microsoft acquisition may impact game development and community trust.
Loss of key talent to competitors could weaken strategic capabilities.

Differentiation

Activision Blizzard boasts iconic franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.
The company excels in cross-platform play, enhancing player engagement and retention.
Activision Blizzard's esports division capitalizes on growing viewership and sponsorships.

Upsides

Microsoft's acquisition could provide resources for innovation and expansion.
Cloud gaming services offer a broader audience without high-end hardware needs.
Augmented reality gaming experiences present new opportunities for franchise expansion.

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