Team Name:

Job Title:

Senior User Researcher, Overwatch | Irvine, CA

Requisition ID:

R026328

Job Description:

The concept of “Blizzard polish,” that is, the infinite care and loving detail put into every aspect of our games, is something we take seriously and pride ourselves on delivering to our players, which is a responsibility shared across the company. Blizzard’s Games User Research team is a close-knit group; we care about sharing knowledge, learning about players’ experiences, actionable findings, and succeeding together. We genuinely love what we do for a living and expect the same from everyone who joins us. If your career is ready for its next great challenge, get in touch and let’s get to work!

Join the ranks of a legendary force of adventurers, demons, orcs, and scientists to help provide the context and humanity of "why" and "how" our players engage with our games.

We are looking for a passionate and experienced Senior User Researcher to oversee and support the user research on Overwatch. You will give a voice to players from around the world by leading the effort of turning hard data into compelling stories, help craft the flow of our games/products, and be in the thick of team efforts to build great player experiences.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position based on site at our Irvine, CA campus, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The Senior User Researcher will report to the Senior Manager overseeing Overwatch research, while also receiving support from Blizzard’s central research group.

Responsibilities

• Lead user research efforts for Overwatch, managing the full research pipeline including study scoping, design, execution, analysis, and reporting.
• Own the research roadmap for Overwatch, aligning long-term research plans with development milestones and production goals.
• Serve as the primary research point of contact for the Overwatch development team, building strong, trust-based relationships with stakeholders across disciplines.
• Deliver timely, actionable insights that shape design and development decisions throughout the product lifecycle.
• Tailor research deliverables to product and business needs, advocating for players at every stage of development.
• Support junior researchers by overseeing study design, reviewing plans and reports, and ensuring overall quality and consistency.
• Manage the intake and triage of research requests from the Overwatch team, aligning efforts with studio priorities and capacity.
• Mentor peers and contribute to the growth and quality of the research discipline at Blizzard.

Requirements

• Graduate degree in psychology, human-computer interaction, human factors, or related field, or comparable working experience.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience conducting user research in video games or interactive media.
• Experience owning research for a shipped game or major product.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and analytical abilities.
• Proven ability to turn research findings into actionable product improvements.
• Adaptable self-starter with a passion for user testing and games.
• Experience with FPS/TPS games or deep familiarity with Overwatch.
• Skilled in designing and running qualitative and quantitative studies.
• Proficient in survey design, statistics, and data visualization.
• Able to select and adapt research methods for complex product needs.
• Experience synthesizing data to inform product direction.

Pluses

• Experience mentoring or coaching other researchers.
• Experience working in a live service game environment.
• Experience conducting research across multiple platforms (console, PC, mobile).
• Familiarity with data tools and scripting languages such as SQL, Python, or R.

Your Platform
Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment.  We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics. 

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!  Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• 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.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company.  You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $92,920.00 - $171,814.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.