Senior / Intermediate Software Engineer (Unreal Engine 5 – Online Platforms & Crossplay)

Blackbird Interactive is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers to help grow their abilities while working on a wide range of projects, which encompass world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres.

In 2022, we announced that our studio is implementing a four-day work week as well as supporting in-studio, remote within Canada, and hybrid work arrangements as permanent options to our employees.

Renowned for our innovative projects and our pioneering four-day work week, we’re now seeking an experienced engineer to lead our online platform and crossplay efforts on a new survival horror title. Join us to build seamless, cross-platform experiences across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 using Epic Online Services (EOS). This role is remote-friendly in Canada (Pacific-time overlap required).

What You’ll Tackle:
• Design, implement, and maintain core online systems in Unreal Engine 5 to support crossplay across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2.
• Integrate platform services via Epic Online Services (EOS) for login, friends, invites, achievements/trophies, and rich presence.
• Implement and maintain crossplay-related systems such as matchmaking, lobbies, parties, and session management tailored to a survival horror experience.
• Work with Unreal’s Online Subsystem (and related plugins/services) to unify platform functionality behind clean, maintainable interfaces.
• Own the implementation of platform-specific requirements for online features, ensuring compliance with TRC/XR/TCR guidelines across all consoles.
• Collaborate with production and QA to prepare online features for certification, including handling platform edge cases, error states, and resilience.
• Work closely with backend and services teams (internal or third-party) to ensure secure, reliable communication between game clients and services.
• Partner with gameplay, design, and UX teams to shape how online and crossplay features support the game’s survival horror experience (e.g., co-op flows, joining friends, shared progression).
• Mentor junior and intermediate engineers on console platform development, online systems, and best practices for robust cross-platform code.
• Lead or participate in code reviews and technical discussions, helping the team converge on high-quality, maintainable solutions.
• Take ownership of the online platform architecture, ensuring it scales reliably across all supported consoles and regions.
• Establish and maintain technical standards for platform integration, error handling, telemetry, and diagnostics in online features.
• Evaluate and introduce tools, SDKs, and workflows that improve developer efficiency and stability for online systems.
• Profile and optimize online-related code, reducing latency, avoiding stalls, and minimizing platform-specific performance pitfalls.
• Diagnose and fix complex, platform-specific issues in areas like matchmaking, session handling, entitlements, and user state synchronization.
• Build robust logging and diagnostics paths to support QA and live-ops in tracking down online issues across multiple platforms.
• Provide accurate task breakdowns and estimates for online and platform-related features, helping align scope with schedule and risk.
• Communicate clearly with production and stakeholders on technical risk, platform constraints, and trade-offs affecting online and crossplay features.

You’ll Thrive Here If You:
• 4+ years of professional game development experience (we’re hiring at both intermediate and senior levels; title/level will match experience).
• Strong experience with Unreal Engine 4 or 5 and modern C++.
• Solid background in online/platform development: integrating console platform services (PSN, Xbox, Nintendo, etc.) and/or cross-platform features.
• Experience shipping at least one console or PC title that includes meaningful online or platform integration (e.g., achievements, matchmaking, invites, crossplay, etc.).
• Comfort working closely with design, production, and QA on features that span gameplay, UX, and platform constraints.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of systems, write clean maintainable code, and support others through reviews and mentorship.

Bonus XP:
• Hands-on experience shipping on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or Nintendo hardware, especially with online or crossplay features.
• Familiarity with Unreal’s Online Subsystem, PlayFab, Epic Online Services, or similar backend/platform solutions.
• Experience working with console certification requirements (TRC/XR/TCR) and resolving online/platform issues during submission.
• Understanding of live-ops, telemetry, and error reporting for online systems.
• Interest in survival horror or cooperative horror titles, and how online features can enhance tension and player experience.