Senior Multiplayer Engineer, Apple Arcade

Job description

**Weekly Hours:** 40
**Role Number:** 200613302-0836

**Summary**
Apple Arcade is redefining the future of games by offering players of all ages a growing collection of award-winning titles with no ads, no in-app purchases, and a commitment to quality, creativity, and fun.

At the heart of this vision is Sneaky Sasquatch, one of Arcade’s most beloved originals.
To help define the future for this celebrated game, Apple is building a team to expand the creative boundaries of Sneaky Sasquatch, to imagine and build entirely new adventures, while introducing the magic of shared, connected gameplay.
This is an opportunity to join a focused, creatively-driven team to develop new content and features that will deliver magical experiences to millions of players.

You will work directly alongside the original creators, shaping the future of a renowned IP and helping to establish a culture of creative and technical excellence from the ground up.

**Description**
As the Senior Multiplayer Engineer, you will be the creative and technical force responsible for bringing Sneaky Sasquatch's beloved gameplay into a connected, online world.

You will:
- Partner directly with the original creators to design and implement new multiplayer gameplay mechanics that feel magical, intuitive, and native to the world of Sneaky Sasquatch.
- Architect and own the foundational multiplayer technologies that will power the entire connected experience for Sneaky Sasquatch.
- Lead all aspects of the end-to-end development of our online ecosystem, from core replication and session management to backend infrastructure on AWS.
- Build the systems that connect players, including co-op gameplay, shared social spaces, and new multiplayer game modes.
- Establish the technical foundation for online security, live operations, and scalable performance across the entire Apple ecosystem.
- Serve as the team's domain expert and technical leader for all things multiplayer and backend.
Communicate clearly and effectively across teams to ensure alignment and momentum.
- Be a part of a uniquely small and focused internal team at Apple, where general programming skills are deeply valued with a focus on creative gameplay implementation.
- Work alongside the creators of Sneaky Sasquatch to define what it means for Apple to make games.

This role offers the chance to create playful, emotionally resonant, and connected experiences for millions of players around the world.

**Minimum Qualifications**

+ 10+ years of proven experience shipping and supporting high-performance commercial multiplayer games at scale, with deep architectural expertise and hands-on leadership in network system design.

Must demonstrate mastery of networking trade-offs including client-server vs.

peer-to-peer models, authoritative server architecture, lag compensation, and real-time synchronization challenges.

**Preferred Qualifications**

+ Experience with scalable backend architecture and database design for persistent player state and live services.
+ A strong sense of game design and user experience, with a passion for making complex technology feel effortless and fun.
+ Excellent communication skills and the ability to thrive in a highly collaborative, small-team environment.
+ Proven ability to work autonomously and lead the development of large-scale systems from concept to launch.
+ Experience supporting live multiplayer games at scale, including launch-readiness, concurrency management, and online operations.
+ Expertise in AWS (Lambda, EC2, ECS, DynamoDB, and related technologies).
+ Experience with matchmaking, online persistence, and secure cloud data handling.
+ Experience developing large-scale multiplayer games or MMO-like systems, including backend architecture to support dynamic content, player progression, and persistent online worlds.
+ A genuine love for Sneaky Sasquatch and a passion for creating heartfelt, player-centered experiences.

**Pay & Benefits**
At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range.

This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role.

The base pay range for this role is between $212,000 and $318,400, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs.

Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition.

Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation.

Learn more about Apple Benefits.

(https://www.apple.com/careers/us/benefits.html)

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity.

We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.

Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) .

Required Skill Profession

Other General