Systems Designer, New Player Experience (Apex Legends)

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.

Job Title: Systems Designer, New Player Experience (Apex Legends)

Location: Los Angeles CA, Vancouver BC, Madison WI

Work Model: Hybrid

Respawn Entertainment

Founded in 2010, Respawn was created with the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they’ll make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected. Respawn Entertainment is the Academy Award-winning studio behind Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Star Wars™ Jedi titles. Join us to help shape the future of one of the world’s leading live service franchises.

Respawn Entertainment is seeking an experienced Systems Designer to define and evolve the first-time user experience (FTUE) for Apex Legends. In this role, you will shape how new players enter, learn, and fall in love with the Apex Games — crafting onboarding flows, tutorials, pacing, and early progression systems that set up players for long-term engagement and success. You will report to the Senior Systems Director and collaborate with cross-disciplinary partners to ensure a world-class introduction for new players within our live service ecosystem.

As a Systems Designer focusing on the First Time User Experience (FTUE), you will lead the conception, design, tuning, and iteration of onboarding and early journey systems that welcome players into Apex Legends. You will partner with product, UX, UI, analytics, and live operations teams to craft learning moments that feel intuitive, rewarding, and aligned with the game’s competitive expression. You will balance education with excitement to help players quickly feel confident and connected to the Apex Games experience.

Responsibilities 

• Own the design and iteration of onboarding and first-time user experience systems, guiding players from first session to core engagement

• Help define and evolve post-FTUE player development systems that support the journey from onboarding to competitive mastery

• Design systems that introduce and educate players on new features, modes, and content as they come online

• Partner with cross-functional teams to build intuitive, scalable flows that teach, motivate, and retain new players

• Use player data, research, and live insights to identify friction points and continuously improve the early player journey

• Communicate design goals and advocate for accessible, player-first experiences that set up long-term success

Qualifications 

• 3+ years of systems design experience on live service games with significant work on onboarding, tutorials, or core progression flows

• Deep understanding of player psychology, motivation, learning curves, and how to design onboarding that scales across diverse player types

• Demonstrated ability to leverage analytics and playtesting data to refine and tune complex systems

• Experience working closely with UX/UI disciplines to deliver polished experiences

• Strong documentation, communication, and collaboration skills

• Passion for Apex Legends and live service games with a keen sense of how onboarding shapes retention

• Experience designing onboarding or FTUE for competitive multiplayer or battle-royale games

• Familiarity with live service engagement loops and retention mechanics

• Experience running live A/B tests and iterating based on player data

• Experience with scripting, data tools, or technical implementation to support prototyping and iteration of onboarding systems

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) *$92,900 - $129,200 CAD * California (depending on location e.g. Los Angeles vs. San Francisco) *$104,400 - $157,400 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.