Senior User Researcher, Overwatch | Irvine, CA

Team Name

Team Name:

Senior User Researcher, Overwatch | Irvine, CA

R026328

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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and Star Craft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., 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…