Narrative Lead – External Development

Scopely is looking for a Narrative Lead to join our Slate Development Group in the US on a hybrid or remote basis!! (Hybrid in Culver City)

At Scopely, we care deeply about what we do and want to inspire play, every day - whether in our work environments alongside our talented colleagues, or through our deep connections with our communities of players. We are a global team of game lovers who are developing, publishing and innovating the mobile games industry, connecting millions of people around the world daily. 

Slate Development Group owns Scopely’s editorial and content strategy, including the company’s greenlighting, Game Development Framework (GDF), studio strategy (organic and inorganic) and slate-wide budget and investment strategy.

The Narrative Lead will be responsible for expanding and deepening a beloved fantasy setting in a way that is internally consistent, lore-faithful, and compelling to our players. They will work with the team to integrate the story seamlessly with a variety of in-depth game systems. They will lead all narrative efforts on this game, first as an individual contributor and then as the head of the writing team. This role requires a grounded, experienced, and creative individual who can honour established canon while introducing fresh perspectives, leading with generosity, and always putting our players first. In addition, they will oversee and guide all narrative reviews with the IP partner, ensuring alignment with franchise vision while advocating for the best possible player experience.

The Narrative Lead will report to the project Creative Director and oversee the following areas:

• Worldbuilding - backstory, setting, societies, characters
• Character dialogue and voice
• Cutscene scripts
• Story arcs, quests, and branching narrative structures
• Other in-game text 
• Additional narrative content outside the game

What You Will Do: 

• Expand and evolve existing lore by developing detailed worldbuilding documentation, characters, and major story arcs within the established IP; oversee the ongoing maintenance and accuracy of all narrative materials.
• Collaborate with the Creative Director, Art Director, and other game team leadership to ensure that narrative is a seamless part of the overall game experience. 
• Lead a team in developing engaging and dynamic story arcs, quests, scripts, dialogue, and other narrative content, including naming and flavor text.
• Drive narrative reviews and milestone check-ins throughout game development lifecycles, aligning narrative progress with broader project goals and partner expectations.
• Guide and oversee narrative reviews with the IP partner, managing approvals and ensuring creative consistency across all content.
• Ensure all narrative content meets the highest quality bar, is lore-faithful, and is delivered on schedule in partnership with production.

What We’re Looking For:

• 8+ years of relevant experience in writing for games, with 3+ years of experience in leading a lean, focused narrative team. 
• Proven narrative expertise in mobile multiplayer games (MMORPG/ARPG preferred).
• Collaborative, people-first leadership style with strong mentorship skills.
• Mastery of narrative design, game design principles, and best practices.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and cross-disciplinary communication skills.
• Positive, enthusiastic, and committed to delivering the highest quality narrative experiences in games
• Detail-oriented, creative, and enthusiastic, with a sharp artistic eye and strong craft discipline.
• Desire to create an incredibly cool game that millions of people will love. 
• Mandarin language proficiency is a strong plus, particularly for cross-cultural collaboration and narrative development.

At Scopely, we create games for everyone - and want to ensure that the people behind our games reflect that!   We are committed to creating a diverse, supportive work environment where everyone is treated with respect. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities and welcome individuals from all backgrounds to join us & embrace the adventure!