Unreal UI Developer
About the Project
The Freeblades is a Multiplayer Co-op Dungeon-Adventure RPG set in a gritty, low-fantasy medieval world. Following a great war, an uneasy truce holds, but the lands are plagued by bandits, magical cults, and tribal monsters. Players join the notorious Free Blades Company—a powerful mercenary guild modeled after the historical East India Trading Company —taking on dangerous contracts to bring order to a fractured land, for the right price.
With a dark, realistic tone inspired by Game of Thrones , souls-like combat reminiscent of Elden Ring , and the mercenary fantasy of The Witcher 3. This is a passion project that has been in development for over 8 years. We are now looking for a key team member to help us push towards our alpha release.
About the Role
Your mission is to architect and implement the technical foundation of our game's user interface using Unreal Engine’s CommonUI plugin. We are not looking for an artist; we are looking for a technical implementor who understands the complexities of cross-platform input routing and widget management. Your primary focus will be migrating our current functional UMG setup into a robust CommonUI structure. You will be responsible for the logic that ensures the game feels native on a controller, handling complex focus navigation, input stacks, and "Activatable" widget trees. You will take visual assets provided by designers and wire them into a performant, bug-free system that handles both mouse/keyboard and gamepad inputs seamlessly.
Architect and implement the UI navigation system using the CommonUI plugin to ensure flawless controller support (focus management, input routing, and button prompts).
Refactor and migrate existing vanilla UMG widgets into a modular CommonUI hierarchy (Activatable Widgets, Stacks, Tiles).
Implement complex interaction logic, ensuring the UI state communicates correctly with gameplay systems (inventory management, lobby screens, HUD updates).
Optimize UI performance, minimizing draw calls and ensuring efficient event handling in a multiplayer environment.
Collaborate with the design team to integrate art assets into your technical framework, ensuring the implementation matches the visual mockups pixel-perfectly without breaking functionality.
Who We're Looking For: Core Requirements
We're looking for an autonomous and technical developer who loves the logic behind a great user interface.
3+ years of professional experience in Unreal Engine development.
Deep expertise in Unreal Engine’s CommonUI Plugin. You must understand the "Input Action" routing, "Activatable Widget" lifecycle, and how to manage the "Input Stack" effectively.
Strong proficiency in UMG and Blueprints. You know the difference between a Canvas Panel and an Overlay, and you know how to bind data efficiently (event-driven vs. tick).
Experience with Cross-Platform Input. You understand the challenges of making a UI work for both Mouse/Keyboard and Gamepad simultaneously.
Solid understanding of Source Control (Git/Perforce) and working in a shared codebase.
Nice-to-Haves
C++ knowledge. Experience deriving native C++ classes for UMG widgets to handle complex logic outside of Blueprints is a massive plus.
Experience with MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel). Knowledge of the Viewmodel plugin in Unreal to separate logic from the view.
Multiplayer UI experience. Understanding how to replicate UI-relevant data (replicated variables, owning client logic).
Technical Art skills. Ability to write efficient UI materials or shaders to add polish to the implementation.
The Offer: Why Join Us?
This is a unique opportunity to make a huge impact on a passion-driven project.
Flexibility: We offer fully flexible working hours and a 100% remote setup. We trust you to deliver great work, not to watch a clock.
Creative Ownership: As a core member of a small team, your ideas will be heard and your work will directly shape the final game.
A Great Environment: Join a small, friendly, and supportive team that is focused on building a fantastic game without the pressures of corporate development.
Technical Challenge: You'll get to sink your teeth into a complex and technically challenging project, working with many different parts of the engine.
A Note On Our Indie Culture
We believe in transparency. This is a true indie project, which comes with a unique set of opportunities and challenges. The project is led by a developer who also has a separate full-time job, meaning check-ins can sometimes be irregular. This role is perfect for a self-directed individual who values autonomy. While the compensation is competitive for an indie studio, it may not match AAA salaries. We are looking for someone who is motivated by a passion for the project and the opportunity to build something special.
Logistics & Compensation
Role: Full-Time Contract
Duration: Initial 3-6 month contract, with a strong possibility for extension.
Compensation: We offer a flexible and competitive compensation structure based on the candidate's experience and skill level. To ensure we respect your time, we ask that you please state your expected compensation rate in the application form.
How to Apply
Please submit an expression of interest via the application form to the right here.
Primary candidate evaluation will be based on the quality of your most-impressive example in your portfolio. Please ensure this is shared in an easily-accessible format!