Website Blizzard
We are excited for versatile and innovative students to join our team for the summer of 2024 as part of our Activision Blizzard King SPARX Sophomore Internship Program!
SPARX is an ABK placement-based Internship opportunity dedicated to students early in their education. In addition to their internship, SPARX Interns participate in an accelerated program of learning and professional development sessions to gain exposure to multiple business operating areas in the gaming industry. This program is designed to aid students in sparking career interests and setting them up for future success in the gaming industry.
Player Profile
Must currently be in the second year of an undergraduate degree program; with an anticipated graduation date between Dec 2025 – August 2026.
Flexibility and ability to changing organizational needs
Passion towards learning how to be a successful professional employee in the video game industry.
Exhibits learning agility; has the ability to think differently, and/or grasp and apply new skills and concepts
Approaches problems in a clear, well-organized, and solutions-oriented manner
Works well with others and contributes to team tasks
Able to effectively communicate problems, solutions, needs, or priorities
Is engaged, seeks to learn, and is able to manage time effectively
Candidates must apply with a resume that includes contact information, intended major, and expected graduation date. Please also include a list of current, relevant courses within the body of your resume.
Finalists will be selected based on eligibility and proven interest in the gaming industry.
Your Internship Opportunities:
All internships will be conducted in-person. Hosting managers will determine when and how often interns work in the office Monday-Friday (relocation services and living stipend provided to all interns).
Potential internship location(s): Los Angeles, CA; Irvine, CA; Albany, NY; Boston, MA; & Austin, TX
These are the potential areas of opportunity students may be placed in based on skills and team availability.
Art/Animation: Use your artistic talent to see how visuals are created in video games. From concept art to gameplay animation, you will help bring characters, environments, and objects to life in a game’s environment. We have opportunities in Cinematic Animation, Gameplay Animation, Character Art, and Environment Art.
Demonstrate strong key-frame animation skills.
Knowledge of and ability to learn 3D software packages like Maya or Max.
Skilled digital sculptor in Zbrush or equivalent.
Strong understanding of anatomy.
Willingness to participate in the critique process and complete feedback.
Portfolio samples that reflect an understanding of the visual style of Activision Blizzard games:
World of Warcraft (MMORPG): Fantasy, stylized, hand-painted, colorful
Overwatch (First-Person Shooter): Stylized realism, strong shape reads, bold color
Diablo (Action RPG): Dark fantasy grounded in realism, gothic
Call of Duty (First-Person Shooter): Hyper realistic
VFX: Work with 3D packages and in-game FX systems to create a wide range of VFX (fire, smoke, magic, electricity, explosions, etc.) to communicate gameplay.
Experience with crafting eye-catching, real-time effects using Photoshop, Maya, and in-game FX systems.
Experience with FumeFX, Houdini, Thinking Particles, Maya fluids, and rigid body dynamics are a plus.
Portfolio samples that reflect an understanding of the visual style of Activision Blizzard games:
World of Warcraft (MMORPG): Fantasy, stylized, hand-painted, colorful
Overwatch (First-Person Shooter): Stylized realism, strong shape reads, bold color
Diablo (Action RPG): Dark fantasy grounded in realism, gothic
Call of Duty (First-Person Shooter): Hyper realistic Software Engineering: Challenge your coding by learning the ins and outs of how the game code works. We have opportunities in front-end development, back-end development, and UX/UI.
For front-end, an understanding of (CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Etc.) languages. For back-end, an understanding of C++ and Java.
Experience with engineering tools and methods (GitHub, unit testing, continuous integration, etc.).
Experience with SQL/NoSQL.
An interest in desktop and/or mobile applications.
Cyber Security: Learn what it takes to protect our games. We have opportunities in Games and Global Information Security.
Solid understanding of scripting languages such as Python, PHP and Javascript.
Knowledge of application security, cryptography and related domains.
Experience cheating and reverse engineering cheats for games.
Must be actively involved with capture the flag and/or other security competitions. Please have these competitions outlined on your resume.
Basic security, networking, and operating system (Windows, Linux, Solaris, OS X) knowledge.
Basic IT troubleshooting.
Analytics: Contribute to the goal of understanding and improving consumer/player experiences. We have opportunities in Machine Learning, Data Science, and Data Analytics.
Understanding of data structures, data modeling and software architecture.
Knowledge of math, probability, statistics and algorithms.
Ability to write code in Python.
Experience in querying with SQL.
Excited about quantitative methods – finding the truth and narrative in the data.
Game Design: Come do the combination of creativity and technicality by designing the atmosphere, story, and aesthetics of the video game; or the technical side of game mechanics, balancing, and a little bit of programming and math. We have opportunities in World/Level, AI, Core Gameplay, Systems, UX, Audio, and Narrative Design.
Familiarity with Activision Blizzard games.
Knowledge of game engines (Unreal and/or Unity).
Programming/scripting experience in C/C++, Lua, or other languages is a plus.
Product/Project Management: Support our games in real time with your problem solving. We have opportunities in production, project management and product management.
Experience with project management showcased through school projects.
Basic knowledge of planning and tracking tools such as Smartsheets, Project, JIRA, Confluence or Excel.
Familiar with Waterfall and Agile project management methodologies, specifically Scrum.
Skills for breaking down complex problems into manageable tasks.
We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all the qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! At Activision Blizzard, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.