Programming Intern

Your Mission

The Pipeline team at Activision: Central Tech is a small, focused group dedicated to improving our internal iteration times as much as possible. To get the developers into the game with their changes to accurately test and progress.

Internship will be conducted in-person. Hosting manager will determine when and how often intern works in the office.

What you bring to the table

The video game industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners. Therefore, this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Help reduce the time it takes to go from the map editor to in game to as close to zero as possible
• Migrate and optimize code from legacy systems to new architectures
• Identify dependencies and work with manager/peers to determine how best to break/mitigate them
• Update content pipeline systems while maintaining their continuous functionality

Player Profile

Minimum Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a certificate, associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree program and graduating Dec 2026 – June 2028
• Available to participate in a 12-week internship starting mid-September 
• Strong C/C++ skills
• Love of systems optimization
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills
• Ability to adapt in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent analytical, verbal, and written skills
• Candidates must apply with a resume and a link to their code samples/portoflio to be considered
• Applicants must apply with a resume and a link to their code samples to be considered 

Key Attributes

• 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 
• A passion for significantly impacting game development 

Your Platform

Activision Central Tech works to support our development studios and their titles. Comprised of seven main teams, we have many specialties including big data, privacy and security, motion capture and animation pipeline technologies, graphics, build and infrastructure for studio development and data centers, optimization, systems programming and online services including matchmaking and networking. Central Tech is distributed globally with offices across the U.S., and in Canada, England, Ireland and Japan.

Most of our teams are comprised of both engineering and research talent, allowing us to always have an eye on the future. Our talented engineers help with title development and provide valuable knowledge sharing between studios while our researchers are action-oriented and keep a strong connection with the needs of the game studios.

Central Tech is part of Activision. To learn more about us and our research, please visit us at https://research.activision.com/.

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.

Ready to Activate Your Future?

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all 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! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [email protected]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest