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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Video Game Assistant

💰 $35,000 - $55,000

GamingQuality AssuranceCustomer SupportEntry-LevelMedia & Entertainment

🎯 Role Definition

Are you the friend who always finds the glitch? Do you live and breathe video games and want to turn that passion into a career? As a Video Game Assistant, you are the crucial first line of defense for game quality and player happiness. You'll be deeply embedded in the game development lifecycle, meticulously testing new content, hunting down bugs, and acting as a bridge between our players and our development team. This role is perfect for a highly observant, communicative, and methodical individual eager to get their foot in the door of the exciting world of video game creation.


📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Avid Gamer with extensive genre knowledge
  • Customer Service Representative
  • Community Moderator (e.g., Discord, Reddit)
  • Freelance or Contract Game Tester

Advancement To:

  • QA Tester / QA Analyst
  • Associate Producer
  • Community Manager
  • Junior Game Designer

Lateral Moves:

  • Player Support Specialist
  • Social Media Coordinator (Gaming)
  • Localization Tester

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Perform thorough, exhaustive gameplay testing on pre-release versions of video games to identify, document, and report bugs, glitches, and design flaws.
  • Author clear, concise, and detailed defect reports using bug-tracking software (such as Jira or Azure DevOps), including precise steps to reproduce the issue.
  • Execute and complete pre-defined test cases and checklists provided by the Quality Assurance (QA) Lead to ensure all game features meet design specifications and quality bars.
  • Conduct regression testing on bug fixes to verify the solution and ensure that no new issues have been introduced into the previously stable code.
  • Provide direct, empathetic support to our player community via email, forums, chat, and social media, addressing technical issues, account problems, and gameplay inquiries.
  • Capture high-quality video footage and screenshots to accurately demonstrate bugs, highlight user experience friction, or showcase specific gameplay scenarios for review.
  • Maintain a deep, up-to-date knowledge of the game's mechanics, lore, content updates, and in-game economy to provide expert-level assistance.
  • Test game performance, stability, and compatibility across a wide range of designated hardware, platforms (PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch), and mobile devices (iOS, Android).
  • Participate actively in group playtesting sessions to evaluate multiplayer functionality, server load, network performance, and group-based user experience.
  • Offer constructive, well-articulated subjective feedback on gameplay, user interface (UI), user experience (UX), game balance, and the overall "fun factor" to the design and production teams.

Secondary Functions

  • Monitor online communities, forums (like Reddit), and social media platforms (like Discord and Twitter) to identify emerging player feedback, widespread issues, and community sentiment.
  • Assist the community management team in organizing, promoting, and running online events, contests, and player tournaments.
  • Help create and maintain internal and external support documentation, including FAQs, player-facing knowledge bases, and canned response libraries.
    s- Collaborate with localization teams to test and verify the quality and accuracy of translated text and audio in different language versions of the game.
  • Manage and organize game builds and development hardware, ensuring the testing environment is properly set up, maintained, and accessible.
  • Conduct ad-hoc "smoke tests" on new game builds to quickly ensure they are stable enough for more comprehensive testing to begin.
  • Compile and summarize player feedback from various channels into actionable reports and presentations for the development and production leadership.
  • Review and assist in moderating user-generated content to ensure it adheres to the community guidelines and terms of service.
  • Uphold and enforce strict confidentiality and security protocols regarding all unreleased game content, company information, and internal communications.
  • Escalate complex, critical, or widespread player issues to senior support staff, community managers, or the live-ops team for immediate attention.
  • Aid in the setup and execution of user research studies and player feedback surveys to gather quantitative and qualitative data.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Bug Tracking Software: Proficiency with industry-standard bug-tracking tools such as Jira, DevTrack, Mantis, or Azure DevOps.
  • Platform Expertise: Deep familiarity with PC gaming hardware, major consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch), and/or mobile operating systems (iOS, Android).
  • Test Case Management: Experience using tools like TestRail or Zephyr to follow test plans and track execution.
  • Microsoft Office/Google Workspace: Competency in using spreadsheet software (Excel, Google Sheets) for creating reports and checklists.
  • Community Platforms: Working knowledge of community engagement tools like Discord, Reddit, and various forum software.
  • Game Development Cycle: A solid understanding of the basic phases of game development (pre-production, production, alpha, beta, release).
  • Video Capture: Ability to use software (like OBS, Fraps, or built-in platform tools) to record and lightly edit gameplay footage.

Soft Skills

  • Attention to Detail: A meticulous and highly observant nature, capable of spotting minor inconsistencies and subtle errors.
  • Written Communication: Exceptional ability to write clear, concise, and professional reports and player-facing communications.
  • Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills to investigate issues, identify root causes, and propose solutions.
    -Patience & Persistence: The tenacity to perform repetitive tasks, test a single feature for hours, and hunt down difficult-to-reproduce bugs.
  • Teamwork & Collaboration: A positive, collaborative attitude with the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
  • Time Management: Excellent organizational skills to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Passion for Gaming: A genuine and deep passion for video games, coupled with a broad knowledge of different genres, mechanics, and player expectations.
  • Adaptability: The flexibility to adapt to new processes, learn new software, and adjust to shifting project priorities.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High School Diploma or equivalent.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate's or Bachelor's degree, or certification in a relevant field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Game Design & Development
  • Computer Science
  • Communications
  • Quality Assurance

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 0-2 years of professional or volunteer experience in a related role.

Preferred:

  • Previous professional experience in video game QA testing, customer support for a tech product, or community moderation for a large online community is highly desirable. A portfolio of personal projects, a history of detailed bug reporting in public betas, or active, constructive participation in a game community can also be considered valuable experience.