UE5 PC Multiplayer Game - Network Engineer

Project Overview: We are an indie development studio preparing to launch a unique multiplayer PC game in Unreal Engine 5 later this year. Our networking architecture deviates significantly from traditional MMO frameworks. We are moving away from monolithic game servers toward a decoupled architecture that utilizes an independent replication layer separated from our Dedicated Game Servers (DGS) simulation shards. We need a Senior Network Architect to design, build, and optimize this infrastructure on AWS (GameLift or custom EC2 orchestration). Key Responsibilities - Build and optimize a network topology where simulation shards run on dedicated DGS instances while spatial/data replication is handled via a separate replication layer. - Implement a robust, ultra-low-latency backend database to handle real-time object persistence, player location handoffs, economy tracking, and persistent global entities. - Engineer seamless player and entity transitions between simulation servers without progress loss or structural hitching. - Offload heavy AI/NPC processing fully to the server side to maximize client-side performance, lower local PC hardware requirements, and implement data/asset streaming mechanisms to minimize local client storage. Required Qualifications & Skills - Deep experience with Unreal Engine's replication system, C++ source-level network overrides, and custom replication graphs. - Extensive experience orchestrating game servers utilizing AWS, GameLift, DynamoDB/Aurora, and custom webhooks for persistence layers. - Proven track record of building cross-server seamless transit systems and persistent state databases for multiplayer games. - Familiarity with high-persistence, server-meshing concepts (similar to the foundational logic of Star Citizen) is highly valued. How to Apply Please provide a brief summary of a complex multiplayer networking issue you have solved in the past, specifically regarding persistence or server handoffs. If you have read the full scope and this architectural challenge excites you, please include the phrase [fuzemydrink] at the very beginning of your application.