About the role
Role Summary
The Competitive Integrity Analyst supports Quality Assurance and Development teams by identifying, investigating, reproducing, and helping mitigate exploits, vulnerabilities, unauthorized modifications, and other risks that may impact game fairness, security, player experience, or in-game economies. This role works closely with QA, Development, Production, Security, and Live Operations teams to analyze emerging threats, validate exploit reports, investigate suspicious gameplay behaviors, and provide actionable findings that support the integrity of online game environments. The Competitive Integrity Analyst combines technical investigation, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills to proactively identify risks before they impact players and assist teams in developing effective mitigation strategies. Success in this role requires a strong understanding of video game systems, networking concepts, security principles, debugging methodologies, and live-service environments.
Responsibilities
- Investigate, reproduce, document, and analyze exploits, vulnerabilities, cheats, unauthorized modifications, and gameplay integrity issues.
- Collaborate with QA, Development, Production, Security, and Live Operations teams to identify and prioritize risks.
- Perform exploratory testing focused on discovering weaknesses in game systems, online services, and economy mechanics.
- Analyze player-reported issues, suspicious behaviors, exploit trends, and emerging threats.
- Support investigations of cheating methods, account abuse, automation tools, and modification techniques.
- Conduct network, gameplay, and system-level investigations using debugging and diagnostic tools.
- Design, develop, maintain, and support tools, scripts, and utilities that improve investigation efficiency.
- Assist Development teams with detailed findings, risk assessments, and mitigation recommendations.
- Perform data mining, configuration analysis, and content reviews.
- Create and maintain documentation, reports, and best practices.
Job Qualification Standards
Work Experience
- 2+ years of experience in video games, QA, software development, cybersecurity, or a related technical field.
- Experience investigating software defects, exploits, vulnerabilities, or online-service issues.
- Experience with Python, PowerShell, C++, C#, or equivalent programming languages.
Knowledge / Skills
- Strong analytical, investigative, and problem-solving skills.
- Understanding of multiplayer systems, online services, game economies, and competitive environments.
- Knowledge of common exploit vectors, cheating methods, and game security concepts.
- Understanding of networking fundamentals and client-server architectures.
- Strong debugging, troubleshooting, documentation, and communication skills.
- Ability to leverage AI tools and emerging technologies responsibly.
Nice to Have Knowledge / Skills
- Experience with Wireshark, Fiddler, or equivalent network analysis tools.
- Experience with anti-cheat technologies and game security tooling.
- Experience with Unreal Engine 5, SQL, telemetry systems, REST APIs, Git, or Perforce.
- Degree, diploma, or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, or related field.
Success in This Role
- Exploits and integrity risks are identified early and communicated clearly.
- Development teams receive actionable recommendations that improve fairness and security.
- Investigations are thorough, documented, and delivered on time.
- Tools and workflows improve the efficiency of integrity investigations.
Benefits
- Competitive compensation.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Retirement benefits (RRSP).
- Partnerships with the STM (among others).
- Webinars, virtual social events, online training, etc.
Working Conditions and Policies
- Location: Canada, Quebec, Montreal.
- Employment Type: Full-time, Contractor.
- Working Pattern: Hybrid.
- Company Policy: Keywords International is committed to upholding a clearly defined equal opportunity policy. We strive to create a work environment that ensures equal opportunities for all employees and prospective candidates.
- Other: Management reserves the right to add or change duties and job requirements at any time.