Localization Specialist - Italian

Who We Are At 2K, we create some of the most iconic and culture-shaping video games in entertainment, including NBA® 2K , one of the top-selling franchises in the world, and legendary titles like BioShock® , Borderlands® , Mafia , Sid Meier’s Civilization ® , and XCOM® , as well as fan favorites WWE® 2K , TopSpin® , and PGA TOUR® 2K . We build unforgettable experiences by pushing the boundaries of creativity, authenticity and innovation across every genre. Our portfolio is brought to life by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games, 31st Union, Cloud Chamber, Gearbox, HB Studios, and 2K SportsLab create world-class experiences across platforms. But what truly powers 2K is our people. We believe the best ideas come from teams that feel empowered, supported, and inspired. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace where people are encouraged to come as they are and do their best work. About The Role As part of 2K’s Global Loc 2.0 strategy, the Content Localization (CLOC) team is expanding its in-house language capabilities to support scalable, culturally authentic, and high-quality localized content across our portfolio. We are looking for a Linguistic Specialist II to contribute to the execution and refinement of content localization workflows for your native language. This is a mid-level individual contributor role ideal for an experienced translator or language specialist who has mastered foundational localization tasks and is ready to take on broader responsibilities. You’ll work across in-game content, UI, VO, and marketing assets—solving language problems, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and supporting consistency and cultural quality. What We Need Linguistic Strategy & Quality Ownership Own the localization strategy, quality bar, and final sign-off for Italian content across all 2K titles. Develop, maintain, and enforce glossaries, style guides, and cultural content policies for the Italian market. Act as the primary advisor for cultural risk mitigation, proactively identifying regional sensitivities and communicating potential brand impacts to relevant stakeholders. Issue Escalation & Bug Triage: Serve as the main linguistic escalation point for tone disputes or QA challenges, and partner closely with the LQA team to investigate, triage, and resolve complex linguistic bugs. Core Localization Review and edit localized content (in-game text, UI, scripts, VO) for tone, clarity, fluency, and cultural relevance. Regularly review in-development and near-final builds to audit for tone, consistency, and cultural resonance. Lead VO casting, script review, and direct creative sessions during Italian voiceover production. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Compliance Collaborate with cross-functional teams—localization producers, embedded LQA, marketing, publishing, and dev—to guide language decisions and ensure global alignment. Work alongside the Age Rating team, game studios, and content owners to ensure localized content strictly adheres to Italian age rating requirements and visual/language compliance. Advise on the selection of suitable, legible fonts for the target Italian, collaborating with technical and UI stakeholders to ensure any font-rendering or display issues are resolved in a timely manner. Leadership, Mentorship, & Continuous Improvement Supervise and provide feedback to entry- and mid-level linguists or vendors working on Italian content. Recommend and help implement process improvements that improve quality, reduce error rates, or optimize turnaround time for Italian localization. Participate in Global Loc 2.0 initiatives, working with senior leadership to shape evolving localization standards, practices, and tooling. What You’ll Do Behavioral A profound, innate understanding of the target market's cultural zeitgeist, allowing the individual to naturally flag sensitivities and adapt content for maximum regional resonance. The tact and authoritative presence required to successfully act as the main escalation point for complex linguistic disputes, resolving QA challenges and tone disagreements while maintaining strong team relationships. A highly detail-oriented mindset essential for successfully auditing in-development builds, spotting minute tone inconsistencies, and catching nuanced visual or linguistic compliance errors. Technical Exceptional proficiency in reviewing, editing, and polishing highly complex, multi-format content (UI, scripts, marketing) while strictly enforcing comprehensive glossaries and style guides. Specialized technical and creative expertise required to successfully lead VO casting, conduct rigorous script reviews, and directly manage live creative sessions during voiceover production. The technical capability to actively troubleshoot and advise on UI rendering, specifically regarding the selection and implementation of legible, aesthetically suitable fonts for the Italian language. Leadership The absolute accountability and leadership confidence to own the overarching localization strategy, quality bar, and final sign-off for all assigned titles. A strong dedication to elevating the regional team by actively supervising, coaching, and providing actionable feedback to entry- and mid-level linguists and external vendors. The ability to seamlessly lead collaborative efforts across diverse disciplines (LQA, Production, Marketing, Dev), ensuring all stakeholders are aligned on language decisions and bug triage. Strategic Influence/Business Acumen The strategic foresight to act as a trusted advisor on cultural risk mitigation, effectively communicating the business and brand impact of regional sensitivities to senior stakeholders. Strong business understanding of regional legal and regulatory frameworks, ensuring all localized content strictly adheres to required age ratings and visual/language