LogInLevel up your game art career! Check out this week's 80 Level Jobs Digest for top openings at IO Interactive, Riot Games, Santa Monica Studio, Capcom, Rockstar Games, and SEGA.
Lead Character Artist (Malmo) at IO Interactive
With a party of veteran IOI guild members and new wizards and sorceresses of the industry, IO Interactive is building an ambitious new IP for console and PC that will revolutionize the online fantasy RPG genre. If you share a similar passion for creating welcoming, heartfelt, bold, and impactful worlds, join it to write the next chapter in IOI's history.
IO Interactive is seeking a process-oriented Lead Character Artist with AAA experience to lead its team of Character Artists. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in creating high-quality, realistic characters, with a passion for the fantasy genre.
It is looking for someone who can provide clear, actionable feedback, and has a proven track record of leading teams to deliver exceptional results. This role demands a creative visionary with excellent communication skills to drive our projects to the next level.
This role is hybridly based out of our Barcelona, Brighton, Copenhagen or Malmo studio. Relocation support provided.
Who you are:
- You are a well-versed Lead Character Artist with 6+ years in the AAA space and have worked on at least one AAA title.
- You have an in-depth understanding of the technical limitations and requirements for in-game character creation.
- You excel in optimizing character models and assets, making them ready to be placed in-engine. We work with our proprietary engine, Glacier.
- You have experience in one or more 3D applications (3ds Max, Maya, or other).
Technical Character Artist (Barcelona) at IO Interactive
IO Interactive is currently looking for a Technical Character Artist to join Project 007, a brand-new James Bond video game to be developed and published by IOI. Featuring a wholly original Bond story, players will step into the shoes of the world's favourite Secret Agent to earn their 00 status in the very first James Bond origin story.
Who you are:
- 3+ years working in the games industry in Technical Character Art/Rigging.
- Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Maya, 3DsMax, Blender, or equivalent software for character animation and rigging.
- Extensive sculpting, modeling, texturing, and deformations experience.
- Experience with setting up physics simulations for cloth.
- Familiarity with motion capture technology and processes.
Lead Artist – League of Legends, Game Modes at Riot Games
You will need to provide clear visual direction aligned with the Art Director’s goals, partner with the League PC, Modes, and Gameplay Art Directors to define the visual style and direction for multiple product features and develop outsourcing strategies and documentation. You'll have to ensure the team produces high-quality artwork that meets technical performance targets, partner with Product and Delivery teams to provide visibility into team deliverables and velocity and maintain a healthy development pace for artists. Also, review final work, deliver feedback to ensure quality and consistency, ensure IP cohesion and fidelity across projects, and hold the team accountable to Riot’s art quality and performance standards.
Required Qualifications:
- BA in Game Art Development (or equivalent experience)
- Experience as a Senior or Lead Artist
- 5+ years of industry experience
- 4+ years of management experience
Lighting Artist at CAPCOM
You will partner with the Creative and Art Directors to create a compelling lighting style that supports the game design, develop in-game and cinematic lighting to meet the Art Direction’s visual goals and collaborate with Technical Artists to prototype new lighting workflows and technologies. You will place and adjust lighting and atmosphere effects like god rays and fog, create post-effects like exposure, bloom, tone mapping, and color grading, and work with Engineers and Technical Artists to improve workflows.
Skills and Requirements:
- Minimum of 3+ years of lighting production experience for game/film
- In-depth understanding of CG lighting technology and techniques
- Experience working with physically based lighting systems
- Strong understanding of physical materials and their interaction with light
- Expert knowledge of lighting theory, including color space, exposure, man-made vs natural light, etc.
- Excellent understanding of color and color theory
- Strong understanding of composition and cinematography
- Self-motivated with good communication skills
- Strong lighting portfolio
Lead Technical Artist at SEGA
You will need to support your team’s well-being, foster their career development, and ensure clear communication with stakeholders, build a strong understanding of in-house tools, workflows, and pipelines while delivering professional-quality tools and scripts. Lead collaboration with pipeline stakeholders, set coding and quality standards, and support artists with pipeline issues. Align with directors on franchise priorities, participate in quarterly planning, and address development productivity challenges to make a meaningful impact.
Knowledge, Skill & Experience
- Has experience writing code in any language (Python/C#/C++)
- Extensive experience of shader creation HLSL and/or node-based.
- Experience in designing pipelines for games that have been released.
- Working knowledge of 3D content creation package(s) e.g., 3ds Max, Maya, Blender.
- Excellent problem-solving skills.
- Team-focused with strong communication skills.
- Be the technical expertise point of contact to streamline communication between programmers and artists.
- Positive attitude and desire to collaborate.
- Experience as a Lead technical artist in at least one game development cycle to title release
- Profiling tools experience such as render doc/PIX
- Experience in multi-platform shader development
- Investigate and champion new techniques that push visual innovation within considerations of art direction and game engine parameters.
Senior UI Artist at Santa Monica Studio
You will contribute to the artistic direction of the UI style through concept exploration and creating 2D mockups, design supporting graphics like icons to enhance the game’s interface, and assist in the UX process by designing wireframes based on feature specifications. You’ll work independently to align with the creative vision, improve UI design workflows, collaborate with Production on project goals, and mentor team members with less UI experience.
Requirements:
- 5+ years of experience in user interface artwork on at least 2 recent AAA titles
- Strong 2D illustration and graphic design skills
- Strong user experience knowledge with wireframing experience
- Professional experience with game engine integration
- Available to work within Pacific Time core hours
- High proficiency in Photoshop, Figma, and Adobe Illustrator or similar tools
Character Artist (associate/mid-level) at Rockstar Games
You will work on character art production for global titles, collaborate with the art direction and lead artists to meet production goals, and create practical solutions for technical and aesthetic challenges with the character and technical art teams. You’ll set high standards across projects, maintain a strong production focus, and pay close attention to detail.
Requirements:
- A comprehensive modelling and texturing portfolio showing 3D character art to a very high standard, with specific ability in the representation of realistic human anatomy and garments/drapery.
- Extensive experience using industry-standard 3D modelling packages, such as 3ds Max, Maya, and Modo, as well as Substance 3D Painter for texturing.
- Exceptional sculpting ability in ZBrush and deep knowledge of Marvelous Designer workflows for digital clothing production.
- A full understanding of all current generation production workflows as they pertain to character art asset production - including an understanding of PBR pipelines.
- A keen understanding of the human body and facial anatomy, form, structure, and silhouette, as well as being respectful of economical and appropriate modelling considerations for game target assets and polycounts.
- A detail-obsessed eye for creating and manipulating texture maps and surface patterns and an excellent understanding of the value of UV space.
- A positive, solution-oriented individual with a sense of humor and passion for making great game art in a team setting.
- Ability to work with bespoke engine toolsets, defined asset workflows, and contribute to overall character department goals and working practices.
- Self-motivated and flexible, with excellent communication skills.
Consistent delivery of high-quality art: on-spec and on-time.
More jobs can be found on the 80 Level job board.