Principal VFX Artist - Unannounced Game | Irvine, CA

Activision Blizzard

137d • $116,800 - $216,000

About The Position

At Blizzard, we craft genre-defining games and legendary worlds for all to share. Through unparalleled creativity and storytelling, we create immersive universes and iconic characters that are beloved across platforms, borders, backgrounds, and generations - only made possible by building a work environment that cultivates the artistry of game development and unleashes the aspirations of our people. We are looking for a Principal VFX Artist to help craft a new, unannounced game for Blizzard. Our team values creativity, collaboration, and a dedication to quality, and we are searching for contributors aligned with our core Blizzard values to add to our team of dedicated game makers. As a key member of the development team, you will be responsible for delivering appealing VFX that showcase gameplay. If you are comfortable operating in a dynamic environment, navigating fluid deadlines and changing priorities with purpose. This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work from home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA.

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience, making real-time visual effects in a professional capacity for games.
• Expert-level proficiency using modern game development platforms like Unity or Unreal Engine.
• A proven understanding of VFX Pipelines from concept to completion.
• Strong stylized art skills and technical aptitude for implementation.
• Practical expertise of the Adobe Creative Suite, Maya, or comparable 3D package, and Unity demonstrated in your work.
• Highly creative and technically minded with the ability to provide solutions to design, creative, and technical issues.
• Self-motivated, well-developed interpersonal skills, and a confirmed collaborative nature.
• Excellent communication skills applied to receiving and delivering clear feedback.
• Shipped AAA game title(s) as a Principal VFX artist or equivalent educational and practical experience.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with creating real-time VFX on a variety of platforms, including mobile.
• Experience with advanced VFX tooling such as Houdini, Substance, Ember Gen, etc.
• Technical skills that encompass shader authoring, scripting, or working with visual scripting tools such as Playmaker or Blueprint.
• Expertise in 3D, Illustration, concept, or other creative disciplines applied to game development.

Responsibilities

• Apply fundamental visual design and animation principles to storytelling through VFX development.
• Leverage a variety of tools for real-time VFX creation, including Adobe Creative Suite, Maya, Unity, and in-game FX systems.
• Collaborate with design, applying your keen eye for lighting, value, color, details, and motion to deliver visuals that emphasize gameplay and delight our players.
• Construct your VFX from the ground up with a stable technical foundation, including initial setup, implementation, and troubleshooting of VFX in Unity.
• Collaborate with engineers to create VFX in a performant and sustainable manner that allows for usability and a high-quality gameplay experience.
• Bring a positive attitude paired with the ability to give and receive feedback that elevates the excellence of those around you and their work.
• Enjoy a passion for games every day, creating gameplay moments that excite and inspire yourself, the team around you, and our players.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance.
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching.
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave.
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs.
• Relocation assistance if required to move geographic locations for the job.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees