We're Studio Wildcard, developers of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved -- one of the most popular and original video games in recent years. Despite our massive success, we've been able to stay independent, so that we can steer our own future in games and beyond. There's never been a better time for you to join this adventure and help us build ARK II, the next chapter of our original hit franchise! We're expanding and updating many of the ARK community's most beloved features while taking full advantage of the latest tools and technologies. And now we're searching for an exceptionally talented and passionate Junior Technical Animator who can create high-impact work for the expanding ARK franchise.
The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in animation and proven experience developing runtime animation frameworks for human and bipedal characters focused around gameplay-driven locomotion and combat. Responsibilities include developing runtime animation graphs, character rigs, pipeline tools, defining best practices, and working across disciplines to implement high-quality, genre-leading character animation in Unreal Engine 5 for ARK 2 (PvP and PvE multiplayer sandbox survival).
Job Responsibilities:
- Collaborate closely and proactively with animators, engineers, and artists to define, create, maintain, and streamline the animation/asset pipeline
- Create custom tools and scripts to increase the productivity and efficiency of the animation team
- Support and improve the integration of animation assets from Maya to game engine
- Create and maintain tooling in Maya and Unreal to allow animators to quickly iterate
- Implement gameplay animations using Unreal's animation systems
- Work with the Technical Art Team to create custom tools and pipelines to increase the productivity and efficiency of the animation team.
- Make sure everything works with customizable player characters and armor systems.
Qualifications:
- Knowledge of Unreal Engine animation blueprints, blend trees, state machines, or similar technology (e.g. Morpheme, etc).
- Experience with motion capture data and processing.
- Experience with creating and maintaining high-end runtime character rigs.
- Experience creating and maintaining an efficient animation pipeline throughout a AAA production cycle.
Requirements:
- Proficiency and experience with Maya.
- Strong working knowledge of both MEL and Python (additional languages a plus).
- Strong technical background and a positive attitude.
- Highly self-motivated and collaborative, able to help drive a character from start to finish
- Ability to communicate effectively with animators, character artists, and engineers
- Detail-oriented problem-solving ability.
Pluses:
- Experience with melee combat animation
- Experience with runtime procedural animation techniques
- Understanding of physics simulation setup and implementation (ex: cloth, ragdoll)
- Experience with facial anatomy, rigging, and FACS
- Motionbuilder knowledge
About Studio Wildcard
Studio Wildcard was founded in 2014 by industry veterans Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak, with the mission of bringing AAA quality to ambitious indie productions designed for core gamers. With countless years of combined industry experience across multiple independent and studio-backed titles, Wildcard's core team continues to grow, with offices in Redmond, WA, and Gainesville, FL, including distributed team members across multiple continents.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Wildcard is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws, regulations or ordinances. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to disability during the application or the recruiting process, please let us know.
Pay Transparency Information
The expected annual base pay range(s) for this position vary based on a variety of factors, which include: (but aren't limited to) skills, competencies, qualifications, knowledge, and experience. Each pay range is only relevant to those residing in WA state and can vary based on geographical location.
Wildcard Benefits
We pay 100% of all premiums for the employee and discounted rates for dependent premiums. Our coverage includes Medical (5 different plans to choose from), Dental, Vision, Short Term and Long Term Disability, Life Insurance, 401(k) option, 100% covered Parental Leave, PTO, Paid Holidays, Unlimited Sick Time, and FSA/ HSA options