Lead Character Artist

About Playable Worlds

Playable Worlds is a team of talented and creative game industry professionals working together on a sandbox MMO built for the cloud. Led by Raph Koster (Ultima Online; Star Wars Galaxies) Playable Worlds offers a collaborative and diverse work environment, competitive pay and benefits, and an opportunity to create new kinds of gameplay and experiences in online worlds that feel real and engaging.

All positions at Playable Worlds are currently remote, but we plan to open one office location in the future as circumstances allow.

Summary

Playable Worlds is seeking a talented and motivated Lead Character Artist. In this role, you will report to the Art Director and use your creative talent to build 3D models of human characters and creatures. Owning the end-to-end process of creating a broad range of actors and species for our original IP, you will use great concept designs, and iconic silhouettes to bring unique personalities to our game.

Applicants must be able to provide examples of their work and a test may be required.

Essential Job Functions

• Create a large cast of characters and compelling creatures with a big picture in mind.
• Lead a team of artists to a unified vision and scope.
• Manage, coach, and mentor assigned Art department employees.
• Design 3D models of human and non-human characters and creatures.
• Solicit feedback from the art team and the company to enrich characters and strengthen their appeal.

Knowledge/Skill/Ability Requirements

• Experience level: 5+ years of experience in game development creating characters using Maya, Zbrush, Substance Painter, Marmoset Tool Bag, and Photoshop. Experience with Unity.
• Education level: College degree in Art, Design, or similar, preferred but not required.
• Ability to create exceptional sculpts and display advanced modeling skills for real time game characters.
• Great eye for detail, translating concept designs to game ready models.
• Advanced level of anatomy and creature design ability with strong and dynamic silhouettes.
• Strong knowledge of traditional production techniques in addition to working knowledge of large, scalable multiplayer games = elegant poly count.
• Highly motivated with good communication skills, a positive attitude, and the ability to work directly with designers and engineers.
• Ability to help expand an art pipeline and shader tools during agile prototyping for production and beyond.
• Ability to prioritize a variety of tasks in a manner that enables timely completion.

Bonus Points for Any of These

• Experience with MMO games with large world requirements.
• Experience with advanced character systems and pipelines for games.
• Python and Mel experience for Maya.

Location

• Playable Worlds is headquartered in San Marcos, California. All positions are currently remote due to the pandemic.