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Lead Character/Creature Artist

WHO WE ARE

We’re ArenaNet—we’ve created a studio that makes online worlds infused with innovation, hand-crafted excellence, and creative passion. We're not the only ones who share this passion; gamers made Guild Wars 2 the fastest selling MMO game in the West with more than 3 million copies sold in its first 9 months, and players and press have consistently called it one of the best MMOs of all time.

Our studio is built on foundations of excellence with a focus on community. We constantly innovate, unlocking the true potential of online role-playing with game-changing titles like Guild Wars 2 and beyond. The status quo is not good enough for our dedicated worldwide community of players, which is why we question the de facto industry conventions and demand more from ourselves as developers.

We’re a highly collaborative team of developers who are passionate about crafting beautiful and memorable player-focused experiences. We are innovators and problem solvers, interested in sharing our diverse perspectives, exploring new possibilities, having fun solving hard challenges, and working together to build the future we want to see.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

We are seeking a passionate Lead Character/Creature Artist with demonstrated experience in the full AAA production pipeline, from rapid development of rough sculpts and low-resolution block outs to final textured and optimized game-ready models. Your deep technical expertise and passion for mentoring others will empower artists to create their best work.

You will play a critical role in the development of new characters and creatures, establishing visual and technical targets for the internal team and external partners alike. Your positive adaptable mindset, strong soft skills, and proactive attitude will inspire others and help support a healthy and collaborative team culture.

As Lead Character/Creature Artist, you will…

• Create a diverse range of high-quality AAA character and creature assets, working closely with the Art Director and Art team to refine visual targets for new models and materials.
• Support prototyping efforts with Art, Tech Art, and Design by creating low-resolution R&D assets for rigging/animation testing and look development.
• Explore opportunities to technically innovate, streamline tools and processes, and champion best practices for the team.
• Partner with Tech Art and Engineering throughout development to ensure assets are functionally sound and optimized for engine/platform constraints.
• Provide timely, constructive feedback to the Character/Creature team to ensure assets are stylistically cohesive and hit the artistic and technical quality bars established.
• Maintain the Character/Creature team’s scope of work by delegating tasks, planning estimates, and updating as needed to ensure individuals’ workloads are manageable and the team’s deliverables can be completed on schedule.
• Proactively engage with leadership and peers across departments to align on high-level priorities and maintain strong lines of communication.
• Work with key stakeholders to develop scalable next-gen character and creature pipelines for internal staff and external outsourcing partners.
• Advance the holistic vision of the game by regularly participating in team playtests and contributing your ideas and feedback to group discussions.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL

• Professional AAA game industry experience producing characters and creatures as a Senior Artist or above.
• A portfolio of work demonstrating a range of game-ready AAA character and creature models.
• Holistic understanding of the cross-discipline character/creature pipeline and general processes, from concept to animation.
• Demonstrated experience creating PBR textures and a strong understanding of the PBR texturing workflow.
• An ability to work across a range of visual styles.
• Expert knowledge of human and animal anatomy, form, silhouette design, and detail hierarchy.
• Exceptional sculpting and poly modeling skills for generating organic and hard surface assets.
• Deep technical knowledge of modern pipelines, workflows, and techniques for developing AAA characters and creatures with clean topology.
• Experience working with Unreal Engine 4+ and integrating assets into the engine.
• Expertise with industry-standard software like Maya, ZBrush, Photoshop, and Substance Painter.
• A proactive drive to explore cutting-edge technologies and techniques for character development, and an interest in adapting new workflows and processes.
• A passion for mentoring others to further develop their artistic and technical skillsets.
• Excellent organization, time management, and communication skills.
• Highly comfortable working within ambiguity and exploring new creative solutions.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience rigging or skinning a plus.
• Experience with Marvelous Designer a plus.
• Familiarity working with traditional media a plus.