LogInLevel up your animation career! Check out this week’s 80 Level Jobs Digest for top openings at IO Interactive, Riot Games, Capcom, and Santa Monica Studio.
Gameplay Animator (Barcelona) 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 currently looking for Gameplay Animators 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.
This role is hybridly based out of the Barcelona studio. Relocation support provided.
Who you are:
- 3+ years’ experience creating gameplay animation for AAA games with at least one shipped title
- Working experience animating in Motion Builder
- Good general technical knowledge of gameplay processes and pipelines
- Experience with motion capture or working with motion capture data
- In-depth knowledge of human and animal anatomy, body language, and emotions
- Experience nailing the timing and appearance of human movement and facial expressions
Gameplay Animator (Malmo) at IO Interactive
IO Interactive is an independent video game development and publishing company with studios in Copenhagen, Malmö, Barcelona, Istanbul, and Brighton. As the creative force behind some of the most talked-about multiplatform video games in the last decade, it is committed to creating unforgettable characters and experiences – all powered by its award-winning, proprietary Glacier technology.
The team knows that to achieve those goals, they need courage, talented people, and a great working environment – and they do their utmost to have all of that. Across its multiple studios, IO Interactive is working on several projects. Crucially though, it's all one team. It values the work and impact that each person brings to the table, and it actively encourages new ideas whilst listening to your insights along the way.
This role is hybridly based out of the Malmo studio. Relocation support provided.
Who you are:
- 3+ years’ experience creating gameplay animation for AAA games with at least one shipped title
- Working experience animating in Motion Builder
- Good general technical knowledge of gameplay processes and pipelines
- Experience with motion capture or working with motion capture data
- In-depth knowledge of human and animal anatomy, body language, and emotions
- Experience nailing the timing and appearance of human movement and facial expressions
Senior Animator at Epic Games
Epic Games is searching for a Senior Animator to join our team working on LEGO Fortnite. A successful candidate should have a strong understanding of animation fundamentals and how they relate to game animation, as well as the ability to implement animations in the Unreal Engine. Proficiency in animation blueprints and state machines is a plus.
What it's looking for:
- You have an animation reel showing keyframed character and creature animations
- Strong experience with established 3D animation software and gameplay systems. Unreal Engine is a plus
- Good instincts for realistic and stylized motions
- Strong communication and leadership skills
- Familiarity with the Unreal Engine 5 art pipeline
- Related skills, such as modeling, skinning, rigging is a plus
- Experience working with mocap data is a plus
- Experience having shipped at least one title is a plus
Animation Artist II – Teamfight Tactics at Riot Games
You will create high-quality animations for TFT characters and environments, refine and repurpose classic animations to align with modern gameplay systems, and collaborate with technical artists and engineers to optimize animations for performance and seamless integration. Additionally, you will troubleshoot technical challenges in animation pipelines and workflows in partnership with developers.
Required Qualifications:
- 3+ years of game development Experience
- Excellent knowledge of Maya and modern game engines (Unreal, etc)
- Development experience in Animation Systems (Sequencers, Blueprints, State Machines, in-engine animation, and rigging tools, etc.)
- Understand animation principles, and body mechanics, acting, posing, and storytelling techniques
- Demonstrated excellence in collaboration and communication within cross-disciplinary teams
Senior Cinematic Animator at CD Projekt Red
CD Projekt Red is looking for a Senior Cinematic Animator to join its team in the Boston office. This role is part of the team working on Project Orion – the follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077 and the next major video game in the Cyberpunk franchise.
Contribute to a dynamic team by bringing characters to life in the narrative moments of the game. Collaborate closely with designers and other multidisciplinary team members to create immersive game content – from initial concepting, quest requirements, through mocap shoots, to finished animations. As a Senior Cinematic Animator, you'll be an integral part of the storytelling process, using your expertise to ensure that final scenes are not only visually stunning but also deeply engaging for players. As the project evolves, so will your responsibilities, offering you the chance to continually grow and adapt. If you are passionate about storytelling and animation, this is your opportunity to make a significant impact in the next Cyberpunk game.
This position requires working onsite in Boston. Hybrid mode available.
Qualifications:
- Passion for creating great games and a love for animation.
- Experience working on at least two AAA titles.
- An animation reel demonstrating senior-level skills with a clear explanation of contributions.
- Outstanding creativity and a strong commitment to the project.
- Solid knowledge of animation principles and an eye for dynamic poses.
- Good instincts for realistic character movement and facial conveying emotions.
- Understanding of camera movement, composition, and character performance to create visually compelling scenes.
- Professional knowledge of Unreal Engine and Motion Builder or Maya.
- Experience directing and working with motion capture and/or performance capture.
- Capability to self-manage and make responsible decisions about time and project priorities.
- Ability to work proactively in multidisciplinary teams.
- Eagerness to receive, seek, and provide constructive feedback.
- Ability to mentor less experienced peers.
- Experience creating layouts or previzes is a plus.
- Experience in developing animation pipelines and tools is a plus.
Technical Animator at CAPCOM
You will partner with animators and engineers to deliver high-quality animation performances in-game, create and maintain animation pipeline tools and workflows, and identify potential animation or workflow issues while collaborating with team members to provide solutions. Additionally, you will research new technologies and techniques, prototype new animation workflows, and set up and maintain state machines and animation behavior trees in the in-house engine.
Skills and Requirements:
- Minimum of 3+ years of animation production experience for games
- Self-motivated team player with great communication skills
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
- General experience with animation packages such as Maya/Motion Builder
- Python scripting proficiency
- Experience with state machines and in-engine animation workflows
Gameplay Animator at Santa Monica Studio
You will collaborate with the Animation Director, Leads, and Combat Design Team to develop 3D pre-visualizations for combat and character navigation. You'll create, implement, and refine animation assets, focusing on character development, choreography, and timing. Partnering with Combat Designers and Gameplay Programmers, you'll balance animation fidelity with gameplay responsiveness, integrating moves into the game engine while troubleshooting technical issues. Responsibilities include keyframe animation, motion capture editing, assembling move-lists, improving character rigs with Tech Art, and staying updated on industry trends and techniques.
Requirements:
- 1+ years of industry or related experience
- A strong demo reel that demonstrates expert knowledge of fundamental animation principles and acting skills, and the ability to create a full range of lifelike performances from the subtle to the dramatic and powerful
- Proficient command of weight, timing, and posing through both keyframing and the manipulation of motion capture data
- High level of proficiency in Maya
- High comfort level with learning and utilizing animation systems and game engine pipelines
- Ability to rapidly prototype, iterate, and explore animation style and functionality
- Ability to succeed in a creative, team-oriented environment
- Excellent communication, time-management, and organizational skills
- Ability to work across multiple disciplines to gather feedback and address cross-functional issues
- Strong production sensibilities and the drive and talent needed to produce and implement the highest quality work
- B.A. in fine arts or relevant curriculum, or equivalent skillset
More jobs can be found on the 80 Level job board.