About the role
Role Overview
As a member of the Animation team, you bring characters to life through classic animation principles and body mechanics. You will create high quality animations for a diverse and rapidly growing universe, including bipeds, quadrupeds, and creatures. You will collaborate with designers and artists to develop new features and technologies.
As a Senior Animator on an unpublished R&D product, you will create the animation that defines the gameplay feel. You will craft stylized, responsive gameplay animation that brings characters to life while supporting satisfying gameplay. Working closely with designers, technical artists, engineers, and character artists, you will own animation from ideation through implementation. You will create memorable animation, define the feel of player locomotion, bring personality to characters in-game, and implement your work directly in the game engine. As a senior member of the team, you will help define the visual identity of gameplay animation, contribute to animation best practices, and maintain a high quality bar across the project. You will report to the Animation Manager.
Responsibilities
- Create high-quality, gameplay-driven animation assets that define a high bar for responsiveness, clarity, and visual polish that delivers satisfying gameplay.
- Collaborate with design, engineering, and technical art to ensure animations integrate effectively into the game.
- Identify and troubleshoot animation bugs, edge cases, and pipeline issues, contributing to solutions.
- Partner with designers to prototype and iterate on gameplay animation, using playtesting and feedback to improve responsiveness, readability, and feel.
- Contribute to team animation quality through feedback, critiques, and collaboration.
- Support improvements to animation workflows, tools, and pipelines.
- Help establish animation standards and maintain a high quality bar across gameplay animation.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of professional experience in game animation.
- 3+ years of direct experience making hand-crafted gameplay animation.
- 3+ years of experience working in game engines (i.e. Unreal, Unity, etc.).
- Ability to seamlessly integrate into and build upon a well-established animation vision and team with diverse levelling.
- Ability to work autonomously and able to take initiative with little supervision.
- Strong problem-solving skills in both artistic and technical contexts.
- Strong understanding of animation principles, body mechanics, timing, weight, and appealing stylized motion.
Desired Qualifications
- Professional experience shipping at least one AAA game title.
- Strong gameplay animation implementation experience.
- Experience improving pipelines or workflows.
Application Requirements
As a part of the application process, you will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of your work. Your reel should showcase:
- A variety of walk cycles.
- A diverse selection of game-related animation.
- A strong foundation in the principles of animation, including weight, anticipation, and impact.
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary Range: $135,700.00 - $188,700.00 USD (Los Angeles and Mercer Island).
- Additional Compensation: Incentive compensation and equity.
- Benefits:
- 401k with company match.
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
- Short and long-term disability.
- Open paid time off policy.
- Flexible work schedules.
- Parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children.
Employment Considerations
Riot Games provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members. The company makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law.
Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:
- Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data.
- Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors.
- Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks.
- Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters.