About the role
Location: Vancouver, BC · Los Angeles, CA · Madison, WI
Work Model: Hybrid
Company: Respawn Entertainment
Company Overview
Founded in 2010, Respawn was created with the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they'll make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected. Respawn Entertainment is the Academy Award-winning studio behind Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Star Wars™ Jedi titles.
Role Overview
Respawn Entertainment is seeking a Senior VFX Artist to help lead the creation of high-impact real-time effects for Apex Legends. In this role, you will create and implement VFX that bring Legends, weapons, and seasonal moments to life, reporting to the Senior VFX Director and collaborating closely with Art, Design, Animation, and Engineering to raise the visual quality bar across the game.
Responsibilities
- Create and implement high-quality real-time VFX for legend abilities, weapons, seasonal content, and gameplay moments — with a focus on delivering effects that feel visceral, impactful, and true to the intensity of Apex combat.
- Help define and maintain the visual quality bar for VFX across seasonal updates, weapon releases, character abilities, and gameplay moments.
- Lead VFX problem-solving for complex content, including visual polish, performance constraints, and technical issues across the content pipeline.
- Collaborate closely with Art, Design, Animation, and Engineering to develop effects that support gameplay, improve clarity, and strengthen the visual identity of Apex Legends.
- Provide feedback, mentorship, and craft guidance to other VFX artists, helping raise the quality and consistency of the team’s work.
- Contribute to visual direction and help evolve Apex’s real-time VFX language, supporting production planning to ensure work is scoped and delivered effectively.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of professional experience as a real-time VFX artist in the games industry.
- Strong portfolio of shipped in-game real-time VFX work; portfolio examples that showcase bombastic, gritty combat and VFX-driven player intensity are a strong plus.
- Proficiency with relevant DCC tools such as Maya, Houdini, Photoshop, or Substance Designer, and experience implementing your own work within a game engine or proprietary toolset.
- Experience mentoring, reviewing work, or helping guide other artists, with strong communication and collaboration skills across disciplines.
- Passion for making and playing games.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience creating VFX for visceral, intense combat games.
- Experience with first-person games, sci-fi art direction, or live-service seasonal content.
- Shipped AAA game credit.
Compensation and Benefits
Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).
Pay Ranges
- British Columbia (depending on location): $114,300 - $156,200 CAD
- California (depending on location): $127,700 - $190,600 USD
Benefits (US)
- Paid time off (3 weeks per year to start).
- 80 hours per year of sick time.
- 16 paid company holidays per year.
- 10 weeks paid time off to bond with baby.
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Life insurance and disability insurance.
- 401(k) plan.
- Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.
Benefits (Canada)
- Vacation (3 weeks per year to start).
- 10 days per year of sick time.
- Paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave).
- Extended health, dental, and vision coverage.
- Life insurance and disability insurance.
- Retirement plan.
- Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.
Team Culture
At Respawn Entertainment, creators from every discipline work together to build, improve, and evolve Apex Legends. The studio moves fast, challenges assumptions, and constantly iterates to deliver experiences that resonate with players around the world. Every contribution matters, from gameplay systems and character design to art, narrative, and technology. Collaboration is at the heart of the studio's operations.