About the role
Company Overview
ROCKFISH Games is an independent Hamburg studio with more than two decades of space-action experience, building the next premium PC and console game in the EVERSPACE universe in Unreal Engine 5. The studio is supported by €8 million in German federal games funding within a development investment of more than €20 million. The founding team has previously created Galaxy on Fire 1 and 2, EVERSPACE, and EVERSPACE 2. The studio's previous games are two-time Steam Early Access Platinum Graduates, with EVERSPACE 2 reaching #1 on Steam global top-seller charts, launching day one on Xbox Game Pass, and winning Best Game at the German Computer Games Awards 2024.
Why ROCKFISH?
- Proven at scale: EVERSPACE and EVERSPACE 2 are two-time Steam Early Access Platinum Graduates. EVERSPACE 2 reached #1 on Steam global top-seller charts, launched day one on Xbox Game Pass, and won Best Game at the German Computer Games Awards 2024, reaching several million space pilots worldwide across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.
- A small team, real ownership: Specialists have direct ownership of their work and a real say in how the game is made, working closely with experienced developers to shape the next chapter of the franchise.
- Open development and clear vision: Informed by two successful Kickstarter campaigns and two Early Access launches to share work early and listen closely to the community without designing by committee or losing sight of creative direction.
Art Director – Hard Surface (f/m/d)
Great sci-fi design combines a distinctive visual identity with a sense of purpose. ROCKFISH Games is looking for an experienced Art Director – Hard Surface to shape the spaceships, vehicles, and structures of the next EVERSPACE title.
In this role, you will translate creative and gameplay requirements into a clear and consistent visual language. Working closely with experienced concept and 3D artists, you will establish direction, make decisions, and help the team create outstanding content within the realities of game production.
The ideal candidate combines strong design skills with a practical approach to development, giving artists clear guidance and room to contribute expertise, keeping iteration focused, and balancing visual quality with scope and production effort. When needed, you will also work hands-on through concepts, sketches, paintovers, and 3D work.
Responsibilities
- Define and maintain the visual direction for spaceships, vehicles, and structures
- Create and develop concepts, style guides, and visual standards
- Guide and support experienced concept and 3D artists from initial exploration through final in-game assets
- Review artwork and provide clear, actionable feedback
- Collaborate closely with Creative Direction, Game Design, Level Design, and Production
- Help improve art workflows and make informed decisions about quality, scope, and production effort
- Contribute hands-on through concepts, sketches, paintovers, and 3D work as needed
Requirements
- Extensive professional experience in sci-fi and hard-surface design
- Excellent concept art skills and a strong understanding of 3D asset production
- Experience working in game development and familiarity with modern game art pipelines
- A strong eye for shape language, composition, functionality, and visual consistency
- Ability to communicate a clear visual direction while giving experienced artists room to do their best work
- Pragmatic decision-making and a solid understanding of production constraints
- Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset
Bonus Skills
- Experience working with Unreal Engine
Working Conditions
- Preference will go to Germany-based candidates, with secondary preference to those within +1/-1 time zone
- Partial hybrid role, with the expectation to travel to the Hamburg office monthly
- Start date: immediately
UI Designer (f/m/d)
ROCKFISH Games is seeking a talented UI Designer who shares a passion for space games, action RPGs, and shooter games to bring creativity and expertise to life by designing user interfaces that immerse players in a thrilling space adventure.
As a UI Designer, you will be a key player in shaping the player experience, working closely with development and art teams to create user interfaces that are visually stunning, intuitive, and truly engaging. You will be responsible for designing and implementing the game menus, in-game UI, and other interactive elements.
Responsibilities
- Design visually stunning and intuitive user interfaces for the space shooter game
- Collaborate with development and art teams to create engaging user experiences
- Design and implement the game menus, in-game UI, and other interactive elements
- Work with the team to ensure that the game user interface is consistent and meets player expectations
Requirements
- Passion for space games and video games
- Expertise in tools such as Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, and Zeplin, Craft, or Confluence
- Strong communication skills and the ability to work well in a team environment
- Bachelor degree in graphic design or a related field or equivalent work experience
- Based in Germany and fluent in German speaking
Bonus Skills
- Experience with Unreal Engine 5
- Experience in UX design
Working Conditions
- Start date: immediately
Technical Artist (f/m/d)
ROCKFISH Games is looking for a dedicated Technical Artist to bridge the gap between art and engineering as a guardian of performance and master of pipelines. While artists create breathtaking worlds, this technical expertise ensures they run smoothly and efficiently.
As a Technical Artist, you will be the backbone of the content creation pipeline by digging into the profiler, optimizing workflows, supporting the art team with smart tools, implementing shaders, identifying performance bottlenecks, ensuring asset validity, and empowering the art team to deliver high-fidelity visuals using the latest Unreal Engine 5 features like Nanite and Lumen without compromising framerates.
Responsibilities
- Profile and optimize game performance including CPU, GPU, and memory using standard industry tools such as Unreal Insights and RenderDoc
- Act as a technical guardian for the art team, ensuring assets meet performance standards and naming conventions
- Develop and maintain efficient art pipelines and tools including editor utilities and validators to streamline workflows
- Investigate and solve complex rendering and stability issues related to new UE5 technologies including Nanite and Lumen
- Collaborate closely with Asset Leads to improve scalability across platforms
- Support the team in implementing and optimizing complex material shaders
Requirements
- Professional experience as a Technical Artist in the games industry
- Deep understanding of Unreal Engine 5, including profiling and debugging tools
- Experience with memory management and asset validation workflows
- Solid understanding of 3D math and rendering pipelines
- Proficiency in German
Bonus Skills
- Strong knowledge of Python or Blueprints for tool creation
- Experience with Blender scripting and pipelines
- Passion for space or sci-fi games
Working Conditions
- Start date: immediately