BLIZZARD Entertainment Hiring

POSITIONS    :  Lead 3D Character Artist

                         :  Senior VFX Artist

                         :  Senior Game Designer

LOCATION    :   Irvine, California

Lead 3D Character Artist

Do you consider time away from making art a missed opportunity?  Are you constantly investigating new tools and techniques to push your creations to the next level?  Do you enjoy fostering the creative spirit in others?  If so, Blizzard Entertainment, the developer of the most epic games in the world, is seeking a lead character artist to help develop Blizzard’s next hit game!

Work alongside a team of the best artists, engineers, and designers on the planet and enjoy the support of a company whose culture is centered on collaborative game development. We are gamers at heart at Blizzard – across all levels - and it shows in our craft.

The ideal candidate has experience modeling and texturing character assets in a stylized universe. A solid grasp of form, color, and light for both 2D and 3D art assets is essential. The lead 3D character artist must have experience leading a team, developing new pipelines for asset creation and be well-versed in production tools -- Maya, Photoshop, etc. In addition the ideal candidate would be able to foster a creative and energetic environment for a group of peers who are passionate about making great games. He or she would help members of the character team to grow artistically, and would help maintain a high level of visual and technical quality for all characters.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and evolve the character pipeline.
• Ensure timely completion of character team’s commitments at the desired quality bar.
• Serve as an active partner with leads and art director to drive and evangelize the artistic vision of the game.
• Review and approve 3D character assets for aesthetic and technical accuracy.
• Mentor team on skills and process; provide career growth guidance to team.
• Work with art director other art leadership within Blizzard to ensure that the team’s direction is in sync with the Blizzard style and philosophies.

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in game development modeling and texturing characters using Maya, Z-Bush / Mudbox and Photoshop
• Experience working with an art director in developing a unique and cohesive modeling and texturing style for characters
• Able to contribute to, interpret and clearly communicate art direction to a team to ensure accurate and timely execution
• Proven problem-solving / prototyping ability
• Able to effectively collaborate with game designers and programmers
• Superior eye for light, shade, color, and detail in creating texture maps
• An exceptional understanding of form, shape, structure, and silhouette in regard to modeling
• Self-motivation, good communication skills, and a great team-player attitude
• A passion for video games
• Able to work creatively as part of a large or small group
• Proven ability to mentor effectively
• Have shipped AAA PC or console titles as a senior or lead character artist

Pluses

• Proven experience developing new art process, tools, and pipelines
• Skill in one or more related disciplines – illustration, animation, visual effects, or technical art
• Understanding of the visual style of Blizzard games and a passion to push it to the next level

Portfolio requirements

• Portfolio and / or reel demonstrating relevant artistic skills required
• Only online artwork submissions will be accepted (e.g. website, blog or online album).

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 Senior VFX Artist

Blizzard Entertainment is looking for an exceptionally skilled senior VFX artist to work on a team that is developing an unannounced game. The ideal candidate has extensive experience working with 3D packages, in-game FX systems to create a wide range of VFX (fire, smoke, explosions, etc.), as well as a general understanding of good game play communication. A solid grasp of the principles of motion, anticipation, dynamics, follow-through, lighting, and other facets of animation is essential. The Senior VFX Artist must have skill in creating textures and geometry needed for stylized VFX. The ideal candidate works well in an environment of peers who are passionate about making great games and exhibits good leadership qualities.

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years’ creating real-time special FX for video games
• Experience with creating consistently brilliant, eye catching real-time FX using Photoshop, Maya, and in-game FX systems
• Able to paint special FX textures from scratch and match an established style
• High degree of proficiency with 3D graphics, particle systems, physics, ribbons, shaders, etc…
• Solid knowledge of rendering engines and experience designing VFX shaders
• Thorough understanding of the interplay between VFX / PostFX integration and performance
• Able to tackle large or advanced assignments
• Solid game design awareness and an exceptional game design oriented collaborator
• Self-driven, excellent communicator and a lead-by-example team-player
• Solicits feedback and critique frequently; uses feedback to improve content   
• Capable of mentoring junior artists and assisting the lead with driving a consistent VFX style across the game
• Have shipped AAA PC or console titles as a senior VFX artist
• Able to work full-time in the Irvine area

Pluses

• Scripting experience in Lua, Python, etc
• 2D or 3D animation experience
• A passion for developing online games

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 Senior Game Designer

The Heroes of the Storm team is looking for a talented senior game designer to help shape the systems of Heroes of the Storm .  Duties will primarily include systems and interface design, helping out with hero and metagame designs, and overseeing general game design.  The ideal candidate will have proven experience in game design, outstanding "people" skills, and a longstanding passion for playing video games of multiple genres and platforms. 

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years’ of game design experience
• At least (2) AAA shipped products
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Able to work well in a team environment
• Able to work creatively in a demanding technical environment
• Absolute passion for playing and making computer games

Pluses

• Extensive experience in Action Real-Time Strategy (ARTS) games and be extremely familiar with current and past ARTS games
• Experience in other game development disciplines:  UI, Sound, Art, Engineering
• Passion and knowledge of eSports in a major competitive game
• Experience using the StarCraft II Editor

Applicants must submit (i) a cover letter, (ii) and a resume. Only submittals with cover letters will be considered.

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