Principal Technical VFX Artist

Epic Games; Quebec; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Epic Games seeks a Principal FX Artist to join Rocket League, a live-service title. You’ll own FX systems, solve complex visual challenges, and shape how effects perform across gameplay, cosmetics, and arenas.

You will collaborate with Tech Art and Programming to balance performance budgets with visual quality, prototype new workflows, and mentor artists to raise both the floor and the ceiling of the team.

Qualifications

• Real-time FX portfolio required, shipped titles carry more weight than student work.
• Strong proficiency with Niagara and Unreal Engine’s material system.
• Shader authoring experience (HLSL or Material Editor).
• Scripting experience — Python, Blueprint, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Drive FX systems and quality, design reusable, scalable solutions for gameplay, cosmetics, and arenas.
• Author outstanding real-time effects across styles from grounded to stylized.
• Collaborate with Tech Art/Programming to meet performance budgets without sacrificing visuals.
• Prototype and validate new VFX workflows.
• Set the quality bar and define what good looks like for the team.
• Mentor and elevate artists across disciplines.

Skills

Real-time FX

Niagara

Unreal Engine

Shader authoring

Python scripting

Blueprint scripting

GPU performance

Live-service experience

Tools

Houdini

HLSL/Material Editor

Job description

WHAT MAKES US EPIC?

At the core of Epic’s success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it’s building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we’re always innovating.

Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We’re constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.

ART

What We Do

Push your artistic talent to the limit on a team of world-class environment, character and concept artists who strive to innovate and inspire.

What You’ll Do

Epic is looking for a Principal FX Artist to join Rocket League, a live-service game with a huge passionate fanbase. You’ll own FX systems, solve hard technical problems, and set the visual and technical standard for how effects work across the game. You’re someone who gets energized by constraints, thinks in systems, and loves the moment when a gnarly technical problem becomes a beautiful effect in the build.

In this role, you will

• Drive VFX systems and quality, design reusable, scalable solutions that support rapid iteration and long-term production across gameplay, cosmetics, and arena systems
• Author outstanding real-time effects across a range of styles, from grounded and physical to high-energy and stylized
• Collaborate with Tech Art and Programming to define performance budgets and hit them without sacrificing visual quality
• Prototype and validate new VFX workflows
• Set the quality bar, defining what "good" looks like for the team
• Mentor and elevate artists across disciplines; raise the floor and the ceiling

What we’re looking for

• Real-time FX portfolio required, shipped titles carry more weight than student work
• Deep proficiency with Niagara and Unreal Engine’s material system
• Shader authoring experience (HLSL or Material Editor)
• Scripting experience — Python, Blueprint, or equivalent; this is what separates a technical FX artist from a visual one
• Strong understanding of GPU performance — draw calls, particle costs, memory — and a track record of optimizing without killing the look
• A critical eye for timing, weight, and motion grounded in how things actually behave in the real world
• Experience shipping multiple titles in the game industry
• Experience on a live-service game is a strong plus
• Houdini experience is a plus for candidates who work from simulation reference

EPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFE

We pay 100% for benefits for both employees and dependents and offer coverage for supplemental medical, dental, vision, critical illness, telemedicine, Life and AD&D, long term disability insurance as well as weekly indemnity (short term disability) and a retirement savings plan with a competitive employer match. In addition to the EAP (employee assistance program), we also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents.

ABOUT US

Epic Games is a leading interactive entertainment company. For over 30 years we’ve been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic’s award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.

Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!

Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.