Senior Combat Animator & Gameplay Designer - Remote/UK

FLIX INTERACTIVE; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Flix Interactive Ltd in the UK is seeking a Gameplay Animator/Combat Designer to own the creation, implementation and feel of character combat from Maya through to Unreal Engine 5.6/5.8. This hands-on hybrid role combines animation with gameplay design, requiring technical in-engine implementation and iterative polish.

You will work with engineers and designers to shape combat feel, build animation blueprints and tune timings, while delivering a fully playable combat experience on PC or console.

Qualifications

• Significant professional experience in gameplay animation and combat design on PC or console titles.
• Expert, technical hands-on Unreal Engine experience/implementation and strong Maya character animation skills.
• Proven ability to take animation from Maya through to fully playable implementation.
• Deep understanding of action/melee combat, including attacks, combos, hit reactions, dodges, blocks, parries, targeting and enemy interactions.
• Strong subjective judgement around combat feel, not simply animation quality.
• Technically confident with UE5+Animation Blueprints, Montages, Blueprints, root motion, Motion Warping, IK and related animation systems.
• Comfortable changing both animation and gameplay values to achieve the desired result.
• Highly self-sufficient, iterative and able to identify and solve technical problems rather than working within strict disciplinary boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Work alongside Lead Gameplay Designer and help to realize the project gameplay feel through animation and implementation.
• Design, prototype and iterate player and enemy combat mechanics.
• Createand manipulatehigh-quality combat animation in Maya and fully implement it inUnreal Engine.
• Own combat feel: responsiveness, weight, impact, timing, anticipation, recovery, readability and player control.
• Build and modify Animation Blueprints, Montages, state logic, blends, notifies, root motion and Motion Warping.
• Tune gameplay values including attack timings, movement, rotation, recovery, interrupts, hit reactions and combo behaviour.
• Rapidly playtest and iterate across animation, Blueprint and gameplay parameters until combat feels right.
• Assist with gameplay cameras for regular combat and special in-game moments such as executions etc.
• Diagnose and solve animation and gameplay implementation problems independently, collaborating with engineers where deeper code changes are required.
• Significant professional experience in gameplay animationandcombatdesign on PC or console titles.
• Expert, technicalhands-on Unreal Engine experience/implementationandstrong Maya character animationskills.
• Proven ability to take animation from Maya through to fully playable implementation.
• Deep understanding of action/melee combat, including attacks, combos, hit reactions, dodges, blocks, parries, targeting and enemy interactions.
• Strong subjective judgement around combat feel, not simply animation quality.
• Technically confident with UE5+Animation Blueprints, Montages, Blueprints, root motion, Motion Warping, IK and related animation systems.
• Comfortable changing both animation and gameplay values to achieve the desired result.
• Highly self-sufficient, iterative and able to identify and solve technical problems rather than working within strict disciplinary boundaries.

Skills

Gameplay animation

Combat design

Unreal Engine 5

Maya

Animation Blueprints

Montages

Root motion

Motion Warping

In-engine implementation

Problem solving

Tools

Maya

Unreal Engine

Animation Blueprints

Montages

Root motion

Motion Warping

IK

Job description

Flix Interactive Ltd in the UK is seeking a Gameplay Animator/Combat Designer to own the creation, implementation and feel of character combat from Maya through to Unreal Engine 5.6/5.8. This hands-on hybrid role combines animation with gameplay design, requiring technical in-engine implementation and iterative polish.

You will work with engineers and designers to shape combat feel, build animation blueprints and tune timings, while delivering a fully playable combat experience on PC or console.