Senior VFX Artist - Gameplay

DEMONWARE (CANADA) , INC.; Warszawa; On-site; PLN 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Activision in Warsaw seeks a Senior VFX Artist to contribute to gameplay visuals and storytelling through high-fidelity effects aligned with art direction. You will collaborate with Gameplay and Combat teams, prototype test effects, and help optimize pipelines while staying within technical budgets and platform constraints.

You should have 8+ years in real-time VFX, strong Houdini-like simulation experience, solid scripting or node-based workflows, and a striking portfolio demonstrating your

Qualifications

• 8+ years of realtime VFX experience.
• Proficient with a game engine's VFX system.
• Experience with Houdini or similar sims.
• Strong understanding of VFX for physically based rendering.
• Impressive VFX portfolio.
• Able to adapt to in-house tools and evolving tech stack.
• Scripting or node-based workflows knowledge.
• Experience with Photoshop, Substance Designer, Maya.

Responsibilities

• Collaborating with Gameplay and Combat Design teams and proposing solutions to how VFX can contribute to player feedback and improve the overall experience.
• Authoring believable, striking and artistic benchmark visual effects with a realistic style as defined through Art Direction.
• Accentuating gameplay features as consequences of player actions, such as weapon effects, hit reactions, magic spells, etc. with well executed timing to give satisfying feedback for players.
• Contributing to storytelling through the visual style of VFX and their connection with the world building.
• Collaborating with the broader VFX and Tech Art teams, suggesting technology improvements and/or increased efficiency to workflows and pipelines.
• Making quick prototypes and placeholder test effects as conversation starters.
• Giving constructive feedback on VFX assets with internal team and/or external partners.
• Optimizing visual effect assets, staying within approved budgets, considering technical limitations of different development platforms.
• Organizing asset libraries and textures to repurpose across multiple VFX assets and to improve performance.

Skills

Realtime VFX

Game engine VFX

VFX simulations

PBR lighting

Portfolio showcase

Scripting knowledge

Adaptability to tools

3D software suite

Tools

Photoshop

Substance Designer

Maya

Job description

Senior VFX Artist - Gameplay

This role is based in our Warsaw, Poland office and follows an onsite work schedule of four days per week. Work arrangements may evolve to meet business needs.

You'll help us by…

• Collaborating with Gameplay and Combat Design teams and proposing solutions to how VFX can contribute to player feedback and improve the overall experience.
• Authoring believable, striking and artistic benchmark visual effects with a realistic style as defined through Art Direction.
• Accentuating gameplay features as consequences of player actions, such as weapon effects, hit reactions, magic spells, etc. with well executed timing to give satisfying feedback for players.
• Contributing to storytelling through the visual style of VFX and their connection with the world building.
• Collaborating with the broader VFX and Tech Art teams, suggesting technology improvements and/or increased efficiency to workflows and pipelines.
• Making quick prototypes and placeholder test effects as conversation starters.
• Giving constructive feedback on VFX assets with internal team and/or external partners.
• Optimizing visual effect assets, staying within approved budgets, considering technical limitations of different development platforms.
• Organizing asset libraries and textures to repurpose across multiple VFX assets and to improve performance.

You're awesome because you have…

• Proven experience (8+ years) in realtime VFX.
• Proficiency in a game engine's special effect system (Unreal, Crytek, Unity, etc.).
• Deep knowledge of authoring simulations like destruction, fire, smoke and fog through simulation software such as Houdini, Thinking Particles, Fume Fx or similar.
• Excellent understanding of authoring VFX for physically based rendering and lighting.
• An impressive portfolio of realistic visual effects showcasing artistry and attention to detail.
• An ability to easily adapt to in-house tools and a constantly evolving environment and technology stack.
• Knowledge of scripting through code and/or node-based systems.
• Experience of standard art software and 3D packages like Photoshop, Substance Designer, Maya.

Bonus points for…

• Experience with hooking up VFX logic in code and/or visual scripting.
• Understanding of and experience with authoring material and special shaders.
• Experience with procedural workflows and techniques.
• Knowledge of graphics programming and shading code or graphs.

Not sure you meet all the qualifications? Let us decide!

Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! At Activision, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We're driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk's™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®.

We're not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we're forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We're in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater - this could be your opportunity to level up.