Associate Art Director, Apex Legends — Creative Studio Lead

Respawn Entertainment; Oregon (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Bonus eligibility

Job summary

Respawn Entertainment is seeking an Associate Art Director for the Apex Legends team. This role combines hands-on craft (approximately 70%) with creative leadership (about 30%), shaping visual direction and setting quality benchmarks across projects.

The ideal candidate has 6–8+ years in concept art, expertise in Photoshop, Blender, and Maya, and strong leadership abilities to mentor staff and work with partners and outsourcing teams.

Qualifications

• 6 to 8+ years of professional concept art experience in the game industry, demonstrated by a strong portfolio.
• Expertise with 2D and 3D software, with emphasis on 2D concept art and previsualization.
• Strong knowledge of real-time game engines, asset creation workflows, and external outsourcing pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Franchise Art Director, Creative Directors, and Leads to set visual direction and quality benchmarks.
• Create expert level key art, previsualization, and concept designs for characters, environments, weapons, and props.
• Develop style guides, mood boards, and reference material to articulate visual identity.
• Mentor and develop team members, and participate in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring for the art department.
• Balance IP requirements with creative freedom while aligning with game design and engine constraints.
• Collaborate with external partners and outsourcing teams to integrate visuals into production.

Skills

Concept art

Art direction

Team leadership

Mentoring

Visual storytelling

Portfolio

Tools

Photoshop

Blender

Maya

Job description

Respawn Entertainment is seeking an Associate Art Director for the Apex Legends team. This role combines hands-on craft (approximately 70%) with creative leadership (about 30%), shaping visual direction and setting quality benchmarks across projects.

The ideal candidate has 6–8+ years in concept art, expertise in Photoshop, Blender, and Maya, and strong leadership abilities to mentor staff and work with partners and outsourcing teams.