Gameplay Animator (Apex Legends)

Electronic Arts; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Sick time

Company holidays

Parental leave

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Job summary

Electronic Arts is seeking a skilled Gameplay Animator to join the Apex Legends Animation team at Respawn Entertainment. You will help craft immersive experiences through exceptional animations and gameplay, collaborating with designers, engineers, and artists to realize player-first moments.

The role requires 3+ years in game development, Maya proficiency, and mocap editing experience, contributing to both first- and third-person animation and polish throughout development.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional game development experience.
• Strong understanding of video game animation development.
• Proficiency in a 3D animation package such as Autodesk Maya.
• Experience creating behaviors and full body/bipedal animations and some knowledge of first person animation.
• An understanding of motion capture editing (re-posing, re-timing and 'plusing' mocap data).
• Familiarity animating cameras, together with an understanding of cinematography.
• Experience working closely with other domains - especially Designers, Engineers and Artists.
• A proactive work ethic and a sense of responsibility for the continued success of Apex Legends.

Responsibilities

• Deliver powerful & believable animation performances in from initial blocking to final polish with style and personality in first and third person gameplay.
• Develop and apply strong knowledge of craft and content, from conceptualization (blocking, collaborating with mocap talent) through to realization (polished key‑framing/motion editing, implementation in the game)
• Work closely with Designers and members of all disciplines to ensure that we achieve responsive, immersive gameplay that feels rewarding to our players.
• Maintain communication across all relevant disciplines (production, design, art, audio, VFX) throughout the development of your areas of responsibility.
• Be proactive in assessing and evolving both workflow and player experience for Apex Legends.

Skills

Game development

Animation

Mocap editing

Tools

Autodesk Maya

Job description

Locations

• Los Angeles - Chatsworth, California, United States of America
• Vancouver - Great Northern Way
• British Columbia
• Canada
• Madison
• Wisconsin
• United States of America

Role ID

216556

Worker Type

Regular Employee

Studio/Department

Work Model

Hybrid

Description & Requirements

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Founded in 2010, Respawn was created with the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they’ll make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected. Respawn Entertainment is the Academy Award-winning studio behind critically acclaimed multi-platform games Apex Legends, Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. As a collective of creative developers, we have launched some of the industry’s most critically and commercially successful games. We truly love what we do and want to share our passion with players worldwide.

We are looking for a talented and experienced Gameplay Animator to join the Apex Legends Animation team. You are passionate about making games in a collaborative environment with a team of experienced developers and building player-first experiences. In this role you will help to establish and realize an immersive experience through remarkable animations and gameplay.

What you’ll do...

• Deliver powerful & believable animation performances in from initial blocking to final polish with style and personality in first and third person gameplay.
• Develop and apply strong knowledge of craft and content, from conceptualization (blocking, collaborating with mocap talent) through to realization (polished key‑framing/motion editing, implementation in the game)
• Work closely with Designers and members of all disciplines to ensure that we achieve responsive, immersive gameplay that feels rewarding to our players.
• Maintain communication across all relevant disciplines (production, design, art, audio, VFX) throughout the development of your areas of responsibility.
• Be proactive in assessing and evolving both workflow and player experience for Apex Legends.

Ideally you have...

• 3+ years of professional game development experience,
• A strong understanding of video game animation development
• Proficiency in a 3D animation package such as Autodesk Maya
• Experience creating behaviors and full body/bipedal animations and some knowledge of first person animation
• An understanding of motion capture editing (re-posing, re-timing and 'plusing' mocap data)
• Familiarity animating cameras, together with an understanding of cinematography.
• Experience working closely with other domains - especially Designers, Engineers and Artists
• A proactive work ethic and a sense of responsibility for the continued success of Apex Legends
• Strong animation talent & experience outside of games will be considered.

Pay Transparency - North America

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

PAY RANGES

Pay is just one part of the overall compensation at EA.

In the US, we offer a package of benefits including paid time off (3 weeks per year to start), 80 hours per year of sick time, 16 paid company holidays per year, 10 weeks paid time off to bond with baby, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and other incentive programs.

For Canada, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and other incentive programs.

About Electronic Arts

We're proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.