Jr Prop Artist

Studio Wildcard; Bellevue, Washington (WA, Washington County); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Studio Wildcard in Redmond, WA is seeking a talented Prop Artist to help shape ARK II and the expanding ARK universe. You will craft high‑impact models and textures for hard surface and organic assets, collaborating with designers, programmers, and other artists to balance visuals and performance.

Requirements include a game development degree or shipped title as a Prop Artist or mod experience, and proficiency with Blender, ZBrush, and Substance Painter; Unreal Engine and ARK familiarity are a

Qualifications

• Game development degree or shipped title as Prop Artist OR game mod creation experience.
• Proficiency with Blender, ZBrush and Substance Painter.
• Strong understanding of asset creation tools and techniques.

Responsibilities

• Work with artists, designers and programmers to craft next-gen assets.
• Create models and textures for hard surface and organic game assets using high/low baking and weighted normals workflows.
• Iterate on assets with cross-functional teams through prototyping and critiques.
• Maintain balance between visual quality and performance requirements.

Skills

Self-motivation

Communication

Time management

Team player

Education

Game development degree

Tools

Blender

ZBrush

Substance Painter

Job description

We're Studio Wildcard, developers of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved -- one of the most popular and original video games in recent years. Despite our massive success, we've been able to stay independent, so that we can steer our own future in games and beyond. There's never been a better time for you to join this adventure and help us build ARK II, the next chapter of our original hit franchise! We're expanding and updating many of the ARK community's most beloved features, while taking full advantage of the latest tools and technologies. And now we're searching for an exceptionally talented and passionate Prop Artist who can create high-impact work for the expanding ARK franchise.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with other artists, designers and programmers to help craft compelling and visually striking next gen assets.
• Create models and textures for both hard surface and soft surface/organic game assets varying from simple handheld items to large and complex architectural pieces using both high/low baking and weighted normals workflows.
• Iterate on game assets with cross functional teams and leads through prototyping and critiques.
• Maintain a balance between visual quality and performance requirements.
• Work with, and contribute to other ad hoc areas when needed.

Requirements

• Game development degree, at least 1 shipped title as a Prop Artist, and/or game mod creation experience.
• Software: Blender, ZBrush, Substance Painter
• Great understanding of current asset creation tools and techniques.
• Substantial examples of current and past work demonstrating strong understanding of shape, perspective, and texture.
• Strong self-motivation, great communication, time management skills, and awesome team-player attitude
• Capable of mastering new pipelines and tech tools.
• Passion for games and gaming.

Pluses

• Experience working in the Unreal Engine.
• Ability to create organic sculpted assets in addition to hard surface assets.
• Midpoly and weighted normals workflows.
• Familiarly with ARK: Survival Evolved
• Substance Designer experience.
• UE5 Material experience.

Required Application Materials

• Resume
• Portfolio link
• NOTE: Application generally requires a small art test during the second phase.

About Studio Wildcard

Studio Wildcard was founded in 2014 by industry veterans Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak, with the mission of bringing AAA quality to ambitious indie productions designed for core gamers. With countless years of combined industry experience across multiple independent and studio-backed titles, Wildcard's core team continues to grow, with offices in Redmond, WA and Gainesville, FL including distributed team members across multiple continents.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Wildcard is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws, regulations or ordinances. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to disability during the application or the recruiting process, please let us know.

Pay Transparency Information

The expected annual base pay range(s) for this position vary based on a variety of factors, which include: (but aren't limited to) skills, competencies, qualifications, knowledge, and experience. Each pay range is only relevant to those residing in WA state and can vary based on geographical location.

Wildcard Benefits

We pay 100% of all premiums for the employee and discounted rates for dependent premiums. Our coverage includes Medical (5 different plans to choose from), Dental, Vision, Short Term and Long Term Disability, Life Insurance, 401(k) option, 100% covered Parental Leave, PTO, Paid Holidays, Unlimited Sick Time, and FSA/ HSA options