Lead Character Artist - Overwatch | Irvine, CA

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 99,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Paid holidays and vacation

Mental health & wellbeing programs

Job summary

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is seeking a Lead Character Artist for Overwatch in Irvine, CA. You will lead a team of character artists, shaping hero visuals, cosmetics, and pipelines while collaborating with designers, animators, and engineers to keep gameplay at the forefront.

The role requires 8+ years in character art, leadership, and expert Maya/ZBrush/Photoshop skills; hybrid on-site/remote work in Irvine area is supported.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in character art with leadership experience on AAA titles.
• Shipped at least one AAA title for PC or console.
• Expert-level Maya, ZBrush, and Photoshop skills.

Responsibilities

• Create high-resolution sculpts and final models with hand-authored textures.
• Collaborate with design, animation, VFX and tech art in an open pipeline.
• Lead and mentor a team of character artists, both internal and external.
• Coordinate tasks to meet project goals and deadlines.
• Drive best practices and pipeline improvements for the team.
• Ensure workloads are balanced and output remains high quality.

Skills

8+ years experience

Leadership experience

Character modeling

Art pipeline collaboration

Strong communication

Tools

Maya

ZBrush

Photoshop

Substance Painter

Blender

Job description

Team Name

Overwatch

Job Title

Lead Character Artist - Overwatch | Irvine, CA

Requisition ID

R027817

Tracer, Kiriko, Reinhardt, Genji… these are just a few of the memorable heroes that inhabit our world. We put our heart and soul into bringing these unique and visually stunning characters to life, and our ranks are growing. We want to meet a Lead Character Artist who is ready to help us grow the Overwatch universe. Blizzard is looking for a highly motivated and talented Lead Character Modeler to join our Overwatch art team in Irvine, California. In this role, you will use your modeling and surfacing skills to bring new heroes, cosmetics and much more that will expand the horizons of Overwatch. Your broader experience with game development and the character pipeline will help you work collaboratively with designers, concept artists, technical artists, VFX artists and animators to ensure that you are always putting gameplay first when it comes to developing amazing characters. In short, you’ll be part of a close-knit, collaborative community of artists, engineers, and designers whose sole goal is to make a truly epic and immersive game experience. Sound fun? If you’re up to the challenge of helping realize the next epic Blizzard title, we want to hear from you! This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this role is in Irvine, CA.

Responsibilities

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Create high-resolution sculpts and final game-resolution models with hand-authored textures using Photoshop. Combine traditional craftsmanship with next-gen materials to achieve Overwatch’s stylized aesthetic.
• Work closely with design, animation, VFX and technical art in an open, feedback-driven pipeline.
• Manage and provide guidance to a team of character artists (internal & external), fostering professional growth and ensuring high-quality output.
• Coordinate and delegate tasks to align with project goals and deadlines, adapting plans as priorities evolve.
• Facilitate regular team meetings and feedback sessions to maintain clear communication and a collaborative environment.
• Collaborate with production and other leads to manage resources, resolve challenges, and support cross-functional initiatives.
• Drive the development and adaptation of best practices, workflows, and pipeline improvements for the character art team.
• Lead and manage a team of character artists, providing clear direction, mentorship, and support for professional growth.
• Ensure a balanced workload across the team, prioritizing artist wellbeing while maintaining high-quality output.
• Coordinate and delegate tasks effectively to align with evolving project goals and production timelines.

Minimum Requirements

• Experience 8+ years of relevant professional experience, including experience leading or managing others. Shipped at least one AAA title for PC or console.

Knowledge & Skills

• Expert-level skills in Maya, ZBrush, and Photoshop.
• Deep understanding of anatomy, silhouette, and hard-surface modeling.
• Strong eye for light, shading, color, and detail in texture creation.
• Familiarity with next-gen asset pipelines and optimization techniques.
• Demonstrated proficiency in hard-surface poly modeling techniques.
• Strong communication and problem-solving abilities.
• Comfortable working in both large and small teams.
• A passion for games and interactive storytelling.

Pluses

• Familiarity with Blizzard’s visual style and a desire to evolve it.
• Experience designing visuals that support gameplay clarity.
• Skills in adjacent disciplines: illustration, animation, VFX, or tech art.
• Multiple years of experience leading educational, training, or mentorship initiatives.
• Contributions to a stylized or competitive multiplayer game.
• Proficient with modern content creation tools, including Substance Painter, Blender, and related applications.

Submission / Portfolio requirements

A cover letter is required. A portfolio and/or reel demonstrating relevant artistic skills is required. Only online artwork submissions will be accepted (e.g., website, blog, or online album). Candidates may be asked to complete an art test.

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. Our World Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world’s largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet! Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment.

Benefits

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered!

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others

If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Compensation

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $99,200.00 - $183,520.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process.

In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply. We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [e-mail]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

About Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment® is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software. After establishing the Blizzard Entertainment label in 1994, the company quickly became one of the most popular and well-respected makers of computer games. By focusing on creating well-designed, highly enjoyable entertainment experiences, Blizzard Entertainment has maintained an unparalleled reputation for quality since its inception.