Senior VFX Artist - Unpublished R&D Product

Riot Games; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Riot Games is seeking a Senior VFX Artist to join the Real-Time VFX team for the Unpublished R&D Product. You will help establish VFX quality standards, collaborate with design, animation, engineering, and narrative, and deliver high-quality in-game effects that enhance gameplay.

The role focuses on leading visual exploration, defining timing and readability, and translating creative direction into production-ready VFX using Unreal Engine.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional experience in game VFX or real-time visual effects.
• Strong command of VFX and art fundamentals, including timing, rhythm, color, composition, motion, layering, material expression, and readability.
• Experience with Unreal Engine and real-time VFX production workflows; Niagara or comparable tools is a plus.
• Fluency in Mandarin Chinese.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Senior VFX Artists, Art Director, and cross-functional leaders to establish and improve VFX standards, guidelines, and quality goals.
• Lead early visual exploration, defining timing, color, composition, motion, layering, readability; translate direction into production standards.
• Create high-quality in-game VFX using Unreal Engine and related toolchains across prototyping to final implementation.
• Solve artistic and technical challenges; explore new VFX techniques to improve quality and efficiency.
• Collaborate with Gameplay Design, Animation, Technical Art, Engineering, Narrative and partners to align goals with gameplay.
• Provide clear feedback to internal artists and external partners, including demonstrations and revision guidance.
• Support performance, asset standards, and runtime stability; drive timely resolution of VFX issues.
• Help develop team workflows and training for new members and partners.

Skills

Unreal Engine

Real-time VFX

VFX design

Cross-functional collaboration

Mandarin Chinese

Art fundamentals

Tools

Houdini

Substance

Photoshop

Maya

Blender

Job description

Riot Games was established in 2006 by entrepreneurial gamers who believe that player-focused game development can result in great games. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to critical and player acclaim. As the most played video game in the world, over 100 million play every month. Players form the foundation of our community and it’s for them that we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience.

We’re looking for humble but ambitious, razor-sharp professionals who can teach us a thing or two. We promise to return the favor. Like us, you take play seriously; you’re passionate about games. We embrace those who see things differently, aren’t afraid to experiment, and who have a healthy disregard for constraints.

That's where you come in.

As part of the Real-Time VFX team, you’ll design and help implement the sleek, dynamic and dramatic special effects that add atmosphere and depth to gameplay. With your experience, you’ll create aesthetically astounding visual effects that communicate essential game information. You’ll use your artistic and technical skills to breathe life into undead spells, channel primal emotions and capture the essence of hundreds of champions.

As a Senior VFX Artist on the Unpublished R&D Product, you will help establish the project's VFX quality bar and work closely with Design, Animation, Technical Art, Engineering, Narrative, and external partners to deliver high-quality content. You will report into the Art Director of the team.

Responsibilities

• Partner with fellow Senior VFX Artists, the Art Director, and cross-functional leaders to establish and continuously improve VFX visual standards, production guidelines, and quality goals.
• Lead early visual exploration, defining timing, color, composition, motion, layering, and readability, and translating creative direction into actionable production standards.
• Create high-quality in-game VFX using Unreal Engine and related real-time VFX toolchains, contributing across the full process from creative exploration and prototyping through final implementation and iteration.
• Solve complex artistic and technical challenges while exploring new VFX techniques, workflows, and tools that improve the team's visual quality and production efficiency.
• Collaborate closely with Gameplay Design, Animation, Technical Art, Engineering, Narrative, and other partner teams to clarify goals, align expectations, and ensure that the visual experience supports gameplay.
• Provide clear, specific, and actionable feedback to internal artists and external partners, including demonstrations, revision guidance, and paintovers when needed, ensuring that final work meets the project's visual direction and readability standards.
• Partner with Technical Art and Engineering to support performance, asset standards, runtime stability, and cross-scenario adaptability, and help drive timely resolution of VFX-related technical issues.
• Help develop team workflows, training materials, and shared knowledge that enable new team members and external partners to understand and meet project standards.

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of professional experience in game VFX or real-time visual effects, with experience shipping or developing full game projects.
• Strong command of VFX and art fundamentals, including timing, rhythm, color, composition, motion, layering, material expression, and visual readability.
• Strong aesthetic judgment and visual communication skills, with the ability to create and iterate efficiently within an established art direction.
• Experience with Unreal Engine and real-time VFX production workflows; experience with Niagara or comparable tools is a plus.
• Ability to translate abstract creative goals into clear visual solutions, production standards, and actionable feedback.
• Strong cross-functional communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines, cultures, and regions.
• Fluency in Mandarin Chinese.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience establishing VFX guidelines, quality standards, or production workflows from the ground up.
• Experience managing external partners, mentoring partner teams, or collaborating with distributed teams.
• Familiarity with Houdini, Substance, Photoshop, Maya, Blender, or other relevant tools.
• Fluency in English.

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!