Senior Game Environment Artist

Placements24; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 420,000 - 640,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health benefits

Professional development

Work-life balance

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Game Environment Artist to join our Stellenbosch studio. You will create immersive, high-fidelity environments, craft levels, and optimize assets for real-time rendering in Unreal Engine or Unity.

The role emphasizes collaboration with designers and art directors to achieve a cohesive visual language across projects. The ideal candidate shows a strong portfolio of shipped titles, expert 3D modelling, texturing, and lighting skills, and a passion for environmental

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Game Environment Artist with shipped titles.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating diverse environment art.
• Proficiency in 3D modeling, texturing, and lighting.
• Experience with PBR workflows and game engines.
• Excellent collaboration and communication.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality 3D environment assets.
• Construct and texture game levels with lighting and mood.
• Implement and optimize assets in Unreal Engine or Unity.
• Collaborate with level designers to support gameplay and narrative.
• Develop environment art style guides and asset libraries.
• Optimize environments for performance.
• Mentor junior environment artists.
• Stay current with industry trends.

Skills

3D modeling

Texturing

Lighting

Unreal Engine

Unity

Art direction interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Game Art or related field

Tools

Maya

3ds Max

ZBrush

Substance Painter

Substance Designer

Photoshop

Job description

About the Role

Our client is a critically acclaimed game development studio recognized for its visually stunning and immersive worlds. We are looking for a talented Senior Game Environment Artist to join our creative team in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. This role is central to building the rich and believable environments that define our games. You will be responsible for creating high-quality 3D assets, establishing the visual style and mood of game levels, and ensuring that environments are both artistically compelling and technically optimized for real-time rendering. The ideal candidate possesses a keen eye for detail, a strong understanding of environmental storytelling, and a mastery of 3D modeling, texturing, and lighting techniques within game engines. You will collaborate closely with level designers, technical artists, and art directors to bring virtual worlds to life with breathtaking fidelity and polish. We offer a stimulating work environment where creativity is encouraged, and innovation is key to our success. This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute your skills to projects that reach millions of players worldwide and to grow your career within a leading studio known for its artistic excellence and cutting-edge technology. Join us in crafting unforgettable gaming experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Create high-quality 3D environment assets, including props, foliage, architecture, and terrain, adhering to project art direction and technical constraints.
• Construct and texture game levels, focusing on composition, lighting, mood, and player navigation.
• Implement and optimize environment assets within a game engine (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Collaborate with level designers to ensure environments support gameplay mechanics and narrative elements.
• Develop and maintain environment art style guides and asset libraries.
• Optimize environments for performance, ensuring smooth frame rates and efficient memory usage.
• Work closely with technical artists to troubleshoot issues and develop new tools or workflows for environment creation.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to junior environment artists, fostering their artistic and technical growth.
• Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies in environment art and game development.

Requirements

• Proven experience as a Game Environment Artist, with a strong portfolio showcasing exceptional environment art for shipped titles.
• Expert proficiency in 3D modeling software (e.g., Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush).
• Advanced skills in 3D texturing and material creation using software like Substance Painter/Designer, Photoshop.
• Strong experience with game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity, including level assembly and lighting.
• Understanding of PBR (Physically Based Rendering) workflows and best practices.
• Excellent sense of composition, color, lighting, and form.
• Ability to interpret and execute art direction effectively.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Game Art, Computer Graphics, Fine Arts, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Benefits

Our client offers a highly competitive salary, comprehensive health and wellness benefits, and generous opportunities for professional development and career advancement. You'll work in a modern, inspiring studio environment equipped with the latest technology. Enjoy a collaborative and creative culture that values innovation and artistic expression. We offer excellent work-life balance initiatives and opportunities to attend industry events. This role provides the chance to contribute to high-profile game titles and work alongside a team of passionate industry veterans, significantly enhancing your portfolio and career trajectory.