Blizzard Entertainment

Team Name:

Unannounced Project

Job Title:

Associate Art Director, Characters - Unannounced Game

Requisition ID:

R022864

Job Description:

At Blizzard, we craft genre-defining games and legendary worlds for all to share. Through unparalleled creativity and storytelling, we create immersive universes and iconic characters that are beloved across platforms, borders, backgrounds, and generations - only made possible by building a work environment that nurtures the artistry of game development and unleashes the aspirations of our people.

As an Associate Art Director, Characters, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the visual identity and aesthetics of our game through the creation and direction of character art. You will collaborate closely with the Art Director, Game Designers, and other members of the art team to bring our exciting worlds to life with compelling and memorable characters. 

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 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:

• Conceptualize, design, and oversee the creation of characters that align with the game's art direction, narrative, and gameplay requirements.
• Work closely with artists and outsource partners to provide clear direction, feedback, and guidance to ensure the quality and consistency of character art throughout development.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Game Designers, Writers, and Animators to ensure that character art effectively supports the overall vision and goals of the project.
• Demonstrate a high-bar for character art through practical work in early development. 
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends, techniques, and best practices in character art and contribute to the continuous improvement of art pipelines and workflows.
• Give and receive constructive feedback in a collaborative environment, and iterate on character designs to achieve the desired visual impact and gameplay functionality.
• Communicate effectively with team members, stakeholders, and external partners to ensure alignment on artistic goals, timelines, and deliverables.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience or applicable combination of education and experience crafting video game art; 5 of which provide a special focus in character art and design. 
• Shipped at least one AAA project as a creative leader.
• Experience providing strategic leadership in the art discipline on AAA titles.
• Extensive experience developing a unique and cohesive visual style in a team environment.
• Proven track record of delivering clear and consistent visual feedback that elevates the art team’s work.
• A desire to work closely with game design to make sure the game's art improves the player experience.
• An ability and desire to explore a wide variety of ideas to push our project’s art style.
• Strong portfolio showcasing proficiency in character design, illustration, and visual storytelling.
• Proficiency in industry-standard art tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, ZBrush, or equivalent software.
• Strong understanding of anatomy, form, color theory, and composition.
• Experience with 3D modeling, texturing, and rigging.

Nice to Have

• The initiative to solve problems with excellent follow-through.
• You shine in a collaborative work culture, and truly enjoy working with others.
• Passion for games and a deep appreciation for the role of art in interactive storytelling.
• Familiarity with AAA game engines.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! 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 accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

Our World

At Blizzard Entertainment, we pour our hearts and souls into everything we create. Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, we’ve been creating genre-defining games for millions of players around the world for more than 30 years. We’re on a quest: bring our dreams to life and craft the most epic entertainment experiences…ever. Hard work, iteration and polish go into the Blizzard “secret recipe,” but the most important ingredients come from talented people who share our vision. If that sounds like you, join us.

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

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.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• 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.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $124,400.00 - $230,300.00 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.