VFX Artist - Hearthstone | Irvine, CA

Arcane Explosion and Ancient Healing! Claw and Cleave! Bane of Doom! The Hearthstone team is looking for an FX artist to create evocative visual effects in the fun and whimsical style that is synonymous with Hearthstone. You’ll develop real time FX from concept to implementation and work to maintain a consistent aesthetic across all the FX in the game. The ideal candidate has a strong grasp of color, texture, shape and timing as relates to FX and a real passion for gameplay and storytelling. 

Do you have experience working with in-game VFX systems and 3D packages to build everything from fire, slime, and magic to pack openings and legendary summons, as well as a general understanding of good gameplay communication? Do you also have a deep understanding of the principles of anticipation, follow-though, staging, and other facets of animation? If so, we need you! 

If you’re ready to work alongside a team of the best artists, engineers, designers, and producers in the world and enjoy the support of a company whose culture is all about collaborative game development, we want to hear from you!  

Responsibilities 

• Creation of handcrafted visual effects to be used in real-time game assets 

• Technical setup, implementation, and troubleshooting of VFX in Unity 

• Work with lead artists to ensure timely completion of fabulous VFX assets

• Serve as an active participant in team art discussions, critiques, and reviews 

Requirements 

• Experience with crafting consistently charming, eye-catching, real-time effects using Photoshop, Maya, and in-game FX systems 

• 5+ years in the games industry, AAA game experience preferred 

• Proven game design awareness and an exceptional collaborator 

• Superior eye for lighting, value, color, details, and the ability to use them in creating beautiful visual effects that support gameplay 

• Self-motivation, excellent interpersonal skills, and able to work within a team 

• Positive demeanor and able to receive and provide objective feedback 

• Passion for crafting charming and light-hearted imagery synonymous with Hearthstone 

Pluses 

• Experience creating real-time, in-game VFX for a variety of platforms from desktop to mobile 

• Familiarity with the Unity game engine 

• Technical skills such as experience shader authoring, scripting, or working with FSMs such as PlayMaker 

• Previous game production experience 

Application & Portfolio Materials 

• Cover Letter (optional) 

• Portfolio demonstrating relevant artistic skills required 

• Only online submissions will be accepted (e.g. website, blog, or online album) 

• Must be willing to complete an art test if required to do so 

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

 
Ready to Activate Your Future?   

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 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.  
 

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.