Animator, Gameplay (Gamedev)

TL;DR

Animator, Gameplay (Gamedev): Bringing characters to life for Overwatch through high-quality animations with an accent on responsiveness and expressive gameplay. Focus on collaborating with designers and engineers to innovate the animation pipeline and ensure gameplay readability.

Location: Hybrid or on-site in Irvine, CA

Salary: $29.81 - $55.14 Hourly

Company

Premier developer and publisher of iconic entertainment experiences including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft.

What you will do

• Create high-quality gameplay animations for real-time characters and in-game assets.
• Support the development of hero animation style guides, prototypes, and early visualization work.
• Collaborate with artists, designers, and engineers to ensure assets support gameplay and technical requirements.
• Partner with lead animators to improve animation workflows, tools, and pipeline processes.
• Participate in creative discussions and team reviews as part of the broader Overwatch team.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in game development focusing on character animation.
• Proficiency in Maya or a similar 3D animation package.
• Strong understanding of animation fundamentals for responsive, expressive gameplay.
• Ability to create appealing character performances that support design intent.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills for cross-disciplinary teamwork.

Nice to have

• Experience shipping at least one game as an animator.
• Experience working in Unreal Engine or similar game engines.
• Experience animating first-person / viewmodel animation.
• Familiarity with rigging, modelling, VFX, 2D animation, or technical art.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and health savings accounts.
• 401(k) with company match and tuition reimbursement.
• Paid holidays, vacation, sick time, and parental leave.
• Mental health, wellbeing, and fitness programs.
• Free and discounted games.