3D Character Artist - Unpublished R&D Product

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 a Character Artist at Riot, you will bring champions to life by creating and texturing high and low poly models. You will help craft some of the most iconic characters in the world of gaming. Your sculpting skills, artistic eye and keen understanding of anatomy, form, and color will lead the way in character creation. Working within both technical and design constraints, you will use your knowledge of proportions, anatomy and readability to ensure models are optimized in game. Your craft expertise, high-level execution and attention to detail will enrich the player’s immersive experience.

As a 3D Character Artist on the Unpublished R&D Product, you will translate character concepts into game-ready assets that meet technical and design requirements. You will contribute throughout the character production process, from concept to final implementation, and collaborate with multiple disciplines and external partners to deliver consistently high-quality character assets. You will create appealing, distinctive, and readable characters that help deliver a high-quality player experience. You will report into the Art Director of the team.

Responsibilities:

• Use your knowledge of stylized character art to create high-quality 3D character models.
• Interpret and execute character concepts while considering technical and design constraints such as polygon counts, texture memory, and topology.
• Understand the complete asset creation process, from concept design, modeling, baking, and texturing through successful integration into the game.
• Review and provide guidance on character content created by external partners, helping maintain stylistic consistency, quality standards, and project budgets.
• Collaborate with other teams and disciplines to plan and drive the production and delivery of character assets.
• Help mature character asset pipelines and establish best practices for high-quality and efficient asset creation.
• Maintain a strong focus on in-game performance, readability, and long-term maintainability while meeting the visual quality bar.

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of professional character modeling experience.
• Experience with stylized rendering or cel-shaded rendering.
• Experience shipping game content.
• Professional experience with modeling, sculpting, baking, and texturing tools such as Maya, ZBrush, Substance, and Photoshop.
• Strong understanding of stylized shape language, with the ability to represent a wide range of character looks through an economy of form and detail.
• Understanding of technical constraints, performance requirements, and in-game integration workflows for character assets.
• Strong cross-functional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with Design, Technical Art, Engineering, and external partners.
• Strong ownership and problem-solving skills, with the ability to move work forward consistently within clear goals and complex constraints.
• Proficiency in Mandarin Chinese

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working closely with Technical Art.
• Experience using Unreal Engine.
• A broad 3D skill set including polygon modeling, sculpting, basic rigging and animation, painting, and presentation.
• Experience on games or projects centered on character experiences.
• Experience managing external partners, reviewing character assets, or collaborating on outsourcing workflows.
• Familiarity with character asset optimization, material creation, or real-time rendering workflows.
• Proficiency in English.

Application Materials:

Please provide a portfolio highlighting high-quality 3D character work, stylized characters, character modeling, sculpting, texturing, and final in-game results. Whenever possible, please clarify your responsibilities, tools, technical constraints, and individual contributions to each project.

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!