Principal artist – game

Team Name:
Unannounced Project

Job Title:
Principal Concept Artist – Unannounced Game

Requisition ID:
R022932

Job Description:

Your Mission
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.

We are looking for a versatile and ground-breaking Principal Concept Artist to help us craft Blizzard’s next great game. As a key member of the development team, you will be responsible for delivering high-quality concept work across a variety of subjects. You will be tasked with providing inspirational artwork to bring our world to life. You are comfortable operating in a dynamic environment, navigating fluid deadlines, and changing priorities with purpose.

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.

What You bring to the table
In our fast-paced environment, priorities can shift, so your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Leadership and Collaboration: Work closely with the art director and other senior leaders to establish a cohesive vision and inspire the team to achieve artistic excellence

• Concept Art Creation: Produce a wide range of environment and character concept work to set visual targets and guide the 3D art team in asset creation

• Mentorship: Provide guidance and mentorship to junior artists, fostering an environment of learning and growth

• Flexibility: Engage in tasks beyond your comfort zone, contributing to various aspects of the game’s visual development

• Proactive Communication: Gather requirements and feedback from collaborators to ensure the artwork aligns with the team’s vision and inspires those around you

Minimum Requirements

Experience

• 10+ years in AAA game development with a track record of delivering high-quality concept art

• Must have shipped at least one major title in a senior role

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong proficiency in fundamental aspects of concept art, including composition, form, lighting, anatomy, color theory, and design. A robust portfolio highlighting your expertise and artistic breakdowns.

• Ability to prioritize and manage tasks efficiently, from first sketches to fully rendered key art

• A team-oriented approach to your work, understanding the importance of collaboration, and partnering with all departments

• The ability to inspire others with an enthusiastic approach to game development and improving core art skills

• Self-motivated ability to manage time independently. You know when to work quickly to generate conceptual ideas and when to focus and polish an image for public consumption

Extra Points

• Experience with early development R&D phases

• Mentorship experience, both professionally and artistically

• Broad understanding of game art teams beyond concept art (e.g., lighting, VFX, character art, environment art, animation)

• Interested in photography and cinema

• Proficiency with 3D software, game engines, and rendering tools

• A passion for playing a variety of video games

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!

The video game 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 the 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 [redacted]. 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.

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 $116,800.00 – $216,000.00 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. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.

Tagged as: 3D, Anatomy, Artwork, Collaboration, Color Theory, Composition, Creativity, Early, Leadership, Learning, Mentorship, Requisition, Storytelling, Visual Development