At Turtle Rock, we make the games we want to play. We're dedicated to providing a collaborative environment where our team members feel empowered with the creative freedom to contribute and grow. While we are based in Orange County, CA, we support flexible work arrangements ranging from in-studio, hybrid, to fully remote throughout North America. Join our award-winning game development team and help create our next hit title.
We are seeking an Associate Character Artist who shares our passion for crafting lifelike characters and creatures with our team. As an Associate Character Artist, you’ll work closely with senior artists, concept artists, and technical teams to create high-quality, unforgettable 3D characters that meet the studio’s artistic and technical standards. This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career artist to grow our team and make an impact on enjoyable, dynamic, and immersive gameplay experiences. This position will report to the Lead Character Artist.
Responsibilities- Work closely with the Character Art Team to help create industry-leading, appealing characters that contribute to immersive and memorable gameplay experiences
- Assist in sculpting and modeling realistic human and creature characters using ZBrush, Maya, and 3DS Max
- Create game-ready assets, including low-poly models, UVs, and PBR textures
- Implement and test characters in Unreal Engine 5, ensuring they meet performance and visual targets
- Collaborate with Animation, Engineering, and Technical Art teams to ensure proper deformation and functionality
- Take feedback constructively and iterate quickly to achieve the team’s artistic vision
- Stay up to date on industry tools, workflows, and trends in realistic character creation
- Work closely with Production team to keep them informed of relevant tasks and related information
- Collaborate across departments to achieve project goals
- Playtest with art teams and the studio to iterate based on playtest feedback and player experience
- 1–3 years of experience (or equivalent education/training) creating 3D characters for games
- A portfolio showing realistic character models and attention to detail
- Strong understanding of anatomy, proportions, and surface detail
- Proficiency with ZBrush, Maya, and/or 3DS Max
- Experience with Substance Painter/Designer, Marvelous Designer, or Photoshop
- Familiarity with Unreal Engine 5 workflows
- Basic understanding of PBR texturing and real-time optimization
- A great team-player: Self-motivated with good communication skills
- Able to accurately follow common goals and tasks whilst working under own initiative
- An understanding of all current generation character art production workflows
- Strong understanding of physically based shaders and rendering
- Experience with AAA First or Third Person action titles a big plus
- Familiarity with asset tracking and issue tracking tools such as Perforce and JIRA a plus
Some of the benefits and perks our employees get to enjoy, include:
- 100% Medical, Dental, Vision Coverage for you and your family
- 401k Matching
- Student Loan Repayment Plan / College Savings Plan
- Career Improvement Plan
- Flexible Work Arrangements - In-House, Hybrid, and Remote
- Generous Time Off Policy
- Company Events - In-Person + Virtual Events
- Fully Stocked Kitchen + Sponsored Food Trucks
The estimated base pay range for this role is: $60,000 - $78,000 USD
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, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
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, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Top Skills
What We Do
Founded in 2002, we are Turtle Rock Studios, a multi-project, award-winning independent developer located in the heart of Orange County, CA. We thrive in an open, collaborative environment which is led to this day by co-founders Chris Ashton and Phil Robb.
Our past projects consist of AAA Competitive / Co-Op shooters: Left4Dead and Evolve.
We're gamers who believe in iteration, so we work alongside our community to make our, and their, gameplay dreams reality.
We are currently working on several VR titles, along with an unannounced project. We are always looking for top tier talent to add to our development team.
To learn more about our team and culture, visit www.turtlerockstudios.com/our-studio/
For specific job listings visit www.turtlerockstudios.com/careers/
