At Ember Lab, our goal is to create powerful, transformative experiences that impact people for a lifetime. Having released our debut game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, in 2021 this journey is just beginning. We’re looking for collaborative team members who share our passion for storytelling and are eager to help us shape the future of Ember Lab.
The Role
We’re seeking an Environment Artist with a focus on environment collision who understands how collision fundamentally shapes player experience, movement, flow, readability, and immersion. This role blends technical precision with artistic intent, ensuring our worlds feel intuitive, responsive, and beautifully crafted.
You’ll collaborate closely with Design, Environment Art, and QA to create collision that supports traversal, complements visual design, and reinforces the emotional experience of our worlds.
Responsibilities
- Build, refine, and maintain level collision in Unreal Engine (UE5) to support gameplay needs and artistic direction.
- Use Unreal Engine and 3D software to create accurate, high-quality custom collisions.
- Ensure player movement, traversal routes, sound tagging, and navigation flags feel smooth, grounded, and intentional.
- Collaborate with multiple disciplines to ensure collision enhances both gameplay clarity and cinematic feel.
- Maintain a strong understanding of overall level and gameplay design to inform collision decisions.
- Own collision across multiple maps or areas, working efficiently to meet milestones while preserving quality and polish.
Qualifications
- 3+ years of professional experience as a game artist, designer, or technical designer.
- Hands-on experience implementing collision in a game engine.
- Working knowledge of Maya or 3ds Max in a production environment.
- Strong technical problem-solving skills paired with an artistic eye.
- Ability to self-manage, communicate clearly, and collaborate across disciplines.
- Passion for crafting memorable worlds and delivering polished player experiences.
- Experience on a shipped AAA or high-quality indie title is a plus.
- QA or gameplay testing experience is helpful but not required.
This is a short-term role expected to last approximately six months, with an hourly rate of $30–$40, depending on location and experience.
Top Skills
What We Do
Founded in 2009 by brothers Josh and Mike Grier as an animation and digital content creator, Ember Lab’s vision is to create immersive and evocative stories with characters that resonate and worlds that inspire. Ember Lab originally specialized in character development for advertising. The studio’s commercial work includes ad campaigns and animated shorts developed from concept to completion for The Coca-Cola Company, Hisense, and Major League Baseball.
The company’s culture is based on a highly collaborative environment that melds the creative and production processes. In the studio, the lines between technical and artistic development tend to disappear as teams focus on delivering fantastic and innovative experiences.
Ember Lab produced the award-winning short film, Dust, and the acclaimed Majora’s Mask fan film, Terrible Fate. The success of their commercial and independent projects led them to develop their passion project and first game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Releasing August 24 on PS4, PS5, and the Epic Games Store, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is now available for preorder.
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