Who We Are
The Gearbox Entertainment Company is home to a world-class team that entertains the world with award-winning and genre-defining video games. Our games are entrenched with rich universes that are expanded upon via transmedia storytelling, live experiences, and consumer products. Gearbox Entertainment has become widely known for developing successful game franchises such as Borderlands, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, and Brothers in Arms, as well for continued development of acquired properties including Duke Nukem, Risk of Rain, and Homeworld.
The company was founded as Gearbox Software in 1999 by a team of industry veterans and is headquartered in Frisco, Texas. The Gearbox Entertainment Company is proud to be part of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
For more information, visit www.GearboxSoftware.com.
What We Are Looking For
The Senior VFX Artist works across all our titles and interacts directly with the VFX Director, Art Directors, and Designers to create world-class special effects that push the technical boundaries of Unreal Engine 5, Xbox, and PlayStation. This role is open to VFX artists of all levels.
Responsibilities
Work with the visual effects team to create impressive real-time particle systems.
Build elegant materials in Unreal Engine 5 for particle systems and world geometry.
Create memory-efficient texture assets using programs like Adobe Photoshop, Substance Designer, Houdini, or Embergen.
Produce basic 3D models, UV mapping, and simple animations when necessary.
Meet style and quality targets established by the Art Director.
Work closely with the Technical Art Director and Lead Artist to understand and, if necessary, establish production processes that consider the technical constraints of the game.
Participate in meetings to discuss the implementation of visual effects with the goal of conveying gameplay concepts and meeting our aesthetic objectives.
Qualifications
6+ years of experience as a VFX Artist in the video game industry.
Shipped at least 2 multiplatform titles.
Experience with Unreal and Houdini.
Experience with 3DS Max (or Maya), Substance Designer, and Photoshop.
Ability to collaborate within a multidisciplinary team.
Curiosity and a desire to improve our methods.
Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems.
Demonstrable mastery of artistic concepts and common practices.
Knowledge of the limitations of console games with fixed technical specifications.
Good understanding of the general art pipeline in a game studio.
Understanding of individual impact on performance in relation to the project's frame rate objectives.
Enthusiastic, positive, and team-oriented attitude.
Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity
Gearbox Entertainment is committed to ensuring that all team members work in an environment free from discrimination and harassment, and one that reflects the diversity of the world it strives to entertain. As an equal opportunity employer, Gearbox Entertainment does not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.
Gearbox Entertainment is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential functions of a job, and to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by individuals without disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point during the job application process, please contact us for more information.
#LI-Remote
Please note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.
Skills Required
- 6+ years of experience as a VFX Artist in the video game industry
- Shipped at least 2 multiplatform titles
- Experience with Unreal Engine (Unreal Engine 5)
- Experience with Houdini
- Experience with 3DS Max or Maya
- Experience with Substance Designer
- Experience with Adobe Photoshop
- Ability to create memory-efficient texture assets (Embergen listed as example)
- Ability to produce basic 3D models, UV mapping, and simple animations when necessary
- Knowledge of console technical limitations and performance/frame rate impacts
- Strong collaboration within multidisciplinary teams and communication with Art/Technical Directors
- Demonstrable artistic mastery, problem-solving ability, curiosity, and desire to improve methods
2K Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) plan and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan are part of the standard package as presented on the careers site. Employer-verified listings also confirm these retirement programs.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid parental leave, generous compassionate leave, and a companywide end‑of‑year break are highlighted alongside paid holidays and PTO. These offerings indicate broad coverage for time away from work.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Fitness reimbursements, on‑site/virtual classes, stocked kitchens, free or subsidized meals, commuter benefits, and dog‑friendly offices are widely cited, with some studios calling out mental‑wellness support like Headspace. These perks extend support beyond core insurance into day‑to‑day wellbeing.
2K Insights
What We Do
2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company, publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Our studios responsible for developing 2K’s portfolio of world-class games across multiple platforms, include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, 31st Union, and HB Studios. Our portfolio of titles is expanding due to our global strategic plan, building and acquiring exciting studios whose content continues to inspire all of us! 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including sports, shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment. Our team of engineers, marketers, artists, writers, data scientists, producers, thinkers and doers, are the professional publishing stewards of our growing library of critically-acclaimed franchises such as NBA 2K, 2K PGA, Battleborn, BioShock, Borderlands, The Quarry, The Darkness, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, WWE 2K, and XCOM. At 2K, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work! We encourage ALL applicants to explore our global positions, even if they don’t meet every requirement for the role. If you're interested in the job and think you have what it takes to work at 2K, we encourage you to apply!
Why Work With Us
We pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work! We push ourselves creatively to do the best work of our careers. We’re direct, open, and you’ll probably meet some new best friends – along with their dogs – sitting nearby. In short, it’s kinda awesome.
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2K Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
We are a blend of onsite, hybrid, and remote roles. Please refer to individual job descriptions for more details on location.
