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 Principal Animation Artist at Riot you will define craft standards, coach the animation team and influence other disciplines, including VFX artists, character artists, and rigging technical artists. You will help direct the animation experience and communicate that vision to team members.  A great reel will showcase a diverse selection of character-driven and interactive animation, and a strong foundation in the principles of animation, including weight, anticipation, and impact. Your craft expertise will breathe life into iconic and beloved characters for players.

As an Principal Animation Artist on our Unpublished R&D Product you will be responsible for all aspects of player-facing animation systems and character performance from early ideation to final shipping quality release. Your critical eye for quality and appeal will help strengthen our animation style. Your past experience as an animator will enable you to translate the gameplay and thematics of League of Legends Champions into the game medium.

Responsibilities:

• Set an animation vision based on the game design that embodies the creative direction.
• Develop and refine Animation Style and Process Guides.
• Work with the cross-functional teams to create memorable and expressive character moments.
• Understand League of Legends characters and recognize opportunities to enhance champion expression.
• Meet project deadlines in a timely manner without compromising artistic integrity.
• Consistently communicate with the team by giving and receiving feedback, directing next steps, and providing clear goals and outcomes to your team.
• Guide and give feedback to animation outsourcing partners.

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of professional experience working in Maya
• Proficient in using Unreal Engine.
• Excellent execution skills, capable of actively cooperating with project milestones.
• Complete project experience, with at least one launched game project experience.
• Familiar with the League of Legends IP and art style.
• Fluent in Mandarin Chinese

Desired Qualifications:.

• Experience collaborating with design partners on player-facing systems.
• Passionate for interactive entertainment  and focused on player experience.
• Strong understanding of character performance within interactive environments.
• Strong pre-vis and storytelling animation skills.
• Fluent in English

As a part of the application process, you will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an art test.

Don’t forget to include a resume and cover letter. We receive a lot of applications, but we’ll notice a fun, well-written intro that shows us you take play seriously.

SALES AND LICENSING

What We Do

We drive adoption and usage for Unreal Engine and provide our customers with the tools and support to make amazing visual projects in the Unreal Engine.

What You'll Do

You will work as a Solution Architect in the Animation vertical of our Unreal Engine Customer Success team. The ideal candidate has several years of hands-on production experience as an Animator. In this role, you will work with customers and potential customers to help them understand the value of the Unreal Engine. You will assess their needs for their projects and offer them support tools, both online and in person, to help them build their projects. Some travel will be involved.

In this role, you will

• Engage in short-term (weeks to months) consulting engagements with clients, assessing their needs for adoption and success with UE
• Demonstrate the value of the Unreal Engine in solving industry-specific challenges
• Effectively identify customer needs and risks, outlining deliverables and scoping work to address them
• Recommend workflows and optimizations based on industry expertise and best practices. Collaborate well and grow cross-functional relationships to ensure alignment across teams
• Work with Sales and Support to develop effective onboarding plans and assist in implementing them as needed. Partner with technical resources in Support, engaging assistance onsite or remotely when appropriate
• Monitor progress against plans and deliverables, effectively communicating progress and managing scope. Communicate effectively with various stakeholders, both internally and externally, keeping them informed and effectively delivering high-touch support
• In partnership with the learning team, provide mentoring and hands-on training for clients, give live demonstrations, and interact with users at events and festivals

What we're looking for

• Hands-on experience using the Unreal Engine in animation projects
• 4+ years in a customer-facing role (e.g., Sales, Support, Training), ideally supervising projects or as a project lead
• 4+ years of experience in Animation
• Extensive experience with Animation software and workflows
• Demonstrated ability to exhibit amazing problem-solving skills daily, viewing each new problem as an opportunity for success
• Track record of approaching challenges creatively and methodically, seeing them through to final resolution
• Ability to communicate with varying levels of stakeholders and build relationships effectively
• Must live in China and be fluent in Chinese and English
• Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time

EPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFE

We pay 100% for benefits for both employees and dependents. Our current benefits package includes supplemental basic medical, dental, vision and life insurance as well as disability. We also offer an employee paid voluntary top up medical plan, and a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents.