Senior II VFX Artist – Unannounced Game | Irvine, CA

Job Title

Senior II VFX Artist – Unannounced Game | Irvine, CA

Unannounced Project

R028002

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 cultivates the artistry of game development and unleashes the aspirations of our people.

We are looking for a Senior II VFX Artist to help craft a new, unannounced game for Blizzard. As a key member of the development team, you will be responsible for defining, creating, and implementing high-impact real-time VFX that strengthen moment-to-moment gameplay, support visual clarity, and elevate the player experience. You are comfortable operating in a dynamic environment, navigating fluid deadlines and changing priorities with purpose.

This role offers a flexible hybrid work week, with a mix of remote and on-site days. While hybrid is the standard arrangement, you’re also welcome to work on‑site full-time if you prefer. Our primary studio location is in Irvine, California.

• Create, implement, and refine real-time VFX for gameplay, characters, environments, and player-facing feedback across a new, unannounced game.
• Define visual and technical approaches for complex VFX work, balancing artistic quality, gameplay readability, performance, and maintainability.
• Partner with art, design, engineering, animation, audio, and production to align VFX execution with gameplay goals, technical constraints, and Blizzard quality standards.
• Prototype and validate VFX solutions in Unreal and related tools, then guide integration through established pipelines and engine workflows.
• Establish reusable VFX materials, systems, libraries, and documentation that support consistent implementation across the team.
• Identify risks, dependencies, and opportunities in VFX workflows, then propose practical solutions that improve quality and team efficiency.
• Provide craft guidance, feedback, and mentorship to VFX artists while helping raise the quality bar for the discipline.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional partners to ensure VFX choices support player comprehension, emotional impact, and long-term game needs.

Minimum Requirements

• 12+ years of experience creating real-time VFX for games or interactive media, delivering complex features and systems from concept through implementation.
• Expert-level real-time VFX experience in Unreal Engine, Niagara, or equivalent tools and engines.
• Demonstrated success as a senior or principal individual contributor, defining visual direction, solving complex technical challenges, and influencing quality across teams.
• Strong portfolio showcasing high-quality real-time VFX work, including breakdowns that demonstrate artistic judgment, technical execution, and implementation ownership.
• Expert understanding of real-time VFX fundamentals, including timing, motion, color, composition, readability, player feedback, and gameplay support.
• Strong proficiency with procedural and systemic workflows.
• Advanced knowledge of optimization, profiling, scalability, memory management, and performance tradeoffs for real-time effects.
• Strong proficiency with industry-standard tools such as Houdini, Substance Designer/Painter, Photoshop, After Effects, Maya, or equivalent software.
• Demonstratable ability to author high-quality textures.
• A strong knowledge of authoring simulation/fluid/rbd data in various formats for real-time VFX.
• Experience collaborating effectively with art, design, engineering, animation, audio, and production teams throughout development.
• Experience…