Character Artist (m/f/d)

About DECA Games

We believe that games should be played for decades but many are abandoned even when a loyal community is screaming to keep them alive. DECA specializes in acquiring games from other developers and reinvigorating them to continue to entertain for decades. When other studios see an old game, we see a fantastic set of problems to solve and a huge opportunity.

DECA is a remote company with over 300 people in over 30 countries globally. DECA is also a part of the Embracer Group, the largest public gaming company in Europe.

About our culture

We’ve managed to maintain a small company feel with the stability and resources of a much larger one. We fully believe in the flexibility of a remote workplace. Team members are trusted to manage their time and get things done independently. We think that egos and politics need to be checked at the virtual door. That means no jerks are allowed, that no job is too small for anyone, and an openness to help and learn from each other is required. We love the challenge of working within constraints and love when we succeed as a team. Check out more about us and our values on our website (www.decagames.com).

This is a remote position. You can work from anywhere in the world in the CET timezone (9 am - 6 pm CET).

About the role

As a Character Artist, you'll play a pivotal role in bringing life to our MMO game world by designing and creating visually stunning and compelling characters. Collaborating closely with the art and design teams, you'll contribute to the creation of diverse, high-quality character assets that align with the game's vision and narrative.

Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, design, and model high-quality, visually appealing characters optimized for real-time rendering within the game engine.
• Create detailed character models, textures, and shaders that showcase a wide range of personalities, races, classes, and factions.
• Collaborate with concept artists, animators, and designers to ensure seamless integration of characters into the game environment.
• Maintain consistency and adhere to the established art style, ensuring that character designs align with the overall artistic direction.
• Optimize character assets for performance without compromising visual fidelity, considering various platforms and technical constraints.
• Actively participate in feedback sessions, iterate on designs, and contribute creative ideas to enhance character aesthetics and storytelling.
• Creatively model from rudimentary or unfinished concepts, showing an understanding of the goals of the design, to final, production-ready models.
• Collaborate with technical artists and engineers to optimize assets for in-game performance while maintaining artistic integrity.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation and asset libraries for character assets and pipelines.

Requirements

• Proven experience as a Character Artist in the gaming industry or related field, preferably with experience in MMO or RPG game development.
• Ability to take 2D concept art to completion.
• Proficiency in industry-standard software such as Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, or equivalent tools for character creation and texturing.
• Strong understanding of anatomy, form, shape language, and color theory to create visually compelling and believable characters.
• Knowledge of game development pipelines and the ability to work with various game engines, experience with in-house engines is a plus.
• Strong teamwork and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to provide feedback to outsourcers.
• Portfolio demonstrating a diverse range of high-quality character models, textures, and shaders, showcasing both artistic and technical skills.
• A good understanding of MMO games, storytelling, and world-building.

Benefits

• Remote first company culture.
• Flexible work hours to support a personal work-life balance.
• Weekly remote Embodiment@Work breathing and workout exercises.
• Online language classes: English, German, French, Spanish etc.
• Working in a multicultural environment with people from over 30 different countries.
• Flat hierarchies with an open-door policy.