Environment Artist (m/f/d) at DECA Games

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 an Environment Artist at DECA, you will be an essential contributor to the creation of the game world's visuals. You'll collaborate with a dedicated team of artists, designers, and engineers to design, model, and texture environments, breathing life into the virtual worlds that will captivate players. If you have a passion for world-building and the creative skills to make it a reality, we want you to be part of our exciting journey.

Responsibilities

• Design and create visually stunning and immersive 3D environments, landscapes, and assets that seamlessly blend with the game's narrative and art direction.
• Contribute to the development of game worlds, including terrain, architecture, vegetation, and props. Ensure consistency with the game's lore and thematic elements.
• Exhibit good color theory and technical expertise in architectural layout, lighting, scene composition, and environmental FX polish (bloom, color adjust, fog, etc.).
• Creatively model from rudimentary or unfinished concepts, showing understanding of the goals of the design, to final, production-ready models.
• Produce high-quality textures and materials to breathe life into the game's environment, emphasizing realism and visual appeal.
• Create shaders for environment assets, volumetrics, decals, ambient effects, etc.
• Collaborate with technical artists and engineers to optimize assets for in-game performance while maintaining artistic integrity.
• Work closely with art directors, level designers, and other artists to ensure that environmental art aligns with the game's overall vision.
• Provide feedback on environmental art created by other team members, ensuring it meets the established standards.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation and asset libraries for environmental assets.

Requirements

• Proven experience in environment art for video games, particularly in MMOs or open-world games.
• Ability to take 2D concept art to completion.
• Proficiency in industry-standard 3D modeling and texturing software (e.g., Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Photoshop).
• Strong understanding of lighting, composition, and color theory.
• 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.
• 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.