Environment Artist (Lead)

Job Description

Obsidian Entertainment is looking for a talented, self-motivated Lead Environment Artist to collaborate with a growing team of developers.

The Lead Environment Artist will help define and build the visual direction of environments for a cross-platform RPG in Unreal Engine. This role focuses on leadership, including driving world building, developing pipelines, setting quality standards, and guiding a team in close partnership with the Art Director.

Strong hands-on skills are expected, but the primary goal is to lead, mentor, and ensure a cohesive, high-quality visual experience across the project.

This position requires the ability to work onsite in a hybrid capacity at the Obsidian Entertainment office in Irvine, CA.

Responsibilities

• Act as direct manager and mentor for Environment Artists
• Work closely with the Art Director, Tech Artists, Level Designers, and Environment Artists to ensure the visual target is met or exceeded
• Efficiently model, UV map, bake, and create materials for environment assets within a PBR pipeline and assemble them in Unreal Engine 5
• Create a wide range of high-quality environment art assets including props, interiors, and exteriors of structures
• Manage terrain, foliage, and worldbuilding efforts via Unreal Engine 5

Requirements

• 5+ years in the game industry
• Excellent technical ability with a thorough understanding of modeling, lighting, and surfacing
• Expert knowledge of Maya or similar 3D modeling software
• Expert knowledge of PBR texture and material pipelines
• Passion for collaboration with other artists and a desire to mentor junior talent
• Strong communication skills and a detailed approach to organization
• Effective working knowledge of performant and attractive level building as well as modular assembly techniques for Unreal Engine

Pluses

• Knowledge of architecture, engineering fundamentals, and construction methods
• Working knowledge of color theory
• Understanding principles of good composition
• A passion for RPGs, sci-fi, tabletop games, etc.
• Familiarity with Obsidian games

Portfolio Requirements

• A web portfolio showcasing a range of high-quality in-game environments that demonstrate ship-ready quality
• Examples of lit interior and exterior environments
• A range of hard surface and organic models
• Samples from previous industry work

Portfolio Pluses

• Architectural rendering samples
• Environment art concept samples
• Material examples in Unreal Engine

Obsidian Entertainment is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. 

The estimated base pay range for this role is:

• $128,730 - $178,940 per year

Please, no phone calls or drop-ins. We only accept electronic applications.