As a Character Concept Artist at Riot, you will bring characters & creatures to life. Drawing inspiration from as little as a napkin sketch or as much as a full-blown narrative concept, you will generate ideas & craft designs that are resonant, compelling, & iconic. As a problem solver, first & foremost, you will help come up with visual solutions for game concepts.

As a Principal Character Concept Artist on the VALORANT team, youll be responsible for designing characters that fit the thematics & tone of the game, while helping to define a unique interpretation of the IP that fits within our genre & gameplay needs. Youll partner with the Art Director & character art leaders as you work across disciplines to shape the visual identity of new characters. You will also collaborate closely with designers, writers, & producers to bring these characters to life through strong, story-driven design.

Responsibilities:

• Build, sketch, ideate, & iterate new character concepts in collaboration with other developers
• Craft detailed concept art & orthographics for 3D artists & animators to implement into working game assets
• Creatively solve problems & figure out efficient solutions on executing the look & feel of the character
• Collaborate closely with other disciplines to build characters that are cohesive in their visuals, narrative, & gameplay
• Take your skillful knowledge of story tropes, archetypes, & narrative devices of all kinds to help improve the designs that go into our worlds
• Bring your deep understanding of human & animal anatomy & know how to stretch the limits while still maintaining a consistent art direction
• Mentor & support concept artists on your team through your craft

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in the video game industry as a Character Concept Artist
• 5+ years of experience working with Photoshop or other relevant painting/design tools

Desired Qualifications:

• Shipped a AAA title as a Concept Artist
• Experience working as a Concept Artist on an FPS title

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, & decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, & your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy & care about players' experiences, this could be your role!

When submitting your application, please provide a portfolio of your high-quality concept art - including stylized artwork.

Our Perks:

Riot has a focus on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy, in addition to other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, & life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner & children, & a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games & experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether youre working directly on a new player-facing experience or youre supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, were better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, were looking forward to your application.

Its our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants & members of Riot Games Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped & disabled Rioters & does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal & state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state & local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, & the Washington Fair Chance Act.

Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:

• Safeguarding confidential & sensitive Company data
• Communication with others, including Rioters & third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
• Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, & networks
• Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players & other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, & compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs & additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency & security.