3D Game Animator at Epoch Games
Company: Epoch Games
Location: Winston-Salem, NC, USA / Remote
Job Type: Internship / Volunteer / Remote
Salary: Unpaid / Volunteer Position
About Epoch Games
Epoch Games is a volunteer-based, fully online, global game development team currently developing The Lays of Althas: Sundered Order (LoA:SO), an indie open-world RPG set in an original fantasy world using Unreal Engine 4 (UE4). The team originally formed from modders behind the Middle Earth Roleplaying Project (MERP) mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
As a remote-first organization, communication and collaboration are primarily handled through Slack and Trello.
Job Overview
Epoch Games is seeking a passionate 3D Game Animator to join its Visuals department in a volunteer internship role. In this position, you will animate, rig, and skin both organic and hard-surface models while helping create high-quality game assets for The Lays of Althas: Sundered Order.
This role is ideal for students or aspiring animators looking to build their portfolio, provided they can commit long-term and actively contribute to the project.
Responsibilities
- Animate, rig, and skin 3D characters and hard-body models.
- Create and prepare high-quality animation assets for gameplay.
- Work closely with the Visuals department and other team members.
- Participate in weekly meetings and project discussions.
- Rapidly prototype and iterate on animations.
- Troubleshoot animation and rigging software challenges independently.
- Communicate clearly with remote team members via Slack and Trello.
- Mentor junior animators when needed.
Qualifications
- Strong understanding of human anatomy and realistic movement.
- Expertise in animating 3D characters.
- Knowledge of traditional animation principles.
- Experience with non-linear animation (NLA) systems or game animation pipelines.
- Ability to deliver rapid prototypes and quick animation turnarounds.
- Self-motivated and capable of solving technical challenges.
- Strong English communication and teamwork skills.
- Passion for 3D animation and learning game development.
- Availability to attend weekly meetings.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with Unreal Engine.
- Experience with MotionBuilder.
Education
Students and self-taught animators are welcome to apply. A strong portfolio and long-term commitment are valued more than formal education.
Benefits
- Gain real-world experience on an indie open-world RPG project.
- Build a professional portfolio with production-quality work.
- Collaborate with an international team of developers and artists.
- Learn Unreal Engine 4 and game production workflows.
- Opportunity to mentor or be mentored by experienced team members.
- Flexible remote working environment.