Contract Senior Gameplay Animator at ArenaNet
Company: ArenaNet
Location: Bellevue, Washington, United States or Remote
Job Type: Contract (12 Months)
Salary: $49.04 – $73.56 per hour
About the Company
ArenaNet is the award-winning game development studio behind the Guild Wars series, enjoyed by more than 21 million players worldwide. The studio believes games are a form of art capable of telling meaningful stories, reflecting culture, and connecting people. ArenaNet fosters a collaborative and inclusive workplace where creativity, innovation, and diverse perspectives help shape engaging online worlds.
Job Overview
ArenaNet is seeking a Contract Senior Gameplay Animator to help shape the animation style and gameplay feel of an unannounced project. This role focuses on creating high-quality combat and locomotion animations that bring characters and creatures to life while maintaining responsive gameplay performance. You will collaborate closely with design, art, and technical teams to develop expressive animations and refine animation pipelines and systems.
Key Responsibilities
- Create high-quality AAA gameplay animations focused on character movement and combat.
- Develop locomotion and action animations for a variety of characters and creatures.
- Collaborate with the Design team to ensure animations feel responsive and support gameplay clarity.
- Help establish visual and technical animation targets for the project.
- Contribute to the development and improvement of animation pipelines and gameplay systems.
- Work closely with the Animation Lead, Art Director, and other disciplines to deliver engaging combat experiences.
- Partner with Technical Art to improve character rigs and animation workflows.
- Create animations using both keyframe techniques and motion capture data.
- Participate in playtests and contribute feedback to improve gameplay and animation quality.
- Share knowledge, workflows, and constructive feedback with the team.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of professional experience as a Gameplay Animator in the video game industry.
- Advanced keyframe animation skills with a portfolio demonstrating high-quality gameplay animation.
- Deep understanding of kinetics, action gameplay animation, and animation systems.
- Experience implementing animation content into runtime gameplay systems.
- Expert knowledge of Maya character animation workflows.
- Strong experience with Unreal Engine 5 animation systems and workflows.
- Experience working with motion capture data and animation pipelines.
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to develop creative solutions.
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
- Commitment to fostering a positive, inclusive, and collaborative team environment.
Nice to Have:
- Scripting or technical animation skills.
- Rigging experience.
- Experience with Unreal Engine tools such as Animation Blueprints, Montages, and Sequencer.
Benefits
- Competitive hourly pay with overtime compensation when applicable.
- Eligibility for benefits through a third-party employing agency.
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- 401(k) retirement plan.
- Flexible and dependent care spending accounts.
- Opportunity to work on a major AAA game project with an experienced team.
- Collaborative and inclusive workplace culture.
How to Apply
Apply through the official application page below:
Application Note: Applications are accepted until Friday, March 13th at 10 AM PT unless the role is filled earlier.