Lead Character Artist

1 Month ago • 6-8 Years • Concept Art

Job Summary

Job Description

Lead and mentor a team of character artists in the creation of a new fantasy RPG for console and PC. Collaborate with art directors to establish the artistic vision, translate concepts into high-quality character models, and optimize assets for in-game use. Work closely with other artists (animators, riggers, technical artists) and manage outsourcing, ensuring seamless integration and performance within the proprietary Glacier engine. Stay current on industry trends and share best practices. Requires 6+ years AAA experience and proficiency in 3D software (3ds Max, Maya, etc.).
Must have:
  • 6+ years AAA experience
  • Lead and mentor character artists
  • High-quality realistic character creation
  • Optimization for in-game use
  • Proficiency in 3D software
  • Collaboration with other teams

Job Details

A passion for fantasy worlds has long been ingrained in our studio, and at last we can announce we have embarked on a journey into that beloved realm. With a party of veteran IOI guild members and new wizards and sorceresses of the industry, we are building an ambitious new IP for console and PC that will revolutionize the online fantasy RPG genre. If you share a similar passion for creating welcoming, heartfelt, bold and impactful worlds, join us and together we will write the next chapter in IOI's history.

We are seeking a process-oriented Lead Character Artist with AAA experience to lead our team of Character Artists. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in creating high-quality, realistic characters, with a passion for the fantasy genre. 

We're looking for someone who can provide clear, actionable feedback, and has a proven track record of leading teams to deliver exceptional results. This role demands a creative visionary with excellent communication skills to drive our projects to the next level.

What you will do:

  • Lead and mentor a team of character artists, providing guidance, feedback, and support throughout the production cycle.
  • Collaborate closely with the Art Director and Associate Art Director to establish and maintain the artistic vision for in-game characters.
  • Translate concepts and design direction into visually stunning, optimized character models and assets.
  • Oversee the creation of character sculpts, ensuring they align with design requirements and are conceptually and aesthetically compelling.
  • Work closely with animators, rigging artists, and technical artists to ensure seamless integration of character assets within the game.
  • Prepare and manage outsourcing handouts, providing clear instructions and feedback to external partners on character-related tasks.
  • Collaborate with technical artists to optimize character models for optimal execution and performance within our proprietary engine.
  • Stay up-to-date with industry trends and advancements, sharing knowledge and best practices with the team.

Who you are:

  • You are a well-versed Lead Character Artist with 6+ years in the AAA space, and have worked on at least one AAA title.
  • You have an in-depth understanding of the technical limitations and requirements for in-game character creation.
  • You excel in optimizing character models and assets, making them ready to be placed in-engine. We work with our proprietary engine, Glacier.
  • You have experience in one or more 3D applications (3ds Max, Maya, or other).

Who we are:


IO Interactive is an independent videogame development and publishing company with studios in Copenhagen, Malmö, Barcelona, Istanbul and Brighton. As the creative force behind some of the most talked-about multiplatform video games in the last decade, we are committed to creating unforgettable characters and experiences – all powered by our award-winning, proprietary Glacier technology.

We are a studio that values in-person collaboration. Being together helps us focus our collective energy on our immediate goals. For us, being both in-office as well as connected across our studios helps us integrate our teams faster, strengthen relationships, and improve knowledge-sharing. We believe that the more time we spend together, the more quality and progress we achieve for our games and players.

We know that to achieve those goals, we need courage, talented people and a great working environment – and we do our utmost to have all of that. Across our multiple studios, we’re working on several projects. Crucially though, we’re all one team. We value the work and impact that each person brings to the table and we actively encourage new ideas, whilst listening to your insights along the way.

We have a dedicated team of People Managers, who look after you as an individual and as an employee. With more than 40 nationalities, we know that everyone is different and we are proud to have a reputation for being a friendly workplace with highly-talent people.

 Learn more about Project Fantasy.

Similar Jobs

Tencent - Senior Technical Artist (VFX Rendering) - Global AAA Action Game

Tencent

Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Gearbox Software - UI Technical Artist

Gearbox Software

Frisco, Texas, United States (On-Site)
10 Months ago
Bohemia Interactive - Junior Technical Artist

Bohemia Interactive

Mníšek, Liberec Region, Czechia (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Scanline VFX - Environment TD

Scanline VFX

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)
4 Months ago
Scanline VFX - Lighting Artist

Scanline VFX

London, England, United Kingdom (Remote)
1 Month ago
Epic Games - Senior Engineer, Patching

Epic Games

(On-Site)
7 Months ago
Epic Games - Art Director

Epic Games

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Epic Games - Environment Art Lead

Epic Games

Cary, North Carolina, United States (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Epic Games - Tech Art Lead

Epic Games

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Paper Games - Character Illustrator - Miracle Nikki (2025 Spring Recruitment)

Paper Games

Shanghai, Shanghai, China (On-Site)
1 Month ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Similar Skill Jobs

Skybox Labs - Environment Artist - Levels

Skybox Labs

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)
2 Months ago
Epic Games - Hard Surface Lead

Epic Games

(On-Site)
2 Months ago
Scanline VFX - Lighting Artist

Scanline VFX

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Hybrid)
3 Months ago
Ubisoft - Senior Real-time Cinematic FX Artist

Ubisoft

Montpellier, Occitanie, France (On-Site)
1 Month ago
HYPERHUG - Senior 3D Artist

HYPERHUG

(Remote)
1 Month ago
Ubisoft - Rigger [Rainbow Six]

Ubisoft

Chengdu, Sichuan, China (On-Site)
5 Months ago
SmileGate - CROSSFIRE Animation Specialist

SmileGate

Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Epic Games - 3D Artist

Epic Games

Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Gearbox Software - Visual Effects Artist

Gearbox Software

Frisco, Texas, United States (On-Site)
10 Months ago
Scanline VFX - Environment Generalist

Scanline VFX

Seoul, South Korea (Hybrid)
2 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Jobs in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Voodoo - Technical Artist - Portfolio Games

Voodoo

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain (Remote)
1 Month ago
2K - Senior Core Engineer

2K

Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain (On-Site)
9 Months ago
The Workshop - Data Software Engineer

The Workshop

Madrid, Community Of Madrid, Spain (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Sandsoft Games - 3D Marketing Animator

Sandsoft Games

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain (On-Site)
3 Weeks ago
Localsoft, SL. - Game Tester: Arabic

Localsoft, SL.

Andalusia, Spain (On-Site)
3 Weeks ago
Magic Media - Lead 3D Environment Artist

Magic Media

Catalonia, Spain (Remote)
1 Month ago
Scopely - Senior Motion Graphics Designer

Scopely

Spain (Hybrid)
5 Months ago
Universally Speaking - Simplified Chinese Games Tester

Universally Speaking

Community Of Madrid, Spain (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Evolution - Illumination Specialist

Evolution

Madrid, Community Of Madrid, Spain (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Evolution - Game Presenter - German Speaking

Evolution

Madrid, Community Of Madrid, Spain (On-Site)
11 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Concept Art Jobs

Activision - Principal Lighting Artist

Activision

Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Pazu Games - Concept Artist

Pazu Games

(Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Riot Games - Manager, Concept Art - League of Legends

Riot Games

Singapore (On-Site)
7 Months ago
Epic Games - Character Art Director

Epic Games

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Riot Games - Principal Environment Concept Artist

Riot Games

Shanghai, Shanghai, China (On-Site)
6 Months ago
Spyke Games - Illustrator

Spyke Games

İstanbul, Türkiye (On-Site)
8 Months ago
Sperasoft - Lead Concept Artist

Sperasoft

Yerevan, Yerevan, Armenia (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Krafton  - [PUBG IP Franchise] 게임 제작관리 PM (5년 이상)

Krafton

Seoul, South Korea (On-Site)
6 Months ago
SciPlay - Lead Art

SciPlay

Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv District, Israel (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Tencent - Senior Environment Concept Artist - Global AAA Action Game

Tencent

Shanghai, Shanghai, China (On-Site)
4 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

About The Company

IO Interactive is a 25-year old, AAA independent game studio, creators of HITMAN, Kane & Lynch, Mini Ninjas and Freedom Fighters. We are currently working on Project 007, Project Fantasy, and continue to develop Glacier, our award-winning game engine.


We are a diverse team of designers, producers, artists, programmers and operations supporters from 40+ different nationalities, working on cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art game design.


The creative teams involved in producing our games are supported by our tech department, which delivers our own Glacier engine, and the incubation department, which helps the team to prototype new and exciting features, game mechanics, or even brand new IPs.


We know that the gaming world is in constant change – and so is IOI - but no matter what we do, we can assure you that it will not be boring.


IO Interactive was established in September 1998. The IO Interactive technology team consists of programmers, software engineers and mathematicians with considerable experience in game programming and 3D graphics. Graphic designers, artists and animators are recruited from the game and entertainment industry, as well as the best art schools from all over the world.

Malmö, Skåne County, Sweden (Hybrid)

Malmö, Skåne County, Sweden (Hybrid)

İstanbul, İstanbul, Türkiye (Hybrid)

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain (Hybrid)

Brighton And Hove, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

Malmö, Skåne County, Sweden (Hybrid)

İstanbul, İstanbul, Türkiye (Hybrid)

Brighton And Hove, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

Brighton And Hove, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

İstanbul, İstanbul, Türkiye (Hybrid)

View All Jobs

Get notified when new jobs are added by IO Interactive

Level Up Your Career in Game Development!

Transform Your Passion into Profession with Our Comprehensive Courses for Aspiring Game Developers.

Job Common Plug