Senior Technical Artist (Generalist) - Unannounced Game | Irvine, CA or Albany, NY

At Blizzard, we craft genre-defining games and legendary worlds for all to share. Through unparalleled creativity and storytelling, we create immersive universes and iconic characters that are beloved across platforms, borders, backgrounds, and generations -- only made possible by building a work environment that cultivates the artistry of game development and unleashes the aspirations of our people.

We’re seeking a seasoned Senior Technical Artist to join our team and help shape the visual fidelity and technical excellence of our next unannounced title. As a strategic partner to art, engineering, and design, you’ll help design and optimize simulation systems, materials, and rendering pipelines to achieve both stunning visuals and optimal performance.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work from home.

Responsibilities:

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Material and shader development: Author advanced materials in Unreal’s Material Editor and Custom Node framework, delivering rich surface details, layered blend logic, and optimized performance.
• Performance profiling and optimization: Use Unreal’s profiling tools (GPU/CPU, memory, draw calls) to identify bottlenecks, implement LOD/streaming strategies, and balance fidelity vs. frame-rate on target platforms.
• Pipeline and tooling: Develop and maintain Python/Blueprint/C# scripts and tools that automate repetitive tasks, enforce art standards, and streamline content import/export workflows.
• Design and implement simulation systems: Build and maintain cloth, hair, fur, fluid, and particle simulations in Unreal Engine, ensuring stability, scalability, and visual quality across diverse characters and environments.
• Develop dynamic systems: Create real-time dynamic behaviors (e.g., destruction, procedural animation, physics-driven effects) that integrate seamlessly with game code and art pipelines.
• Cross-discipline collaboration: Partner with artists, animators, designers, and engineers to define art-tech requirements, troubleshoot integration issues, and ensure that creative vision is realized within technical constraints.
• Mentorship and leadership: Guide and mentor junior technical artists, sharing best practices in simulation authoring, shader development, and optimization methodologies.

Experience

• 8+ years in AAA game development or equivalent, with at least 3 shipped titles using Unreal Engine.
• Strong portfolio or reel showcasing dynamic effects, custom materials, and performance optimization on real game content.

Knowledge & Skills

• Expert in Unreal Engine 5, including the Material Editor, Niagara/VFX, Physics (Chaos), and Blueprint scripting.
• Proven record of building and integrating simulation systems (cloth, hair, particles) in Unreal’s PhysX/Chaos framework.
• Deep understanding of character pipelines, including industry-standard 3D creation tools.
• Experience developing custom rigging and animation tools.
• Solid programming/scripting skills in Python, C#, or C++ for pipeline tooling.
• Demonstrated experience with Nanite and Lumen, including asset preparation and performance tuning across platforms.
• Familiarity with real-time profiling tools like Unreal Insights and GPU Visualizer.

Key Attributes

• A team-oriented approach to your work, understanding the importance of collaboration and partnering with all departments.
• The ability to inspire others with an enthusiastic approach to game development and improving core skills.
• Self-motivated ability to solve problems proactively.

Extra Points

• Experience working through early development and R&D phases of a project.
• Solid understanding of game development beyond technical art (e.g., lighting, VFX, animation, audio, rendering, systems).
• Familiarity with procedural content generation (Houdini, procedural foliage, environment assembly).
• Experience integrating AI-assisted workflows (e.g., automated material generation) is a plus.
• A passion for video games and a deep understanding of game animation and interactivity

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $38.85 - $71.83 Hourly. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.