[Hiring] Senior Character Artist @Keywords Studios

Role Description

Applicants must be currently residing in Japan and possess valid authorization to work in Japan.

• Character Creation:
  • Contributing to the art vision for the Characters.
  • Produce assets that align with the project’s artistic direction and technical requirements.
  • Develop polished models, textures, shaders, and materials optimized for real-time game engines.
• Collaboration & Production:
  • Work closely with concept artists, designers, animators, and technical artists to translate concepts into final in-game assets.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams throughout the production pipeline to ensure artistic consistency and quality.
  • Participate in reviews, feedback sessions, and iterative development processes.
• Technical Art & Optimisation:
  • Ensure assets meet performance, memory, and platform-specific requirements across all gaming platforms.
  • Apply strong understanding of optimisation techniques.
  • Maintain consistency in quality while adhering to technical constraints and engine limitations.
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement:
  • Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, tools, and workflows.
  • Contribute ideas and improvements to pipelines and production processes.
  • Continuously push the visual quality and innovation of game art production.
• Mentorship & Leadership:
  • Provide guidance, mentorship, and constructive feedback to junior and mid-level artists.
  • Support collaboration across internal teams and external vendors to maintain consistent asset quality.
  • Contribute positively to team culture and artistic growth within the department.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a Character Artist within the video game industry, with a strong portfolio showcasing high-quality real-time game assets.
• Strong understanding of industry-standard 3D software such as Autodesk Maya, Blender, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Substance Painter, and related tools.
• Strong understanding of modelling, sculpting, UV mapping, texturing, anatomy, form, colour theory, and material creation.
• Experience creating optimized assets for modern real-time game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity.
• Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams, communicate ideas effectively, and incorporate feedback throughout production.
• Knowledge of game development pipelines and the ability to adapt artistic styles to suit various game genres and target platforms.
• Fluent in Japanese and with a high degree of English language proficiency.

Requirements

• Passion for gaming and a strong understanding of market trends, player expectations, and gaming cultures across PC, Console, and Nintendo platforms.
• Experience successfully guiding and communicating with other art teams to ensure artistic vision and asset quality are maintained from concept through to final in-game implementation.

Benefits

• Employment Type: 1-Year Contract