Lead VFX Artist

What is your role?
As a Lead VFX Artist at Eleventh Hour Games, you will be responsible for driving the vision, quality, and execution of visual effects that bring Last Epoch’s world and combat to life. You will oversee the creation of compelling, performant, and immersive VFX across gameplay, environments, and cinematics while leading and mentoring a growing team of VFX artists.

This role requires both technical expertise and creative direction. You’ll collaborate closely with art, design, and engineering to ensure effects reinforce gameplay clarity, narrative tone, and artistic goals. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of real-time VFX pipelines, strong leadership skills, and the ability to balance hands-on contributions with guiding others.

Responsibilities:

• Create, design, and implement real-time particle effects using static textures and animated 2D/3D elements
• Author and paint particle, decal, and material textures, including color, normal, specular, ambient occlusion, height, and emissive maps
• Build simple geometry with proper UVs for VFX purposes
• Place and tune effects throughout environments, encounters, and cinematics to support gameplay, narrative, and visual clarity
• Orchestrate layered VFX events, managing timing and blending for believable impact
• Create simulations for gameplay elements such as destruction, elemental effects, and environmental ambience
• Optimize VFX for framerate and memory without sacrificing quality
• Collaborate with Art Direction, Design, and Engineering to align VFX with game vision and technical requirements
• Lead and mentor VFX team members, providing feedback, guidance, and professional development
• Help establish and refine the VFX pipeline, ensuring scalability and efficiency as the project grows
• Maintain consistency with the overall art direction while pushing for innovation and creative excellence

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of professional experience creating VFX in real-time game engines
• 1+ years of experience in leadership or people management, including mentoring and/or building a VFX pipeline
• Technical skills with real-time engines such as Unity or Unreal
• Proficiency with shader creation, particle systems, and VFX tools
• Animation and timing skills with a strong sense of motion and impact
• Artistic eye, with the ability to translate reference materials into high-quality real-time effects
• Collaboration and communication skills across art, design, and engineering
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight while driving team output

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with ARPGs or live-service development pipelines
• Experience with cinematic VFX and storytelling through visual effects

Why Eleventh Hour Games?

EHG is a fast growing studio, focused on a passion for top-down action RPGs. We value open communication, close-knit teamwork, and opportunity for ownership and growth! Our mission is to gather and empower the next generation of creators to forge extraordinary games. Extraordinary games build passionate communities, which create passionate people. Passionate people turn into next year's creators. With our breakout title Last Epoch, we are moving fast into the next round of adventure!

• Flexible fully remote working arrangements
• US Employees 90% premium paid for employee, 100% premium paid for dependents health insurance
• US Employees 30% paid premium on Dental and Vision plans
• 35 Paid time off days, received at start of the year
• 401K for U.S. based employees

EHG is an equal opportunity employer. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [email protected]. Please note, general employment questions cannot be accepted or processed this way.