CREATING ORIGINAL VIDEO GAMES OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY

Ascendant Studios is looking for a multi-talented concept artist to develop the look of our AAA title from the ground up. Our ideal candidate has exceptional foundational art skills and can generate a large number of unique ideas very quickly. Their portfolio must demonstrate skills across a variety of topics (characters, creatures, environments, props, etc.) as well as both final rendered pieces and early explorational thumbnails.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with the art director and creative director to establish look of the game and its world.
• Concept a wide variety of characters, objects, environments, and VFX. If it exists, we’ll probably need you to draw it.
• Create a large number of thumbnails to explore varied ideas, as well as final rendered pieces to inspire the team and external parties.
• Generate orthographics, turnarounds, and material callouts to aid in modeling assets and level creation.
• Give and receive constructive feedback. Iterate on designs based on team feedback and gameplay needs.

Requirements

• Exceptional foundational art skills, such as color theory, shape language, composition, lighting, and perspective.
• Superior understanding of anatomy and mastery of life drawing with ability to illustrate exciting and dynamic character poses.
• Ability to generate a large number of varied ideas quickly, getting across the most important elements in an efficient manner.
• Excellent communication skills, ability to both give and receive constructive feedback. We are looking for someone who is a great collaborator and team player.
• Fantastic imagination and the drive to concept a world from the ground up, with a focus both on stunning visuals and believable construction principles.
• Exceptional ability to develop and follow a set art style.
• Proficiency with Photoshop.
• Great visual research and reference skills.
• A portfolio demonstrating art across a variety of subjects, including characters, environments, architecture, props, and creatures, as well as including sketchbook materials.
• A passion for games.

Good to Have

• Work in a professional production environment strongly preferred.
• Previous experience in the videogame industry, especially on an AAA title.
• Experience with 3D packages such as Maya, Blender, Sketchup, Modo, etc.
• Interest in other areas of art and games, such as graphic design, level design, UI/UX, etc.

To Apply
Please email jobs@ascendantstudios.com with your application materials. Please include the job title you’re applying for in the email’s subject line.

Ascendant Studios is looking for a Senior Producer to help guide our project from pre-production, through development, and into post-launch support. The role will be responsible for the overall schedule and management of the entire development team, and will work closely with the leadership team of each department. The ideal applicant will have had prior experience in a production leadership role on an AAA multiplatform title.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the leadership team to create and maintain a roadmap of features and milestones for the entire project.
• Organize and own the overall project schedule, from pre-production to post-launch support.
• Assist in identifying staffing requirements and team budgets.
• Manage the development process and dependencies between teams and with external partners. Scope, prioritize, and ensure that quality standards are met across all departments.
• Anticipate, identify, and mitigate risks and bottlenecks throughout the development process.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience as a producer or project manager in a video game studio, including at least one full production cycle in a leadership role.
• Production experience on one or more AAA titles
• Exceptional ability to identify and mitigate risks before they occur. Great at proactive problem solving.
• Commitment to building and maintaining a healthy schedule and collaborative, friendly team culture.
• Ability to effectively communicate goals, requirements, and dependencies between different departments.  
• Great at creating and maintaining complex schedules, as well as making sure those schedules are followed.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, organization, and multitasking ability.
• Comfortable with raising concerns, making tough decisions, and resolving interpersonal conflicts.

Good to Have

• Experience sourcing outside vendors across multiple disciplines.
• Previous experience in a startup environment building a team from the ground up.

Ascendant Studios is looking for a gameplay programmer to help bring our first title to life. This is a full  time, on site position at our office in San Rafael, California. Prior experience with Unreal Engine is a must,  and our ideal applicant will be able to work independently to implement a variety of different gameplay  functions.

Key Responsibilities 

• Collaborate with design and art teams to implement and iterate on new features
• Rapidly prototype new gameplay and systems
• Give, receive, and act on daily constructive feedback with minimal supervision
• Debug and document code
• Accurately access your workload, proactively communicate with the team about potential problems or new developments

Requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Proficiency in Unreal Engine 4 and the Blueprint system
• BA/BS degree in Computer Science, mathematics, or equivalent field
• 4+ years of experience working with C++
• Solid foundational programming skills (algorithms, data structures, OOP, etc.)
• Ability to work independently, problem solve on the fly, and collaborate efficiently across disciplines in a small, fast moving team

Good to Have

• Familiarity with programming for 1st person shooters and console titles
• At least 3 years game industry experience, including at least one production cycle from start to finish
• Prior work on multiplayer titles
• Adept at working in a fast paced, iterative environment

To Apply
Please email jobs@ascendantstudios.com with your application materials. Please include the job title you’re applying for in the email’s subject line.

Ascendant Studios is looking for a senior animator to help bring our first title to life. This is a full time, on site  position at our office in San Rafael, California. Our ideal applicant has a solid animation background  paired with strong technical ability and pipeline knowledge. Prior work in games is required, and  experience with Unreal Engine would be a big plus.

Key Responsibilities 

• Animate a variety of character types, creatures, and environmental objects using a blend of keyframe and mo-cap
• Collaborate with programmers and tech artists to implement animations into the Unreal Engine
• Work with the team to establish guidelines and requirements for animation across the game, and to solidify the visual feel of the game
• Give, receive, and make changes to your work based on constructive feedback
• Iterate on animations based on gameplay requirements and artistic direction

Requirements

• 3-5+ years of experience as an animator in the video game industry
• Familiarity with the technical aspects of animation and implementation
• Expert proficiency with Maya
• Solid foundational animation skills, such as timing, weight, and human anatomy
• Ability to work independently, problem solve on the fly, and collaborate efficiently across disciplines in a small, fast moving team

Good to Have 

• Experience working with Unreal Engine, including Aim Offsets, Blend Spaces, Blueprints, State Machines, and Sequencer
• Experience with rigging and rig creation, motion capture recording and processing, or Python/MEL scripting
• Previous experience working on an AAA, 1st person, console title

To Apply
Please email jobs@ascendantstudios.com with your application materials. Please include the job title you’re applying for in the email’s subject line.

Ascendant Studios is looking for a talented and creative environment artist to help bring our first title to life. This is a full time, on site position at our office in San Rafael, California. Prior work on an AAA title, or in the Unreal Engine, is a big plus, and our ideal applicant will be able to work independently alongside design to come up with and execute fantastical level ideas.

Key Responsibilities 

• Create efficient in-game models, UV’s and materials for both organic and inorganic environments, including props, foliage suites, and modular kits
• Prototype and grey block assets and environments, collaborating closely with level designers to uphold gameplay and flow as well as aesthetics
• Work with the Art Director to maintain artistic style and quality in the environments (including asset and material creation, lighting, and level build out)
• Maintain a balance of art quality versus performance in the game engine
• Work with the art director and designers to come up with new level concepts and gather reference
• Give, receive, and make changes to your work based on constructive feedback

Requirements

• 5+ years experience as an Environment Artist or other role responsible for creating game-ready assets in a full-cycle game development studio
• Understanding of modularity and environment systems used in fast, iterative, and efficient production
• Experience in game engine environment setup (lighting, time of day, fog/skyboxes, palette control, and post process effects)
• Understanding of modern materials and shaders and a high level of proficiency with Maya, Zbrush, and Substance Designer/Painter
• Strong traditional art fundamentals, including the function of form and color, proportions, shape, etc.
• Excellent problem solving skills, ability to identify and resolve issues, and understanding of technical dependencies

Good to Have 

• Familiarity with Houdini, World Machine, SpeedTree, or other industry standard software.
• Previous work with Unreal Engine
• Previous experience working on an AAA, 1st person, console title

To Apply
Please email jobs@ascendantstudios.com with your application materials. Please include the job title you’re applying for in the email’s subject line.