3D Artist and Animator

Location: Remote — open worldwideType: Contract (4 months), full-time exclusive — no concurrent side projects/clients for the contract durationAbout UsEmerald Wizard Studios is an independent game studio building an unannounced competitive online arena vehicular-combat game (working title withheld — NDA required).About the RoleWe're hiring a full-fledged 3D Artist & Animator, on a contract basis, to create the character models (8 variants) and arena maps (2 maps) for our upcoming game. You'll be one of the first art hires on the project and will have real ownership over how the game looks and feels — working directly with the founder on the art direction. Strong performers will be considered for an ongoing full-time role as the project scales.Art direction: stylized sci-fi mid-poly 3DImportant: No AI-generated assets — models, textures, concept art, or animation must not be produced by generative AI tools, and no purchased/pre-made assets. All creative work must be original and made by hand. Standard AI-assisted technical tooling (e.g. render denoising) is fine. All creations belong to Emerald Wizard Studios as original IP, and cannot be shared, distributed, or sold in any capacity.Responsibilities8 Characters (varying skins) — unique modeled/textured designs on a single shared rig and animation set (locomotion/turning, boost, hit-reaction, elimination, idle/emote)8 Discs (weapon skins) — modeled and textured variations, effects-ready2 arena maps/environments — full environment art including dynamic hazards (e.g. eruptions, timed floor holes, traps), optimized and lighting-readyVFX set — elimination/explosion effects, disc impact & ricochet effects, trail and boost effectsAll assets optimized, rigged/exported correctly, and verified working in UnityRequired QualificationsProven experience as a 3D artist/animator for games (portfolio required — please include a link)Proficiency in Blender as primary DCC toolDirect experience getting assets working correctly in Unity (not just modeling in isolation)Strong grasp of game-ready topology: clean edge flow, deformation-safe geometry for rigging/animation, no N-gons/geometry errorsUV unwrapping experience — efficient, non-overlapping layouts suitable for texturing and lightmappingPBR texturing workflow (Substance Painter/Designer, Blender shading, or equivalent) — materials that read clearly at a distance and at speedCharacter rigging experience — bone setups compatible with Unity's animation system (Humanoid or custom Generic rigs), including basic IK setupAnimation skills — locomotion, idle, hit-reaction, and emote/personality animations; understanding of core animation principles (weight, timing, follow-through)VFX/shader basics — able to create emissive materials, trail effects, and impact/explosion-style effects (particles or shader-based)Correct FBX export pipeline knowledge (scale, axis orientation, normals/tangents) to avoid import issues in UnityUnderstanding of real-time optimization: polygon budgets, texture atlasing/trim sheets, LODsComfortable taking direction and iterating quickly based on feedbackStrong written communication for async remote collaborationSelf-directed — able to manage your own time and hit milestones with minimal oversightNice to HaveExperience with stylized mid-poly art specifically (rather than hyper-realistic or classic low-poly)Experience creating vehicle-style or hard-surface + organic hybrid charactersEnvironment/level art experience for arena or multiplayer competitive gamesFamiliarity with version control for game assets (Git, Perforce, or similar)Previously shipped or released game(s), even as an indie/solo projectCompensation$18,000 USD — fixed for the full 4-month contract ($4,500/month), paid via direct bank transfer in monthly milestones tied to deliverables — with strong performers considered for full-time conversion afterward.What We OfferReal creative ownership on an original IP from an early stageFully remote, flexible scheduleDirect collaboration with the founderPath to full-time for the right fitHow to ApplyPlease send your portfolio (with rigged/animated work if possible), resume, and a short note on your experience working Blender-to-Unity pipelines to info@emeraldwizard.io.Candidates will be asked to sign an NDA given this is an unreleased IP.