Senior VFX Artist – Unpublished R&D Product

Job Position(s): Senior VFX Artist - Unpublished R&D Product

Riot Games is hiring a Senior VFX Artist in Los Angeles, California for an unpublished R&D product currently in development under the Riot Discovery Studio. This role sits within a small, dedicated real-time VFX team responsible for designing and implementing gameplay and environmental visual effects inside Unreal Engine, from spellwork and character abilities to atmospheric world-building. It is a strong fit for a seasoned VFX artist who has shipped titles, understands VFX pipeline construction from the ground up, and is comfortable owning both the craft and the discipline work that comes with a senior-level seat.

About the Role

The Senior VFX Artist reports to the Sr. VFX Manager and works directly under the VFX Lead within the Riot Discovery Studio, a team operating in an early, iterative phase of product development. Day-to-day work spans creating polished real-time VFX assets, establishing theme kits and scalable production frameworks, and representing the VFX discipline in cross-functional conversations with Design and other departments. Because the product is pre-production, this person will have genuine influence over what the visual effects standard looks like when the team moves into full production.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and deliver gameplay visual effects that balance visual impact with clear player-facing readability, ensuring effects communicate actions and states without obscuring gameplay information.
• Build scalable VFX solutions, including theme kits, that can support a broad range of production goals as the team transitions from R&D into a full production pipeline.
• Apply a full range of craft skills, including painting, animation, modeling, and texture work in tools such as Maya, Photoshop, and Substance Designer, and implement finished assets directly into Unreal Engine.
• Serve as the VFX discipline representative across cross-functional teams, advocating for visual effects needs and opportunities at a product level.
• Mentor junior and mid-level artists through structured feedback, documentation, and accountability that raises the overall quality bar within the discipline.
• Support team operations by participating in production rituals, meeting deadlines, and contributing to discipline-wide initiatives across the broader Riot VFX community.

What You Bring

• A BA in Game Art Development or equivalent professional experience in real-time VFX production.
• Five or more years working as a real-time VFX artist inside the games industry, with shipped titles as evidence of craft.
• Five or more years of hands-on experience in Unreal Engine, Unity, or a comparable game engine as part of a professional VFX pipeline.
• Proficiency in industry-standard DCC tools, specifically Maya, Photoshop, and Substance Designer, with demonstrated ability to move work from creation into engine implementation.
• A track record of mentoring other artists and contributing to discipline development beyond individual asset production.

Why This Role

Riot Games has one of the more recognized VFX pipelines in the games industry, and joining at the R&D stage of a new product means this Senior VFX Artist will directly shape the visual language of something that does not yet publicly exist. The Riot Discovery Studio structure gives artists genuine ownership over craft standards before the pressures of full production set in. For someone looking to move from execution into discipline leadership without leaving hands-on VFX work behind, this is a rare combination.

Apply now for the Senior VFX Artist position at Riot Games and bring your real-time VFX expertise to a project being built from the ground up in Los Angeles.