Lead Environment Artist Job at Bonfire Studios in Irvine

5 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Overview Bonfire is a group of experienced and ambitious developers, proud to be creating our first original IP : Arkheron. It is a fast-paced, competitive PvP game set in a surreal dark fantasy world where 15 teams of three battle their way up the Tower. In a world built from memories, you will loot powerful items to create and adapt a unique build-out that will change your strategy and combat experience with every Ascension.

The best way to understand our Art team is in their own words — our goal is to immerse players in an extraordinary and haunting realm. From initial concept art to final in-game elements, we craft a compelling aesthetic experience that supports the game’s narrative, level design, combat, and audio. We play the game daily to deliver visuals that prioritize the player experience while pushing artistic boundaries to capture the Arkheron world’s unique tone and atmosphere.

Responsibilities Mentor environment artists, provide constructive feedback, and cultivate a collaborative, growth-oriented team culture.

Drive the creative and technical direction for environment art, ensuring a consistent, high-quality aesthetic across Arkheron.

Translate high-level ideas into fully realized game environments that immerse players.

Deliver polished environments that align with gameplay needs and technical constraints.

Partner with design, engineering, and other teams to ensure environment art integrates with gameplay and performance goals.

Lead by example, contribute to asset creation, and set the quality bar.

Research and implement new tools, workflows, and techniques to elevate the craft.

Support hiring, onboarding, and team-building to strengthen Bonfire’s environment art discipline.

Qualifications Leadership experience in AAA environment art and a track record of mentoring and developing teams.

Strong ownership, accountability, and ability to drive ideas forward.

Self-driven and comfortable operating in ambiguity, turning high-level visions into concrete results.

Shipped at least one AAA title in a leadership role, with 7+ years of environment art experience.

Excellence in small, collaborative teams where every role is broad and impactful.

Keen eye for architecture, materials, lighting, and world-building.

Technical proficiency in Maya (or similar), ZBrush, Photoshop, Substance Painter; experience with Unreal or Unity.

Understanding of performance optimization, PBR workflows, UV layouts, and world-building pipelines.

Strong cross-discipline communication and collaboration skills.

Commitment to mentorship and fostering a positive, inclusive work environment.

Ability to balance creative vision with production realities and make smart trade-offs.

Growth mindset with a willingness to teach and learn.

Why you’ll love working at Bonfire We embrace bold challenges with creativity and courage, making tough calls to build a game we’re proud to play.

We keep fun at the core : we play Arkheron daily to stay grounded as players and focus on what works, not trends.

We stay independent with decisions driven by the team, not investors or a board.

We thrive in a culture of passion, trust, and shared ownership where transparency matters and egos are left at the door.

The base salary range for this role is $174,800 - $221,817 . Depending on your experience and level, offers may land above or below this range. Compensation at Bonfire includes equity, a full benefits package, and additional perks to improve work and life. When we connect, we’ll walk you through full details.

Want a feel for our culture? Learn more about our culture, team, benefits, and perks at www.bonfirestudios.com. Any information shared during the application process is for recruiting purposes and will not be shared. Our privacy policy has more details.

Seniority level Mid-Senior level

Employment type Full-time

Job function Design, Art / Creative, and Information Technology

Industries Computer Games

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Bonfire Studios by 2x

Get notified about new Lead Environment Artist jobs in Irvine, CA .

#J-18808-Ljbffr