NetherRealm Studios (WB Games) is hiring : Lead Environment Artist in Chicago

Join to apply for the Lead Artist, World role at NetherRealm Studios (WB Games)

Join to apply for the Lead Artist, World role at NetherRealm Studios (WB Games)

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

The creative team that brought Mortal Kombat and Injustice to life is now NetherRealm Studios, part of the Warner Bros. Games family. With over 20 years of creation under our belts, NetherRealm’s mission remains the same : to create cutting edge entertainment and deliver industry leading tech, game art and overall gaming experiences. NetherRealm Studios is a collaborative and creative environment, constantly striving to up the ante on what is possible in interactive entertainment. Our team is comprised of dedicated professionals with years of experience who are at the forefront of the gaming industry. The passion and energy that made Mortal Kombat a reality is still on display every day in our offices, our hallways and most definitely the studio’s arcade room.

NetherRealm Studios is on the lookout for a Lead Environment Artist to help create standout, next-level game worlds. You’ll work with the Art Director, Art Leads, and Tech Leads to set the look and feel for our environments, pushing both the art and tech boundaries. As Lead, you’ll guide a team of artists and collaborate with external partners to make sure everything we create hits our high standards. We're looking for someone who’s all about finding ways to make the game even better, values feedback and loves working in a team to bring amazing, and sometimes brutal, ideas to life.

Please Note : Position is hybrid from studio in Chicago

Work with the Art Director, Art and Technical Leads to shape and maintain the overall vision for environments and environment-adjacent systems.

Mentor, support, and give regular feedback to build and maintain a strong, cohesive team.

Promote skill-sharing through training sessions, clear documentation, and both written and video tutorials.

Estimate tasks, coordinate with production, and ensure that environment goals align with other departments.

Collaborate closely with the team during prototyping to enable quick iterations on environment assets and game systems.

Create benchmark quality assets from concept art and breakouts to demonstrate visual and technical quality as a reference for the environment team.

Regularly review assets to maintain quality and ensure proper technical implementation.

The Essentials

At least 4-5 years of video games development experience with significant involvement in 2 published AAA games, with at least one project at the Lead level or equivalent experience.

Ability to quickly prototype and iterate in collaboration with other departments.

Strong skills in environmental design, layout, composition, and storytelling.

Great sense of scale and proportion.

Expert knowledge of Adobe Substance tools like Painter and Designer.

Knowledge of physically based rendering (PBR).

Experience with Unreal Engine 4 or newer

Self-motivated and proactive with a strong work ethic.

A creative, empathetic, and collaborative approach to teamwork.

Excellent oral and written communication skills.

The Nice to Haves

Familiar with Mortal Kombat, Injustice, and other fighting game properties

Experience with procedural content creation packages

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com / guiding-principles / along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and / or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and / or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discovery’s total compensation package for employees. Pay Range : $77,000.00 - $143,000.00 salary per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation.

Seniority level Seniority level Mid-Senior level

Employment type Employment type Full-time

Job function Job function Design, Art / Creative, and Information Technology

Industries Computer Games

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