Senior Gameplay Animator
Location: Remote (Canada)
Type: Full-time
Project: Unannounced stylised melee action game (Unreal Engine 5)
About the Studio
An independent game studio building a stylised melee action title centred on expressive combat, fluid transitions, and rewarding mastery. The team is currently moving from prototype into pre-production, with a near-term focus on building a strong first playable for publisher conversations.
The game is built around combat that feels dynamic, readable, and satisfying from the first encounter, while still rewarding player skill and timing. Animation is central to that experience. Looking for a senior animator who can take real ownership of this area and help raise the quality bar significantly as we move toward first playable.
The Role
Looking for a Senior Gameplay Animator to own and drive character animation for our project. This is a hands-on role for someone who can create high-quality, game-ready combat animation, implement and iterate directly in Unreal Engine 5, and help shape the feel, flow, and readability of the player experience.
This is not a role for someone who wants to work in isolation or simply execute tasks from a list. You should be someone who can collaborate closely with founders, design, engineering, and external partners, make strong recommendations, explain trade-offs clearly, and help lead animation decisions in a small, highly collaborative studio.
The ideal person will bring a strong background in stylised combat animation, excellent keyframe fundamentals, solid Unreal implementation ability, and the confidence to take ownership in an environment where there is not a large in-house animation team around them.
What You’ll Do
Own gameplay animation for combat, traversal, interactions, and moment-to-moment character motion
Create high-quality, game-ready animation with a strong emphasis on hand-keyed / keyframe work
Implement, test, and iterate animations directly inside Unreal Engine 5
Work closely with programming, design, and leadership to ensure animation supports gameplay responsiveness, combat readability, and flow
Help define how combat should feel on screen, including pacing, transitions, impact, anticipation, follow-through, and overall player readability
Make clear recommendations on animation direction, priorities, and trade-offs rather than simply presenting options without guidance
Collaborate on the animation pipeline and work effectively alongside technical animation support or external specialists where needed
Support onboarding and guidance for junior or intern-level animation support as the team grows
Contribute to the polish needed for first playable and publisher-facing milestones
Help ensure animations are not just visually strong, but practical, efficient, and designed to work within the game’s systems
Core Requirements
Significant professional experience as a gameplay, character, or combat animator in games
Strong portfolio or reel showing stylised character animation with a clear emphasis on gameplay
Proven ability to animate combat actions with strong body mechanics, appealing posing, timing, and clarity
Strong keyframe animation skills are essential
Comfortable implementing and iterating animation in Unreal Engine 5
Able to work within gameplay constraints and understand how animation supports responsiveness, timing windows, transitions, and combat systems
Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a small-team environment
Able to take ownership, make recommendations, and drive animation discussions with non-animation stakeholders
Comfortable balancing quality with production realities in an indie/startup setting
Highly Valued
Experience on melee combat games, action games, brawlers, character action titles, or systems-heavy gameplay
Experience animating martial-arts-inspired movement, strikes, counters, dodges, finishers, or combat chains
Experience blending gameplay feel with visual style in a way that supports both accessibility and mastery
Good understanding of animation state machines, montages, blend spaces, and gameplay integration in Unreal
Experience working closely with designers and engineers to solve gameplay problems through animation
Experience operating as the primary or most senior animator on a project or feature area
Nice to Have
Experience with technical animation workflows or collaborating closely with tech animators
Experience working on isometric games
Familiarity with Maya and standard industry animation pipelines
Experience with Motion Builder or motion capture cleanup
Familiarity with Meta Human or facial rig workflows
Experience mentoring juniors, interns, or outsource partners
Personal interest or background in martial arts, stunt movement, fight choreography, dance, or physical performance
Experience working in small, fast-moving, cross-functional teams
What Success Looks Like
Raising the quality and cohesion of gameplay animation quickly
Moving from placeholder or store-bought animation toward a combat experience that feels intentional and polished
Bringing stronger clarity, consistency, and ownership to animation decision making
Working closely with the rest of the team rather than operating in a silo
Helping reach first playable with animation that supports the intended feel and gives publishers confidence in the experience
How You’ll Operate
You’ll be working in a highly collaborative, low-ego environment where ownership is expected, not assigned. We value people who can think independently, make clear decisions, and bring others along with them through strong communication and intent.
This is a team where ideas are challenged constructively, quality matters, and momentum is maintained through proactive thinking rather than waiting for direction. You’ll work closely with founders, design, and engineering, contributing not just execution but perspective on how the game should feel and evolve.
Looking for someone who thrives in this kind of setup. Someone practical, hands-on, and comfortable operating without heavy structure, but who still brings clarity, direction, and consistency to their craft.
What We Offer
Competitive salary aligned to experience and location
Profit-sharing program
Remote-first setup
Opportunity to have real ownership over a core part of the game
Small team environment with direct impact on creative and production decisions
Chance to join at a meaningful stage as the project moves into pre-production and first playable
