3D Character Art Intern - TFT - Summer 2025 (Remote)

As a Character Artist Intern at Riot, you will bring champions to life by creating and texturing high and low poly models. You will help craft some of the most iconic characters in the world of gaming. Your sculpting skills, artistic eye and keen understanding of anatomy, form, and color will lead the way in character creation. Working within both technical and design constraints, you will use your knowledge of proportions, anatomy and readability to ensure models are optimized in game. Your craft expertise, high-level execution and attention to detail will enrich the player’s immersive experience.

As a 3D Character Intern on TFT you will use your craft expertise and high-level collaboration skills to deliver immersive and enriching experiences to players. You will have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of character archetypes, styles, and themes that serve to push the thematic narrative and gameplay on future sets with the help of a cross-discipline team of artists, producers, and other stakeholders . A team of people will support you in your growth and development, helping you to deliver amazing content for players.

Responsibilities:

• Create a wide variety of 3D Assets ranging from High Fantasy Characters to Sci-Fi Monsters
• Understand game requirements to create low poly assets that are optimized for deformation and animation
• Work with various rendering styles, utilizing everything from traditional Hand Painted skills to modern PBR workflows
• Interpret concept designs while taking into account technical and design constraints such as poly counts, texture memory limits, and topology
• Use your strong sense of human/creature anatomy to push character quality to its fullest potential
• Collaborate with multiple other disciplines to ensure that high quality and functional assets are delivered to players
• Create new environment props and characters for future sets and gameplay mechanics.
• Understanding of how to readjust textures and colors to create new character variations from existing ones.

Required Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in a college, university or non degree program
• Available to work full-time hours for 10-12 week at our Los Angeles Headquarters (subject to change based on COVID-19 restrictions)
• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• A keen eye for anatomy, form, color, lighting, materials and shaders
• Experience with industry standard 3D modeling and texturing tools: Zbrush, Maya, Photoshop, Substance Painter, 3D Coat preferred. 
• Experience with industry standard Rendering technologies: Marmoset, Unity, or Unreal preferred

Desired Qualifications:

• Understanding of how to work from high poly source assets to implement in game.

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!

General Portfolio Advice:

• Please limit application submission to 1 role. You will automatically be considered for similar roles based on your portfolio 
• Online format is preferred (Artstation, personal websites, etc.)
• If you have private work that is under NDA, please include the password in your application. Otherwise, we recommend you do not password protect your portfolio
• Test that your Portfolio or reel is accessible. Please include access to your portfolio on your resume in addition to the application form in case the link breaks 
• Ensure your portfolio showcases your best work
• Fan Art? Sure! It shows your versatility as it relates directly to our art style
• Depending on the role, immersing yourself in the game to get the feel, tone and look can go a long way for your portfolio 

Applications close Friday, January 10th, 2025 at 11:59pm PT 

 Our Perks:

Riot Internships are paid, and interns can also participate in our 401(k) plan. You can expect in-game perks, and the ability to participate in our Play Fund, so you can broaden and deepen your knowledge of our players and community through games. The University Programs team also invites you to intern focused events so you can connect with your fellow interns and Rioters to make the most out of your experience.

Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the Summoner's Code and Community Code. Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do, and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of thriving together and our ongoing work to build the most inclusive company in Gaming.

It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.

Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:

• Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
• Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
• Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
• Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security. 

(Remote Only) The hourly rate for this internship is USD $35.48