VFX Artist
Embark Studios AB · Stockholm · Tills vidare
Embark Studios is looking for a **VFX Artist** to craft believable, high-fidelity real-time effects for a visually grounded game. The role focuses on creating and owning assets such as fire, smoke, explosions, fluids, weather, and impact effects grounded in real-world reference, while ensuring clear gameplay readability. Key duties include authoring node-based shaders and materials, collaborating with art, design, and engineering teams, developing reusable VFX systems and libraries, and actively **profiling and optimizing effects** to hit runtime performance targets across platforms. Applicants are expected to have at least five years of professional game VFX experience with at least one shipped title or comparable production work. Required qualifications include strong **real-time VFX skills** in modern engines such as Unreal Engine (Niagara) or Unity (VFX Graph/Shuriken), proficiency in node-based shaders, a solid grasp of real-time lighting, and experience generating textures or simulations with tools like Houdini, EmberGen, or Substance. Desirable assets include experience with Houdini tool and HDA creation, fluid or destruction systems, scripting in Python or Blueprint, and a background in film VFX or traditional art. Applications must be in English.
We're looking for a FX Artist to craft believable, high-fidelity real-time effects for a visually grounded game. You'll be responsible for the explosions, fire, smoke, fluids, weather, environmental ambiance, weapon and impact effects, and gameplay-critical readability that make our world feel physical and alive. You'll work closely with art, design, and engineering to push realism while hitting performance and clarity targets.
Example of responsibilities
- Create and own high-quality real-time visual effects: fire, smoke, explosions, debris, fluids, atmospherics, weather, and surface/impact responses, grounded in real-world reference.
- Build effects that balance visual fidelity, gameplay readability, and runtime performance across target platforms.
- Author shaders and materials for FX, and collaborate with tech artists/engineers on simulation, lighting integration, and optimization.
- Develop and maintain reusable VFX systems, tools, and libraries to scale quality across the team.
- Partner with design and animation to ensure effects communicate gameplay clearly (telegraphs, hit feedback, state changes).
- Profile and optimize effects (overdraw, particle counts, draw calls, GPU cost) and debug issues across the pipeline.
- Contribute to look development, references, and visual targets alongside the Art Director and VFX Lead.
It would be awesome if you have
- 5+ years of professional VFX experience in games, with at least one shipped title (or comparable production work).
- Strong real-time VFX skills in a modern engine; Unreal Engine (Niagara) and/or Unity (VFX Graph/Shuriken).
- Solid understanding of the physics and behavior behind realistic effects
- Proficiency with node-based shaders/materials and a good grasp of real-time lighting and rendering.
- Experience authoring textures and simulations using tools such as Houdini, EmberGen, Substance, or similar.
- A strong artistic eye, timing, silhouette, color, composition, and motion.
- Performance-minded: comfortable profiling and optimizing for frame budgets.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills across art, design, and engineering.
Nice to have
- Houdini for VFX simulation and tool/HDA creation.
- Experience with fluid/destruction systems (e.g., Chaos, FLIP/Pyro).
- Scripting (Python, Blueprint, or similar) for tooling and automation.
- Background in film/VFX or a strong traditional art/photography foundation.
At Embark we offer competitive salaries, a generous profit-sharing program, and much more, but most of all we invite you to take part of a journey into the unknown, to build creative, surprising and beautiful experiences together.
We welcome people from all backgrounds and are looking forward to reading more about you (in English)!