Senior Visual Story Development Artist - Unpublished R&D Product
Riot Games · Shanghai
Riot Games was established in 2006 by entrepreneurial gamers who believe that player-focused game development can result in great games. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to critical and player acclaim. As the most played video game in the world, over 100 million play every month. Players form the foundation of our community and it’s for them that we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience.
We’re looking for humble but ambitious, razor-sharp professionals who can teach us a thing or two. We promise to return the favor. Like us, you take play seriously; you’re passionate about games. We embrace those who see things differently, aren’t afraid to experiment, and who have a healthy disregard for constraints.
That's where you come in.
As a Visual Story Development Artist at Riot, you will bring characters and stories to life through visual development and cinematic storytelling. You will translate narrative beats into compelling storyboards, animatics, and in-game cinematic content that builds character performance, worldbuilding, and emotional impact for players. Working with artists and cross-functional partners, you will develop clear visual narratives that support the game's creative vision.
As a Senior Visual Story Development Artist on the Unpublished R&D Product, you will apply your visual development skills and narrative sensibility to create compelling visual storytelling content. You will contribute to character and creature design, storyboards, animatics, in-game cinematics, and other visual storytelling work, helping establish a cohesive foundation for character performance, worldbuilding, and visual narrative. You will report into the Art Director of the team.
Responsibilities:
- Drive visual development and storytelling, creating and delivering illustrative, animated, and visual narrative content, as well as writing story scripts, to advance character development, worldbuilding, and the player experience.
- Shape character performance, camera composition, cinematography, and editing to create compelling cinematic experiences that align with the project's visual direction.
- Lead projects of varying scales, partnering closely with production to ensure work is delivered on time and to a high standard of quality.
- Leverage cinematic tools and related workflows in Unreal Engine for visual development, storyboarding, animatics, and in-game cinematics.
- Partner with other artists under the direction of the Art Director to build the foundations of character design, story development, and visual worldbuilding.
- Use 2D, 3D, and other relevant tools and technologies to explore new approaches to visual storytelling and advance narrative expression both inside and outside the game.
- Work directly with game development, marketing, and publishing teams to understand their goals and deliver high-quality visual narrative solutions.
- Navigate ambiguous creative spaces with clear communication, adaptability, and sound judgment, while sharing knowledge, supporting collaborators, and balancing execution speed with exceptional quality.
Required Qualifications:
- 8+ years of professional experience in directing, concept art, storyboarding, or animation within the video game, film, or animation industries.
- Strong traditional and digital art foundations, with a deep understanding of human and creature anatomy, proportion, movement, and performance.
- Hands-on proficiency with creative software, including 2D and 3D modeling, layout, and animation tools, Unreal Engine, and video editing or compositing software for storyboards, animatics, and final shots.
- Proven ability to work independently in complex or ambiguous creative environments and develop ideas from early narrative beats into complete, clear, and executable visual concepts.
- Strong visual judgment, narrative awareness, and communication skills, with the ability to articulate creative intent and collaborate effectively across disciplines.
- Fluency in Mandarin Chinese.
Desired Qualifications:
- Practical and technical experience with animation pipelines, producing animatics and final cinematics for high-quality entertainment content.
- Experience managing external partner teams or outsourcing workflows, with the ability to ensure that work meets project needs, visual style, and quality standards.
- Experience with character concept art and visual development for both in-game assets and out-of-game marketing or publishing content.
- Experience developing character performance, camera direction, and complete visual narratives from story beats, scripts, or written descriptions.
- Fluency in English.
Application Materials:
Please provide a versatile portfolio or demo reel demonstrating proficiency in 2D painting and design, storyboarding, visual development, and 3D workflows, including clear examples of individual contributions and the ability to explore different styles while maintaining a consistent art direction. Some candidates may be asked to complete an art test.
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!