Game animator

Game Animator (Unreal Engine) — Phantom StudiosPhantom Studios is looking for a Game Animator to help bring our dark fantasy dungeon crawler Grave Covenant to life. You’ll be responsible for creating high-quality, gameplay-ready character animations and integrating them directly into real-time systems using Unreal Engine.This role is focused on responsiveness, gameplay feel, and real-time implementation, not just cinematic animation.⸻🎮 What You’ll Do* Create game-ready character animations (combat, movement, idle, reactions, traversal)* Develop and refine animations for enemies, bosses, and player characters* Implement animations directly in Unreal Engine using animation blueprints, state machines, and blend spaces* Work closely with designers and engineers to ensure animations match gameplay mechanics* Build clean, reusable animation systems for multiple enemy types* Adjust timing, weight, and responsiveness based on playtesting feedback* Optimize animations for performance in real-time gameplay environments* Support cinematic moments when needed (in-engine or pre-rendered sequences)⸻🧠 What We’re Looking For* Strong understanding of character animation fundamentals (timing, weight, spacing, anticipation, follow-through)* Experience creating animations for real-time games, not just film or cinematic work* Familiarity with animation systems in Unreal Engine (state machines, blend trees, root motion, etc.)* Ability to translate gameplay needs into animation solutions* Strong sense of game feel (responsiveness, clarity, readability)* Comfortable working in a collaborative, fast-moving indie environment⸻🛠️ Nice to Have* Experience with rigging or technical animation workflows* Knowledge of scripting or tools (Python, C#, or engine scripting)* Experience with motion capture cleanup and integration* Familiarity with Unity or other real-time engines* Experience working on combat systems or action-heavy gameplay* Understanding of optimization for performance (LOD, animation compression, etc.)⸻🎯 Bonus Points If You* Have shipped a game or contributed to a playable build* Can build or modify animation systems, not just animations* Understand how animation ties directly into gameplay programming* Can troubleshoot animations that “look right but feel wrong” in-engine⸻🤝 You’ll Work With* Game designers (combat feel, enemy behavior, player feedback)* Programmers (animation systems, state logic, gameplay integration)* 3D artists (rigging, character setup, asset consistency)* Creative leadership on Phantom Studios’ core gameplay vision⸻🚀 What We Offer* Opportunity to shape the core feel of Grave Covenant* Creative ownership over animation systems and gameplay feel* Small team environment where your work directly impacts the final game* Freedom to experiment and improve pipelines⸻📌 How to ApplyInclude:* Demo reel (must include gameplay animation if possible)* Breakdown of your role on each project* Any Unreal Engine gameplay or animation system work* Optional: examples of combat or enemy animation systems