Mid - Senior Generalist 3D Artist - Unreal Engine Action Shooter

At a Glance

• Role Type: Generalist 3D Artist - Unreal Engine Action Shooter
• Project: Eye-tracked Action VR shooter
• Role: Full-time (8-month fixed-term contract with potential for extension)
• Experience Level: Mid-Senior
• Start Date: December 2026
• Office Location: Hybrid - based in Footscray, Melbourne (VIC) or Remote. 
• Engine Collaboration: Unreal Engine 5
• Core Gameplay: Action Sniper experience inspired by “Silent Scope”, “Time Crisis”, “Pure Sniper”.
• Note: this job is open to applicants who are based within Australia. 

About the studio

Founded in 2017 and located in Footscray, Victoria, LODE is passionate about immersive Media. We’re the studio behind the stealth-action ‘Espire’ IP. Since 2019, we’ve shipped three Espire titles across all major VR platforms. Our mission is to be at the forefront of immersive technology, crafting never-before-seen mechanics that entertain players in unforgettable worlds.

We’re currently closing out pre-production on our third, original IP codenamed “EyeSpy.” It is an action shooter game that features a novel VR input paradigm designed for the next generation of devices, with sights set on bringing the experience to traditional consoles, too. 

Position Overview

We are seeking a versatile, creative Generalist 3D Artist to drive the end-to-end asset creation pipeline for our new IP codenamed ‘EyeSpy’. In this Mid-Senior role, you will lead and execute the modeling, texturing, and skinning of high-quality 3D assets, ensuring they strictly adhere to a realistic visual style with a late 90s-inspired aesthetic. Working closely with the development team within the Unreal Engine 5 ecosystem, you will also oversee real-time optimization to achieve exceptional performance on target platforms while bringing our game world to life.

Key Responsibilities

Scene Assembly & Environment Art

• Build environments over greybox level designs using a library of modular asset kits, carefully matching snapping units and increments.
• Create original environment art for key landmarks and structures.
• Modify meshes, materials and textures to bring modular assets from various sources into a unified style.
• Organise environmental assets into relevant streaming levels - we are using Unreal’s Level streaming system.

Key prop creation based on concept imagery

• Create original hard-surface hero props based on concept imagery and briefs.
• Modify existing props & items to match the project’s unified style.

Modular Assets & Cosmetics

• Modify our library of sniper rifles and set them up for our upgradable sniper system.
• Split rifle attachments and components into unique assets, adjusting the mesh pivots, orientation, bone hierarchy and skinning as required.
• Modify materials and textures to match the game’s unified style.
• Create unique cosmetic skins variants for rifles and attachments.

Optimization & Performance

• Create all original assets with the performance constraints of Standalone VR / Mobile Hardware in mind.
• Assist the team to optimize existing modular assets, using internal tools and workflows to meet strict mobile VR constraints - including mesh, material & texture optimization tasks.
• Use in-house tooling to convert meshes to Instanced Static Meshes (ISM / HISM) clusters.
• Work with Simplygon middleware to optimize environment and asset geometry and draw calls. Training will be provided on the job as required.

Position Requirements

• Relevant Portfolio: Submission of a strong portfolio demonstrating hard surface and environmental art asset creation skills.
• Technical Skills: Demonstrated skills in modelling, materials, texturing and skinning hard surface assets.
• Visual Fundamentals: Strong understanding of art fundamentals such as lighting, composition, color theory, and form.
• Software Proficiency: Proficiency with relevant industry-standard design tools (e.g., Maya, Blender, ZBrush, Substance Painter) for creating high quality 3D assets, and the Unreal Editor for scene assembly with modular assets.
• Technical Constraint: Ability to work within the technical limitations of mobile hardware, as our project targets standalone VR. 
• Cross-Discipline Collaboration: Strong ability to articulate your design reasoning, share concepts, and work closely with a multidisciplinary team.
• Based In Australia: Applicants must be based in Australia with the right to work in Australia.

Nice-to-Haves

• Victorian Talent: While we welcome remote applicants, candidates based in Victoria are preferred to support hybrid workflows from our Footscray studio.
• VR Design Experience: Experience creating art assets that must work within the rendering and performance constraints of Virtual Reality.
• Mobile Mesh Optimization: Deep understanding of mesh optimization techniques for mobile platforms (note: training can be provided on the job).
• Tangential Skills: Demonstrated experience with 3D-Art-related skills such as Mechanical animation, environmental lighting or landscape / terrain modelling is a nice to have. 
• Genre Passion: Passion for Action Thrillers of the 80’s & 90’s and / or arcade shooters like Time Crisis & Silent Scope.

Why Join Us?

• Own your work: As a member of our small team, you will have the freedom to control your area of development, influence our processes, and put your signature on the final experience for our players.
• Collaborative by Design: We are a small, highly collaborative team that thrives on shared creativity. We value curiosity and honest, constructive feedback over traditional hierarchy. You will be encouraged to challenge assumptions and contribute ideas across all aspects of the project, ensuring that the best solutions rise to the top through collective effort.
• Solve new design challenges: We are focused on the cutting edge of VR. Join and contribute to the team as we work with the latest input methods and hardware, tackling unique problems in VR interaction that don't have standard answers yet.
• Work-life & environment: 
  • We offer a hybrid work model with the flexibility to WFH 2-3 days per week and flexible start and end times. We’re also open to fully-remote candidates based in Australia for this role.
  • We operate out of a unique, converted warehouse space in the Docklands Cotton Mills, Footscray.
  • Staff perks include food, drinks, regular team celebrations and social events.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your CV and portfolio information to:
jobs@espirevr.com

• Please use the subject heading [3D Artist - Your Name].
• Regarding your portfolio, please provide a link to your online portfolio and any published games or software projects you have worked on. Please do not attach large Portfolio files or Portfolio PDFs.
• Digital Lode requires applicants to have the appropriate rights to work in Australia.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Digital Lode is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented groups.