Freelance 3D Generalist (UE5, Lyra) Joining an Indie Game Team
Budget: $15 – $25 USD
3D Generalist Artist (UE5 • Lyra) - Environments, Characters, UI & Animation Polish
Project: Titan Fortress (UE5, Lyra-based multiplayer)
Contract: Freelance / Remote (part-time) 20hrs a week
Start: ASAP
Location: Remote (overlap with European hours preferred)
About the role
We’re a small indie team, where code is largely in place-but art, animation, VFX and polish will take us from “fun” to “unforgettable.” We’re hiring a 3D Generalist who can span environment & character art, UI polish, animations, and weapon/VFX look-dev. If you augment your workflow with AI tools (not pure AI) to move faster, even better.
You’ll do
Environment & Character Art: Create/upgrade hero assets, tanks, props; push silhouettes and uniqueness; author LODs/UVs/lightmaps; optimize for multiplayer.
Animation Polish: Improve locomotion (e.g., crouch), weapon-holding poses, additive layers; set up/clean left-hand IK for melee; create gender-specific variants (tags already wired).
VFX & Presentation: Build/curate weapon VFX (muzzle, trails, impacts, melee slashes) in Niagara; collaborate on SFX selection so each weapon reads and “feels” distinct.
UI Art Pass: Polish our cyberpunk tactical HUD (Lyra base) with sharper visuals, iconography, readability, and moment-to-moment feedback.
Integration: Work hands-on in UE5 (Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, Retargeter, Sequencer, Materials); ensure assets replicate well in networked play.
Style & Docs: Help shape a concise Titan Wiki (art bible, animation rules, VFX guidelines) so new devs can onboard quickly.
Must-haves
Shipped title(s) or strong prototypes in UE5 (Lyra familiarity is a big plus).
Solid across environment + character pipelines (Blender/Maya, Substance Painter/Designer, ZBrush).
Gameplay animation chops (IK/FK, Control Rig, state machines, additive & layered anims).
Niagara VFX proficiency and performance-aware materials.
Eye for UI/UX visuals and HUD readability.
Source control (Git/Perforce) and multiplayer performance awareness.
Nice to have
Houdini for env/proc work, mesh FX.
Audio taste: picking SFX packs, attenuation/concurrency basics.
Level dressing/lighting for mood and clarity.
Basic shader wizardry for holograms, energy, and “cyberpunk” glows.
What success looks like (first 4–6 weeks)
Animation polish pass on crouch + weapon-hold sets; left-hand IK working across melee samples; gender variants hooked up.
Weapon VFX kit: a consistent set for 3–4 weapons (muzzle/trail/impact/AOE/melee slash) with clean performance budgets.
Tank identity pass: unique silhouettes/skins + decals to differentiate at a glance.
HUD/UX pass: cleaner icon set, better readability, hit/ability feedback.
Mini art bible in the Titan Wiki: palettes, materials, do/don’t, file structure.
Will be required to sign NDA etc
Additional as bonus: using GenAI for concept ideation/assist (e.g., mood boards, quick paintovers), with final assets hand-authored and game-ready.
Project: Titan Fortress (UE5, Lyra-based multiplayer)
Contract: Freelance / Remote (part-time) 20hrs a week
Start: ASAP
Location: Remote (overlap with European hours preferred)
About the role
We’re a small indie team, where code is largely in place-but art, animation, VFX and polish will take us from “fun” to “unforgettable.” We’re hiring a 3D Generalist who can span environment & character art, UI polish, animations, and weapon/VFX look-dev. If you augment your workflow with AI tools (not pure AI) to move faster, even better.
You’ll do
Environment & Character Art: Create/upgrade hero assets, tanks, props; push silhouettes and uniqueness; author LODs/UVs/lightmaps; optimize for multiplayer.
Animation Polish: Improve locomotion (e.g., crouch), weapon-holding poses, additive layers; set up/clean left-hand IK for melee; create gender-specific variants (tags already wired).
VFX & Presentation: Build/curate weapon VFX (muzzle, trails, impacts, melee slashes) in Niagara; collaborate on SFX selection so each weapon reads and “feels” distinct.
UI Art Pass: Polish our cyberpunk tactical HUD (Lyra base) with sharper visuals, iconography, readability, and moment-to-moment feedback.
Integration: Work hands-on in UE5 (Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, Retargeter, Sequencer, Materials); ensure assets replicate well in networked play.
Style & Docs: Help shape a concise Titan Wiki (art bible, animation rules, VFX guidelines) so new devs can onboard quickly.
Must-haves
Shipped title(s) or strong prototypes in UE5 (Lyra familiarity is a big plus).
Solid across environment + character pipelines (Blender/Maya, Substance Painter/Designer, ZBrush).
Gameplay animation chops (IK/FK, Control Rig, state machines, additive & layered anims).
Niagara VFX proficiency and performance-aware materials.
Eye for UI/UX visuals and HUD readability.
Source control (Git/Perforce) and multiplayer performance awareness.
Nice to have
Houdini for env/proc work, mesh FX.
Audio taste: picking SFX packs, attenuation/concurrency basics.
Level dressing/lighting for mood and clarity.
Basic shader wizardry for holograms, energy, and “cyberpunk” glows.
What success looks like (first 4–6 weeks)
Animation polish pass on crouch + weapon-hold sets; left-hand IK working across melee samples; gender variants hooked up.
Weapon VFX kit: a consistent set for 3–4 weapons (muzzle/trail/impact/AOE/melee slash) with clean performance budgets.
Tank identity pass: unique silhouettes/skins + decals to differentiate at a glance.
HUD/UX pass: cleaner icon set, better readability, hit/ability feedback.
Mini art bible in the Titan Wiki: palettes, materials, do/don’t, file structure.
Will be required to sign NDA etc
Additional as bonus: using GenAI for concept ideation/assist (e.g., mood boards, quick paintovers), with final assets hand-authored and game-ready.
Related categories:
3D Rendering
Animation
After Effects
3D Modelling
3D Animation
3D Design
Game Development
Unreal Engine
Level Design
Game Art