Riyo Games is currently hiring an experienced Senior VFX Artist to help craft high-quality real-time visual effects for its upcoming retro-inspired JRPG Threads of Time. This role focuses on designing and implementing stylized gameplay, environment, and cinematic effects that enhance player immersion while maintaining technical performance targets across the production pipeline.
The selected candidate will collaborate closely with art leadership and cross-disciplinary teams to ensure all effects align with the project’s visual identity and gameplay clarity standards. This position is ideal for artists who enjoy working on expressive stylized effects while balancing artistic quality with runtime efficiency.
This opportunity is offered as a six-month full-time remote contract role, available to candidates located within specific Canadian provinces.
Job Overview: Senior VFX Artist
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Company Name | Riyo Games |
| Job Title | Senior VFX Artist |
| Employment Type | Full-Time Contract |
| Contract Duration | 6 Months |
| Work Mode | Remote |
| Eligible Locations | Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia |
| Salary Range | $70,000 – $100,000 CAD |
| Project Assignment | Threads of Time (2.5D Stylized JRPG) |
| Industry | Video Game Development |
| Department | Art – Visual Effects |
| Experience Required | 3–5+ Years |
| Primary Tools | Unreal Engine (Niagara Systems) |
| Art Style Focus | Stylized Real-Time Effects |
| Portfolio Requirement | Strong stylized gameplay VFX portfolio |
About Riyo Games
Riyo Games is an independent development studio dedicated to creating retro-inspired JRPG experiences that combine nostalgic storytelling with modern production techniques. The studio’s creative direction focuses on building narrative-rich adventures that capture the emotional tone and charm of classic role-playing titles while delivering contemporary gameplay polish.
The team includes developers who previously contributed to internationally recognized RPG projects such as Xenoblade Chronicles and Legend of Mana, bringing deep genre expertise to the studio’s flagship project.
Riyo Games values creativity, collaboration, and inclusive production environments that encourage experimentation and professional growth across all disciplines.
Project Overview: Threads of Time
The selected candidate will contribute to Threads of Time, a stylized 2.5D time-travel JRPG inspired by genre classics like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy. The game spans multiple historical eras—from prehistoric environments to distant future settings—requiring a diverse range of visual effects that support gameplay readability and cinematic storytelling.
Visual effects play a central role in reinforcing combat clarity, environmental atmosphere, and narrative presentation, making this position essential to the project’s artistic execution.
Role Summary
As a Senior VFX Artist, you will be responsible for designing, implementing, optimizing, and maintaining stylized real-time visual effects across gameplay systems, environments, and cinematic sequences.
You will work collaboratively with artists, designers, and engineers to ensure effects remain visually expressive while meeting performance constraints required for production stability.
This role also includes supporting improvements to the studio’s VFX workflow pipeline and contributing to long-term efficiency strategies for asset production.
Key Responsibilities
The Senior VFX Artist will contribute across multiple areas of real-time effects production throughout the project lifecycle.
Primary responsibilities include:
Real-Time Gameplay Effects Creation
Design and implement stylized effects supporting combat mechanics and gameplay feedback systems, including:
- Ability effects
- enemy interaction visuals
- combat impact effects
- status effect visuals
- environmental gameplay responses
These elements improve player readability and responsiveness during gameplay encounters.
Environment & Cinematic Effects Development
Create atmospheric and narrative-driven effects that strengthen environmental storytelling across multiple historical timelines within the game world.
Examples include:
- ambient environmental effects
- weather elements
- magical interactions
- cinematic transitions
- story-driven visual moments
Asset Creation & Technical Implementation
The selected candidate will create source assets required for real-time implementation inside Unreal Engine.
Responsibilities include:
- texture generation
- shader creation
- material setup
- flipbook animation preparation
- emitter configuration
- particle system construction
Strong technical familiarity with Unreal’s Niagara Systems is essential.
Pipeline Support & Optimization
Efficiency and scalability remain important production priorities throughout development.
Responsibilities include:
- supporting VFX pipeline improvements
- maintaining asset organization consistency
- improving workflow efficiency
- ensuring performance optimization
- balancing artistic quality with runtime constraints
These efforts help maintain stable production timelines and technical performance standards.
Pre-Visualization & Artistic Direction Support
The Senior VFX Artist will help guide visual direction by producing concept-level previews and prototype effects during early implementation stages.
Responsibilities include:
- early-stage visual experimentation
- style alignment validation
- pipeline feasibility testing
- visual direction support collaboration with art leadership
Cross-Department Collaboration
This role requires ongoing collaboration with:
- environment artists
- character artists
- gameplay designers
- technical artists
- animation teams
- engineering teams
Cross-team coordination ensures consistent visual language across gameplay systems and cinematic sequences.
Required Qualifications
Applicants should demonstrate strong experience creating stylized real-time visual effects within professional game production environments.
Required qualifications include:
- 3–5+ years experience as a VFX artist in the video game industry
- Strong portfolio demonstrating stylized gameplay-ready effects
- Advanced experience working with Unreal Engine
- Familiarity with Niagara Systems
- Understanding of 2D animation timing principles
- Experience creating source textures, materials, and shaders
- Strong visual sense of color, motion, composition, and readability
- Experience building particle systems and flipbooks
- Ability to optimize effects for runtime performance
- Strong communication and collaboration skills
The following experience is considered beneficial but not required:
- Residency within Ontario or Quebec
- Strong familiarity with JRPG visual presentation styles
- Previous work on stylized narrative-driven projects
- Experience supporting production pipelines across multiple gameplay systems
Riyo Games provides a competitive compensation package aligned with experience level and industry expectations.
Salary Overview
| Compensation Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Annual Salary | $70,000 – $100,000 CAD |
| Employment Type | Full-Time Contract |
| Contract Duration | 6 Months |
Additional Benefits
Eligible contract employees may receive access to selected studio support programs:
| Benefit Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Paid Vacation | 4 weeks annually |
| December Holiday Break | 1 additional scheduled week |
| Medical Insurance | Included |
| Dental Coverage | Included |
| Vision Coverage | Included |
| Life Insurance | Included |
| Employee Assistance Program | Included |
| Family Assistance Support | Included |
Studio Culture & Work Environment
Riyo Games maintains a collaborative production environment where artists are encouraged to contribute creatively across departments while maintaining ownership of their feature areas.
The studio supports:
- artistic experimentation
- technical growth opportunities
- cross-disciplinary collaboration
- mentorship from experienced RPG developers
- inclusive workplace practices
Artists joining the team will work alongside industry veterans who contributed to globally recognized JRPG franchises.
Diversity & Accessibility Commitment
Riyo Games encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Applicants who may not meet every listed qualification are still encouraged to apply if their skills align with the spirit of the role.
Accessibility accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process upon request via:
The studio confirms that geographic filtering tools are used only to confirm eligibility requirements and AI-based applicant screening tools are not used during candidate evaluation.
Senior VFX Artist Job at Riyo Games, Remote
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