Job Overview
| Location | Toronto, Canada |
| Job Title | Viewmodel Animator |
| Job Type | Studio-Based (with flexible working support) |
About Sledgehammer Games
Sledgehammer Games stands as a leading developer within the global video game industry, distinguished by its significant, high-impact contributions to the Call of Duty franchise. Established in 2009, the studio has consistently delivered iconic, critically acclaimed titles, including Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty: WWII, and our most recent achievement, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. Our core philosophy is to leverage cutting-edge technology alongside an innovative creative vision, resulting in games that achieve massive resonance and success with players across the globe. We maintain an unwavering focus on developing both high-quality, competitive multiplayer experiences and captivating, narrative-driven single-player campaigns, continuously shaping and advancing the first-person shooter genre.
Join Our Global Team in Toronto
We are actively seeking passionate and talented individuals to enhance our studio team located in Toronto, Canada. In this strategic role, you will engage in close collaboration with our development teams across our global studio locations in the United States and Australia, contributing to the creation of epic content for some of the world’s largest gaming franchises. If you are prepared to join a dynamic and highly collaborative environment where your expertise will deliver tangible, worldwide impact, we strongly encourage you to explore career opportunities with us.
This position is designed to be studio-based at our Toronto, Canada location, with provisions for flexible working support to promote a healthy and productive work environment.
Sledgehammer Games operates as a key component of the Activision family and is wholly owned by Microsoft. To gain a deeper understanding of our studio culture, projects, and legacy, please visit us at www.sledgehammergames.com or search for Sledgehammer Games on major social media platforms.
Your Mission: Crafting Unrivaled Player Immersion
The Viewmodel Animator is a critical role focused on the core pillar of our game experience: ultimate player immersion. You will be primarily responsible for the creation of high-fidelity, first-person animations that the player directly experiences, including:
- Weapon-Handling:
- Creating realistic and impactful animations for reloading, firing, weapon switching, and other critical functions that communicate weight, force, and mechanical detail.
- Hand-to-Hand Combat:
- Developing expressive and visceral first-person animations for melee attacks and close-quarters interactions.
- Locomotion:
- Animating the player’s hands, arms, and weapon movements associated with in-game movement, such as sprinting, aiming down sights (ADS), and mantling.
Your prime directive is to identify and execute the precise “feel” instructed by the project’s creative direction, often achieved by mirroring real-world counterparts while enhancing the experience with the kinetic energy required of a AAA action title. You will join a passionate and dedicated team of animators committed to continually raising our standards of quality and driving studio-wide artistic excellence.
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities
In this fast-paced, high-quality development environment, your day-to-day responsibilities will be dynamic and impactful. This includes, but is not limited to:
| Animation Creation: | Utilizing traditional animation fundamentals to craft game motions that must seamlessly transition between highly stylized and hyper-realistic aesthetics, depending on the project’s needs. |
| Cinematic Fidelity: | Demonstrating a strong understanding of camera animation principles and cinematic framing to ensure animations integrate flawlessly into the overall game experience, particularly during contextual events. |
| Iteration and Polish: | Responding professionally and constructively to feedback from Animation Directors and Leads, demonstrating a willingness to iterate multiple times to achieve the industry-leading polish level required for AAA titles. |
| Technical Workflow: | Troubleshooting tool implementations, integrating assets within our proprietary game engine, and proactively spearheading workflow improvements to enhance the creative output and efficiency of the animation team. |
| Cross-Discipline Collaboration: | Working closely with Design, Engineering, and Audio teams to ensure animations meet both the aesthetic and technical requirements of gameplay and system functionality. |
Player Profile: Required Skills and Experience
We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled individual who possesses both the artistic sensibility and technical acumen necessary to excel in this role.
Minimum Requirements
- Industry Experience:
- A minimum of 3 years of professional experience in the video game industry.
- Shipped Titles:
- At least 1 shipped AAA title or equivalent demonstrable experience on a large-scale project.
- Hand-Keyed Expertise:
- A proven, strong ability for hand-keyed animation, with a portfolio showcasing exceptional first-person weapon and character movement.
- Animation Fundamentals:
- Deep knowledge of core animation fundamentals, with a particular focus on keyframe animation and the mechanics of realistic human movement.
- Technical Adaptability:
- The ability to rapidly adapt to and master new proprietary tools and technology pipelines.
- Maya Proficiency:
- Extensive professional experience animating within the Autodesk Maya environment.
- Problem-Solving:
- Excellent problem-solving skills, both technical (e.g., rigging issues, integration bugs) and organizational (e.g., cross-department communication).
- Philosophical Approach:
- The ability to think critically and philosophically about character movement, understanding how subtle animation choices impact player agency and emotional response.
Extra Points (Highly Desirable):
- Weapon Functionality:
- A practical understanding of real-world weapon functionality, handling, and operation is a significant advantage.
- Motion Capture:
- Knowledge and experience with Cinematic and Motion Capture editing and cleanup processes.
- Character Pipeline:
- An understanding of character creation pipelines, including basic modeling, texturing, and rigging principles.