Principal Technical VFX Artist

Principal Technical VFX Artist

Epic is looking for a Principal Technical FX Artist to join Rocket League, a live-service game with a huge passionate fanbase. You'll own FX systems, solve hard technical problems, and set the visual and technical standard for how effects work across the game. You're someone who gets energized by constraints, thinks in systems, and loves the moment when a gnarly technical problem becomes a beautiful effect in the build.
In this role, you will:
Drive VFX systems and quality, design reusable, scalable solutions that support rapid iteration and long-term production across gameplay, cosmetics, and arena systems
Author outstanding real-time effects across a range of styles, from grounded and physical to high-energy and stylized
Collaborate with Tech Art and Programming to define performance budgets and hit them without sacrificing visual quality
Prototype and validate new VFX workflows
Set the quality bar, defining what "good" looks like for the team
Mentor and elevate artists across disciplines; raise the floor and the ceiling
What we're looking for:
Real-time FX portfolio required, shipped titles carry more weight than student work
Deep proficiency with Niagara and Unreal Engine's material system
Shader authoring experience (HLSL or Material Editor)
Scripting experience — Python, Blueprint, or equivalent; this is what separates a technical FX artist from a visual one
Strong understanding of GPU performance — draw calls, particle costs, memory — and a track record of optimizing without killing the look
A critical eye for timing, weight, and motion grounded in how things actually behave in the real world
Experience shipping multiple titles in the game industry
Experience on a live-service game is a strong plus
Houdini experience is a plus for candidates who work from simulation reference
This role is open to multiple locations in North America (including CA & WA).