Senior/Principal Environment Artist

Job title: Senior/Principal Environment Artist

About the Role Bonfire is seeking a Senior/Principal Environment Artist with the technical grit to turn surreal concepts into high-fidelity AAA landscapes for Arkheron, our first original IP. You'll be the primary architect of immersive environments that support competitive gameplay and narrative.

What You'll Do

• Build high-quality in-game environment art including architecture, materials, props, vistas, and set dressing.
• Own environment assets end-to-end from concept or blockout through final in-engine implementation.
• Create fully realized architectural kits, ensuring visual cohesion, performance, and flexibility for level design.
• Partner with design, lighting, engineering, and other art disciplines to ensure environments support gameplay, readability, and visual storytelling.
• Balance artistic fidelity with gameplay and technical needs, making smart tradeoffs that serve player experience.
• Conduct research and gather reference to push quality, authenticity, and cohesion across the world.
• Contribute ideas early and often, helping shape the visual language and identity of a new IP.
• Operate with a high degree of autonomy in a small, evolving team, wearing multiple hats beyond asset creation when beneficial.
• Collaborate with downstream departments to proactively follow your environmental work through production and into final implementation.
• Help shape the game and studio culture, bringing thoughtfulness, curiosity, and craftsmanship to how we build together.

What We're Looking For

• A strong, self-directed world builder who can take an idea from rough sketch to a polished, in-game environment.
• Deep experience creating AAA-quality environment art, ideally with at least one shipped AAA title.
• Sharp eye for organic forms, architecture, materials, color, composition, and spatial storytelling.
• Proficient with industry-standard tools (Maya or equivalent, ZBrush, Photoshop, Substance, and real-time engines).
• Understand the realities of game development pipelines, including optimization, lighting, PBR materials, UVs, and engine constraints.
• Think developer- and product-first, caring about how environments affect gameplay, flow, and player experience.
• Thrive in highly collaborative, cross-disciplinary teams, and communicate clearly with partners across the studio.
• Comfortable working through ambiguity and taking initiative without waiting for perfect direction.
• Value trust, openness, and diverse perspectives.
• Have a growth mindset and enjoy learning, experimenting, and refining your craft.
• Want to make a meaningful impact in a tight-knit studio where your work visibly shapes the game.

Compensation & Benefits

• The base salary range for this role is $174,800 - $221,817. Depending on your experience and level, your offer may land above or below that range.
• Compensation at Bonfire goes beyond salary and includes additional considerations not detailed here.