Do you dream of bringing epic biomes, dungeons, landscapes, vistas, and cityscapes to life in an expansive fantasy/solarpunk MMORPG?

Are you ready to lead, inspire, and push artistic boundaries in a game world powered by Unreal Engine 5?

Couch Heroes is searching for a Lead Environment Artist to define the visual soul of our stylized universe and craft unforgettable worlds. This hands-on leadership role is for someone passionate about high-quality environment design, cutting-edge art pipelines, and pushing PC/console performance to its limits. As the guiding force behind our environment art team, you’ll set the gold standard, collaborate across disciplines, and shape a world bursting with personality, energy, and style. This role reports directly to the Art Director.

What You’ll Do:

• Define and champion the artistic vision for environments, working closely with the Art Director, concept artists, lore team, and level designers.
• Lead, mentor, and elevate a team of talented environment artists, ensuring both artistic excellence and technical mastery.
• Create breathtaking, AAA-quality environments using procedural terrain generators, custom modeling, and texturing techniques.
• Optimize environments for performance while maintaining jaw-dropping visual quality.
• Collaborate with tech teams to refine pipelines, tools, and processes.
• Recruit, review, and develop an elite environment art team, fostering a strong creative culture.
• Keep production smooth by maintaining a transparent schedule aligned with project goals.
• Directly contribute to and oversee the creation of environments from concept to completion.

What You Bring:

• 10+ years in the game industry, with at least 3 shipped titles (including 1 as a Lead Environment Artist).
• Expert-level mastery of 3D modeling tools (Blender, Houdini, 3ds Max, Maya), ZBrush, Substance Designer/Painter, Photoshop, and procedural terrain
  generation software (e.g., Terragen, World Creator, World Machine).
• High – and low-poly modeling expertise across realistic, stylized, and organic art styles.
• Deep knowledge of architecture, landscape design, form, silhouette, materials, lighting, and color theory.
• Proven experience optimizing assets for Unreal Engine 5 to ensure a seamless gameplay experience.
• Strong, empathetic leadership, communication, and project management skills.
• A true passion for gaming and an understanding of how environmental design enhances the player experience.

Bonus Points If You Have:

• Tech art scripting expertise (MaxScript, Python, MEL).
• Knowledge of and or creation of Skyboxes, and digital matte painting.
• A connoisseur of weather, clouds, and atmospheric effects.
• Exceptional mentorship skills, with the ability to teach and pass down knowledge effectively.
• Strong concepting abilities for buildings, landscapes, skies, and props.
• Experience with SpeedTree or similar foliage creation tools.
• Familiarity with Nanite, Lumen, and baked lighting in Unreal Engine 5.
• A background in photography, cinematography, or portrait painting.
• Passion for MMORPGs, MOBAs, RTS, or other game genres.
• Experience using industry collaboration tools like Slack, Miro, and ClickUp.
• A portfolio showcasing a mix of stylized, PBR, and hand-painted artwork.

Your Portfolio Should Showcase:

• Stunning 3D environments with a deep understanding of form, detail, and
  personality.
• Wireframes and topology breakdowns demonstrating expert craftsmanship.
• A mix of organic and hard surface models from previous projects.

Ready to shape a world players will lose themselves in? Join us, make your mark, and lead the way!