technical animator for quadruped characters

Xsolla is a global commerce company that provides tools and services to help video game developers fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. It operates as a merchant of record and serves game developers around the world.

• Develop and maintain animation systems for quadruped characters and multiplayer projects
• Set up Animation Blueprints, State Machines, Blend Spaces, and Animation Layers
• Create and configure IK/FK, Full Body IK, and procedural animation systems
• Set up quadruped locomotion, including walking, trotting, cantering, galloping, turns, starts and stops, and jumps
• Configure blending, additive animations, sync groups, and transitions
• Adapt animations between different skeletons using IK Rig and IK Retargeter
• Process, clean up, and retarget motion capture data
• Create and maintain Control Rig tools
• Fix foot sliding, popping, IK, and blending artifacts
• Optimize Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, and skeletal animation systems
• Work with networked locomotion, prediction, and reconciliation
• Synchronize Montages and locomotion states in networked gameplay
• Collaborate with animators, game designers, and programmers
• Develop and improve the animation pipeline and internal tools

• At least 5 years of experience in technical animation or gameplay animation
• Hands-on experience with quadruped characters
• Portfolio with quadruped animation examples is required
• Strong knowledge of Unreal Engine, including Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, IK Rig / Retargeter, Blend Spaces, and State Machines
• Solid understanding of animal biomechanics and quadruped locomotion
• Experience with rigging, skinning, and skeleton setup
• Experience with motion capture pipelines
• Experience with Maya, MotionBuilder, or a similar DCC tool
• Understanding of root motion, animation curves, notifies, montages, and additive animation
• Experience debugging and optimizing animation systems
• Understanding of the differences between local and replicated character state
• Understanding of which animation states and variables should be calculated locally versus driven by replicated gameplay state
• Understanding of latency, desync, animation popping issues, and ways to minimize them
• Conversational English
• Experience working on AA or AAA game projects
• Будет плюсом: experience animating large quadrupeds and heavy or massive locomotion, Motion Matching / Pose Search, Full Body IK / procedural locomotion, Python / scripting, C++ in Unreal, building animation tools, experience optimizing NPC crowds or large numbers of skeletal meshes

• Contractor engagement
• Unlimited Flexible Time Off
• A personalized career roadmap
• Training and educational opportunities for professional development
• Background checks may be conducted after the final interview stage, where permitted by law, in compliance with local regulations