Technical Art New Grad

Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company publishing titles developed by influential game development studios. Its studios include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, and HB Studios. 2K publishes games across sports, shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment genres. ## What is Technical Art? Technical Artists make the art team more capable. They build tools artists use to create content, rigs that make characters move, shaders that give a world its look, rules that scatter a landscape with vegetation, and pipelines that carry all of it into the game. The art team is the Technical Artist’s customer, and the work is judged on whether the artists it was built for actually use it. ## Program overview This is a 21-month program starting in Summer 2027 and based in Cary, North Carolina. Foundation Training — eleven weeks: Participants work on briefs and deadlines using tools art teams use every day, building across Pipeline and Tools, Character and Animation, Rendering and Visuals, and Environment and World. Work is reviewed by professionals, including how participants worked and communicated with the people they built for. Some work is individual and some is shared with Engineering and Publishing graduates. Training uses Unreal Engine, Maya, Python, and Perforce. The program assumes participants arrive knowing one or two of these tools, not all four. Three strategic rotations — six months each: Rotations take place across studios including Hangar 13, HB Studios, Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Small Axe, and Gearbox, as well as central technology teams. Rotation assignments are based on game timelines, team needs, and the participant’s developing focus. ## What we are looking for An outstanding portfolio is the first thing considered. It should show the work and how it was created; it does not have to be an art portfolio. Tools, scripts, rigs, and shaders count. For collaborative work, applicants should identify their contributions. - Comfort with at least one content-creation package or game engine, such as Maya, Blender, Houdini, Substance, or Unreal Engine. - Some scripting ability, including the ability to read code and having written something. - Curiosity about how things are made and a willingness to investigate. - Persistence when problems are difficult to diagnose. - Communication skills and willingness to talk and ask questions. - A recent degree in Game Art, Animation, VFX, Technical Art, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Applicants with an unrelated degree may also apply if their portfolio demonstrates their work. What applicants have made matters more than where they studied. - No games industry experience is needed. Mod work, game jams, university projects, and freelance work are relevant experience. - Graduates from January 2025 to June 2027 are eligible to apply; exceptions may be considered case by case.Applicants are encouraged to apply even if they do not match every listed qualification. ## How to apply Submit a CV or resume and a portfolio. The portfolio may be an ArtStation page, personal site, GitHub profile, itch.io page, reel, or PDF. If work is spread across several places, link them and indicate where to start. An optional cover letter may explain interest in the program if the resume does not explicitly mention Technical Art. 2K is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities during the application and interview process and in performing essential job functions.