Lead Gameplay Animator

Lead Gameplay AnimatorHybrid, Irvine, California, United StatesWhat's the one game you couldn't put down? The game that connected you with friends, and made you feel like you belonged? If a game has ever defined a chapter of your life, then you already know the spark we're chasing. Our mission is to ignite that same feeling for players; the thrill of competition, the joy of community, and the belonging of finding your own corner of a larger world.Great games begin with people who dare to dream big. If that sounds exciting, you might be exactly who we're looking for.Bonfire is a group of experienced and ambitious developers, proud to be creating our first original IP: Arkheron. It is a fast-paced, competitive PVP game set in a surreal dark fantasy world where 15 teams of three battle their way up the Tower. In a world built from memories, you will loot powerful items to create and adapt a unique build-out that will change your strategy and combat experience with every Ascension.The best way to understand our Art team is in their own words — here's how they describe their work.Our goal is to immerse players in an extraordinary and haunting realm. From initial concept art to final in-game elements, we are crafting a compelling aesthetic experience that seamlessly blends with and brings to life the game's narrative, level design, combat and audio. We play the game daily and our deep understanding of it allows us to deliver visuals that put the player experience first, while still pushing artistic boundaries to fully capture the unique tone and unforgettable atmosphere of the Arkheron's world.As our Lead Animator, you'll be accountable for how our game moves and how our animation discipline grows. You'll set vision, mentor artists, evolve pipelines, and hold the quality bar high for a competitive, combat-driven multiplayer experience. At the same time, you'll stay close to the craft, guiding combat feel and gameplay clarity from prototype through polish, helping ensure that every movement in our world carries intention and that the team behind it continues to level up.YOU'LL CONTRIBUTE BY:Inspiring and guiding the animation discipline, setting the creative vision and quality bar for characters and combat in a competitive multiplayer game.Leading and mentoring a lean animation team, fostering autonomy, accountability, and growth through clear expectations, constructive feedback, and thoughtful development.Balancing leadership with hands-on creation, contributing directly to gameplay animation while setting standards and pushing ideas forward independently.Partnering with cross-discipline leads (design, engineering, art, production) to align animation with gameplay systems, technical realities, and the overall player experience.Owning combat feel and moment-to-moment gameplay expression, ensuring characters are readable, responsive, expressive, and impactful.Driving production clarity and execution, prioritizing animation goals, pipelines, and team focus while balancing fidelity, performance, and schedule.Evolving animation systems and workflows, including thoughtful use of motion capture, keyframe techniques, and external partnerships.Guiding and reviewing external animation partners, maintaining a high craft bar across both internal and outsourced work.Contributing to studio-wide hiring, onboarding, and team-building efforts to grow and strengthen the animation discipline.Fostering accountability and self-sufficiency, empowering the team to solve problems proactively while maintaining strong collaboration.WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU:Have proven experience creating high-quality, in-game animations, ideally across multiple shipped titles.Are energized by competitive multiplayer combat and understand the critical role animation plays in readability, feel, and fairness.Bring a strong understanding of combat systems and how animation drives responsiveness and player satisfaction.Have experience developing animation systems, ideally in new or evolving engines.Are comfortable owning features end-to-end, from early exploration through final implementation.Are highly skilled at conveying character through gameplay animation, not just cinematics.Push for animation excellence while always putting gameplay quality first.Thrive in tight-knit, highly collaborative teams and communicate clearly across disciplines.Are self-directed, adaptable, and able to focus on what matters most for the game right now.Believe great games are built by great teams that put people first.Value trust, openness, humility, curiosity, and enjoy learning alongside others.Have a growth mindset and care deeply about helping teammates develop.Want to make a meaningful impact on a new IP and shape both the role and the studio as we grow.THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE ROLE FOR YOU IF:You prefer to focus solely on individual contribution and don't enjoy coaching, mentoring, or guiding others.You're looking for a role where the animation vision is already fully defined and doesn't require iteration or collaboration.You're uncomfortable balancing creative ambition with gameplay, tech, and production realities.You prefer rigid role boundaries and aren't excited by wearing multiple hats in a small, evolving team.Competitive multiplayer games—or the tradeoffs they require—don't genuinely excite you.You're seeking a highly siloed environment rather than a studio where cross-discipline collaboration is constant and expectedYOU'LL LOVE WORKING AT BONFIRE BECAUSE WE:Embrace bold challenges with creativity and courage, making the tough calls to build a game we're proud to play every day.Keep fun at the core: we play Arkheron daily, staying grounded as players. If it's not more fun than yesterday, we fix it. We don't chase trends; we listen by playing.Stay truly independent, with decisions driven by the team — not by investors or a board.Thrive in a culture of passion, trust, and shared ownership; where transparency matters and egos don't.The base salary range for this role is $196,500 - $247,133. Depending on your experience and level (whether you're closer to mid-level or principal), your offer may land above or below that range. We don't just look at years on a résumé — we think about the impact you can have on the team and the game. Of course, compensation at Bonfire goes beyond salary. Every new teammate receives equity, plus a full benefits package and some extra perks to make work (and life) better. When we connect, we'll happily walk you through the full details.