Animator - Old School RuneScape

Employment Type: Contract Location Type: Remote (within the UK) Location: Cambridge, UK (with monthly team onsite days)

Position Overview

Old School RuneScape is seeking an experienced Animator with a flair for expressive motion and stylized character work to contribute significantly to the animation of creatures and characters within the game. This role involves developing animation systems and pipelines, delivering recognizable and impactful animations that align with the game's visual identity, and collaborating with Technical Art, Engineering, and the wider team to enhance the game's feel while retaining its charm.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the OSRS Associate Art Director to raise quality and refine the project's look and feel.
• Collaborate with Technical Art, Engineering, and other artists to develop the animation creation and integration pipeline.
• Be responsible for delivering benchmark quality in-game animation.
• Provide support to the team in supervising animation production/quality standards, offering feedback and critique to junior animators.
• Work independently on prototyping, problem-solving, and R&D in animation pipelines.
• Support, promote, and build good team and studio morale in an open, creative environment.
• Assist the Associate Art Director with delivering feedback and correspondence to outsource partners or freelancers as required.

Requirements

• Excellent keyframe animation skills across a range of characters and creatures, demonstrating a strong sense of timing, stylization, exaggeration, and proficiency in traversal, combat, and locomotion.
• Practical experience using Maya in a production environment for games.
• A well-curated demo reel showcasing a mix of character and creature animations.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with an openness to feedback and a commitment to supporting others.
• A proactive and organized approach to asset management and in-game implementation.
• Experience rigging and weighting characters in Maya is strongly preferred.

What We Offer

When you join Jagex, you can look forward to a generous Perks & Benefits package, including:

• Private Healthcare (including Dental Plan)
• Minimum 6% Pension contributions
• Employee Assistance Programme & Onsite Counselling
• Life Insurance
• Discretionary annual performance bonus
• Enhanced family leave policies from day 1
• Flexible working hours
• 25 days annual leave + Bank holidays
• Option to buy/sell holidays
• And much more!

About Jagex

Jagex is a leader in developing and publishing deep, engaging online games that connect millions of players worldwide. Best known for the RuneScape franchise, including Old School RuneScape and RuneScape, and the open-world survival crafting game, RuneScape: Dragonwilds, Jagex has a proven track record in delivering immersive "Forever Games" and fostering strong player communities.

Jagex strives to foster an inclusive workplace built on trust, autonomy, and a shared passion for creating forever games. Our values guide everything we do:

• We Embrace Fellowship: Collaborating and sharing openly.
• We Hone our Craft: Always learning and improving.
• We Honour our Vows: Being honest and transparent.
• We are our Customers’ Heroes: Striving to understand team and player needs.
• We Seize The Day: Making the most of every opportunity.

With over two decades of experience and a team of over 400 people, Jagex continues to innovate in live game development, leveraging data-driven insights and a commitment to player-first game design. We have a diverse and talented team where creativity, collaboration, and co-creation are paramount.