Lead Technical Artist, Characters - Overwatch | Irvine, CA

Lead Technical Artist, Characters - Overwatch 2 | Irvine, CA

We are seeking an inspiring and strategic Lead Technical Artist, Characters to manage our Character Tech Art Team, with a special focus on reward systems and game cosmetics. In this manager role, you will be responsible for leading, mentoring, and developing a team of technical artists, driving both the creative and technical vision for cosmetic and character assets.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid position, with work both on-site at our Irvine, CA studio and from home.

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of technical artists focused on cosmetic rewards and character tech art, supporting talent development and best practices.
• Oversee the design, development, and optimization of cosmetic pipelines, including skinning, rigging, physics setup, and export readiness for skins, weapons, props, and reward items.
• Drive technical innovation and efficiency in cosmetic asset production, championing new workflows, automation, and process improvements.
• Collaborate across concept, VFX, animation, design, and engineering to deliver high-quality cosmetic assets aligned with game vision and player expectations.
• Set clear standards for art assets, lead performance optimization, and recommend/implement improvements to product quality and team productivity.
• Research, identify, and resolve technical challenges in production pipelines and processes, developing solutions and new tools as needed for Overwatch’s art production.
• Manage and maintain asset integration, files, pipelines, and processes for Overwatch’s art production.
• Partner with other leads and directors to meet Overwatch’s visual and technical standards and represent the team in leadership meetings.

• 8+ years of experience in AAA Tech Art, ideally including multiplayer or team-based games.
• Proven track record, with shipped titles in a relevant role.
• Leadership experience managing technical artists in a studio environment.
• Knowledge &
  
  Skills:
• Comprehensive understanding of all major aspects of content creation in commercial game engines.
• Deep understanding of character kinematics, deformation, topology, and technical workflows for cosmetics.
• Expertise in Maya tool development, pipeline design, and Python or similar programming languages.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience generating cloth/hair rigs and art-directed simulations for cosmetic assets.

• Collaborative, team-oriented mindset, working effectively with all Overwatch departments.
• Ability to inspire others with enthusiasm for game development and skill improvement.
• Self-motivated leadership, driving initiatives and fostering innovation.
• Proven ability to pioneer practical, production-oriented art workflows for a live-service game.

• Experience leading teams in shipping AAA games, especially in FPS or live service environments.
• Passion for Blizzard games and cosmetic reward systems.
• Familiarity with destruction, VFX, material creation, and LOD optimization tools (e.g., Simplygon).

Blizzard Entertainment is best known for iconic universes such as Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and Star Craft®. As a division of Activision Blizzard, now part of Microsoft, we’ve created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games.

Activision Blizzard is one of the world’s largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies, home to beloved franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™, and Bubble Witch™. Our network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

We build immersive, innovative worlds by empowering diverse teams in an inclusive environment. Our culture encourages everyone to thrive and connect through epic entertainment. Employees enjoy a comprehensive suite of benefits that support physical, emotional, and financial well‑being.

Blizzard Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national…