Job OverviewWe are seeking an experienced Senior UE5 Lighting Artist to join our team and contribute to international AAA open-world game projects.In this role, you will be responsible for the overall lighting design, atmosphere crafting, and visual quality enhancement of massive open-world environments. You will leverage high-quality real-time lighting solutions to build immersive gaming experiences.This position requires a strong balance of artistic expression and technical optimization capabilities—ensuring top-tier visual fidelity while meeting the rigorous performance standards of an open-world project.Key ResponsibilitiesLighting Design & ProductionDesign and implement comprehensive lighting schemes for open-world environments.Formulate lighting representations for day/night cycles and dynamic weather systems in alignment with the project's art style.Handle interior and exterior scene lighting setup and atmosphere crafting.Enhance visual depth, spatial awareness, and narrative expression within game scenes.Continuously iterate and optimize visual quality based on feedback from the Art Director.UE5 Real-Time Lighting ProductionProficiently utilize the UE5 lighting ecosystem, including:Lumen Global IlluminationVirtual Shadow Maps (VSM)Volumetric FogSky AtmosphereExponential Height FogPost Process VolumesReflection SystemsHDR PipelineTake ownership of: Lighting Layout, Color Management, Exposure Control, Atmosphere Design, Weather Expression, and Time-of-Day Cycle Representation.Open-World Project DutiesParticipate in lighting planning for large-scale open-world maps.Responsible for unifying the lighting style while creating distinct visual identities across multiple biomes.Address and resolve lighting management challenges under the World Partition framework.Optimize lighting performance during level streaming states.Ensure visual consistency across various times of day and weather conditions.Support exploration experiences and visual guidance through strategic lighting design.Technical OptimizationConduct performance profiling and optimization for scene lighting.Collaborate with Technical Artists to establish lighting budgets and specifications.Optimize the following components to meet target performance milestones without sacrificing visual fidelity:Dynamic LightingShadow CostReflection CostVolumetric EffectsPost Process EffectsRequirementsMandatory Qualifications5+ years of professional experience in the game industry.Contributed to at least one shipped AA or AAA project.Direct development experience in open-world projects.Proficient in Unreal Engine 5.Outstanding lighting aesthetics, artistic sensibilities, and color control capabilities.Familiar with cinematic photography language and camera lens expressions.Exceptional ability to shape environment atmosphere and mood.Capable of independently taking ownership of large-scale regional lighting production.Technical CompetenciesCandidates must possess practical, project-proven experience in one or more of the following core technical areas:Core UE5 Technologies: Production experience with Lumen, Nanite, Virtual Shadow Maps, World Partition, Data Layers, and Open-World Streaming.Performance Optimization: Experience in GPU performance profiling, Render Pass analysis, and utilizing tools like Unreal Insights and ProfileGPU. Console platform optimization experience is highly valued.Large Map Experience: Experience with open-world day/night cycles, dynamic weather lighting systems, macro-level map lighting planning, and biome-specific lighting design.Preferred Qualifications (Pluses)Priority will be given to candidates with experience in:Houdini pipeline integration.A Technical Artist background.Blueprint development capabilities.Shader creation experience.Background in photography, cinematography, or film/TV lighting.HDR project experience.Console platform development experience.Multiplayer open-world project experience.International AAA project development experience.Portfolio RequirementsCandidates must provide one or more of the following:An up-to-date UE5 lighting portfolio.Scene breakdown cases demonstrating "Before / After" comparisons.Open-world project case studies.Day/night cycle or dynamic weather system demonstrations.Video showreels or cinematic flythroughs.Priority given to portfolios showcasing: Lumen applications, Open-World scales, AAA-quality projects, Lighting Breakdowns, or Optimization workflows.Preferred Project ExperienceExperience in the following game genres is highly preferred:Open-World RPGsOpen-World Action gamesSurvival Crafting gamesMMO Open-World projectsConsole AAA projectsReference Titles: Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon series, Ghost of Tsushima, Assassin's Creed series, Red Dead Redemption series, Black Myth: Wukong.What We Are Looking ForExtreme pursuit of excellence in lighting and visual expression.Passion for AAA game development.Constant tracking and learning of cutting-edge UE5 rendering technologies.Strong communication skills and a collaborative team spirit.Ability to work efficiently and adaptively within an internationalized project environment.BenefitsBase salary, Bonus, Health insurance, EAP Program, Relocation support.
Job Overview
We are seeking an experienced Senior UE5 Lighting Artist to join our team and contribute to international AAA open-world game projects.
In this role, you will be responsible for the overall lighting design, atmosphere crafting, and visual quality enhancement of massive open-world environments. You will leverage high-quality real-time lighting solutions to build immersive gaming experiences.
This position requires a strong balance of artistic expression and technical optimization capabilities—ensuring top-tier visual fidelity while meeting the rigorous performance standards of an open-world project.
Key Responsibilities
Lighting Design & Production
- Design and implement comprehensive lighting schemes for open-world environments.
- Formulate lighting representations for day/night cycles and dynamic weather systems in alignment with the project's art style.
- Handle interior and exterior scene lighting setup and atmosphere crafting.
- Enhance visual depth, spatial awareness, and narrative expression within game scenes.
- Continuously iterate and optimize visual quality based on feedback from the Art Director.
UE5 Real-Time Lighting Production
- Proficiently utilize the UE5 lighting ecosystem, including:
- Lumen Global Illumination
- Virtual Shadow Maps (VSM)
- Volumetric Fog
- Sky Atmosphere
- Exponential Height Fog
- Post Process Volumes
- Reflection Systems
- HDR Pipeline
- Take ownership of: Lighting Layout, Color Management, Exposure Control, Atmosphere Design, Weather Expression, and Time-of-Day Cycle Representation.
Open-World Project Duties
- Participate in lighting planning for large-scale open-world maps.
- Responsible for unifying the lighting style while creating distinct visual identities across multiple biomes.
- Address and resolve lighting management challenges under the World Partition framework.
- Optimize lighting performance during level streaming states.
- Ensure visual consistency across various times of day and weather conditions.
- Support exploration experiences and visual guidance through strategic lighting design.
Technical Optimization
- Conduct performance profiling and optimization for scene lighting.
- Collaborate with Technical Artists to establish lighting budgets and specifications.
- Optimize the following components to meet target performance milestones without sacrificing visual fidelity:
- Dynamic Lighting
- Shadow Cost
- Reflection Cost
- Volumetric Effects
- Post Process Effects
Requirements
Mandatory Qualifications
- 5+ years of professional experience in the game industry.
- Contributed to at least one shipped AA or AAA project.
- Direct development experience in open-world projects.
- Proficient in Unreal Engine 5.
- Outstanding lighting aesthetics, artistic sensibilities, and color control capabilities.
- Familiar with cinematic photography language and camera lens expressions.
- Exceptional ability to shape environment atmosphere and mood.
- Capable of independently taking ownership of large-scale regional lighting production.
Technical Competencies
Candidates must possess practical, project-proven experience in one or more of the following core technical areas:
- Core UE5 Technologies: Production experience with Lumen, Nanite, Virtual Shadow Maps, World Partition, Data Layers, and Open-World Streaming.
- Performance Optimization: Experience in GPU performance profiling, Render Pass analysis, and utilizing tools like Unreal Insights and ProfileGPU. Console platform optimization experience is highly valued.
- Large Map Experience: Experience with open-world day/night cycles, dynamic weather lighting systems, macro-level map lighting planning, and biome-specific lighting design.
Preferred Qualifications (Pluses)
Priority will be given to candidates with experience in:
- Houdini pipeline integration.
- A Technical Artist background.
- Blueprint development capabilities.
- Shader creation experience.
- Background in photography, cinematography, or film/TV lighting.
- HDR project experience.
- Console platform development experience.
- Multiplayer open-world project experience.
- International AAA project development experience.
Portfolio Requirements
Candidates must provide one or more of the following:
- An up-to-date UE5 lighting portfolio.
- Scene breakdown cases demonstrating "Before / After" comparisons.
- Open-world project case studies.
- Day/night cycle or dynamic weather system demonstrations.
- Video showreels or cinematic flythroughs.
- Priority given to portfolios showcasing: Lumen applications, Open-World scales, AAA-quality projects, Lighting Breakdowns, or Optimization workflows.
Preferred Project Experience
Experience in the following game genres is highly preferred:
- Open-World RPGs
- Open-World Action games
- Survival Crafting games
- MMO Open-World projects
- Console AAA projects
Reference Titles: Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon series, Ghost of Tsushima, Assassin's Creed series, Red Dead Redemption series, Black Myth: Wukong.
What We Are Looking For
- Extreme pursuit of excellence in lighting and visual expression.
- Passion for AAA game development.
- Constant tracking and learning of cutting-edge UE5 rendering technologies.
- Strong communication skills and a collaborative team spirit.
- Ability to work efficiently and adaptively within an internationalized project environment.
Benefits
Base salary, Bonus, Health insurance, EAP Program, Relocation support.
COMPANY PROFILEKeywords is a growth company, trusted and relied upon by the world’s leading video game and entertainment companies to work alongside them during the full game development cycle to bring immersive content to life for the joy of billions of people across the world.We are a critical enabler of a large, dynamic industry, and are building out our proprietary technology platform to augment our future growth.WHY WORK AT KEYWORDS STUDIOS?People who work at Keywords are passionate, talented, committed and resourceful. As a business we thrive on diversity, celebrate uniqueness and work as teams whether we are physically together in one of our 70 global studios or working together virtually.We empower people to perform to the best of their ability with our “can do” attitude. We appreciate and embrace flexibility. We learn at every opportunity to grow ourselves through experience, training and tackling new challenges.This is what makes us Keywordians.https://www.keywordsstudios.com/
COMPANY PROFILE
Keywords is a growth company, trusted and relied upon by the world’s leading video game and entertainment companies to work alongside them during the full game development cycle to bring immersive content to life for the joy of billions of people across the world.
We are a critical enabler of a large, dynamic industry, and are building out our proprietary technology platform to augment our future growth.
WHY WORK AT KEYWORDS STUDIOS?
People who work at Keywords are passionate, talented, committed and resourceful. As a business we thrive on diversity, celebrate uniqueness and work as teams whether we are physically together in one of our 70 global studios or working together virtually.
We empower people to perform to the best of their ability with our “can do” attitude. We appreciate and embrace flexibility. We learn at every opportunity to grow ourselves through experience, training and tackling new challenges.
This is what makes us Keywordians.
https://www.keywordsstudios.com/
