Combat Animator

About Flawky Studios

Flawky Studios is an independent game development studio currently building

Project: Light & Shadow

, a highly ambitious, dark fantasy Action-RPG for PC. We are a globally distributed team working steadily toward a high-fidelity Vertical Slice to secure publisher funding. We are looking for passionate developers who want to take creative ownership of their work within a collaborative, revenue-share environment.

The Role

We are seeking a highly skilled 3D Combat Animator to drive the heavy lifting of our combat system. Working directly alongside our Lead Animator, you will utilize a hybrid animation workflow. While we use Motion Capture for the foundation of human movement, we rely on heavy Hand-Keyed Animation to create the visceral "snap," weight, and anticipation required for satisfying, Souls-like combat.

Key Responsibilities

• Hand-Keyed Combat:

Create heavy, impactful attacks, stylized finishers, and complex weapon manipulation from scratch (or by heavily modifying mocap data).

• Mocap Integration:

Process, clean, and retarget raw motion capture data onto custom skeletons within Unreal Engine 5.

• Combat Readability:

Animate clear visual "tells" (anticipation frames) for enemy attacks and dramatic state-change animations for boss phases so players can accurately read and react to the combat flow.

• Engine Implementation:

Ensure all locomotion and attack animations feature correct Root Motion setup, and collaborate with gameplay programmers to tune blend times and interruption windows.

Qualifications

• Hybrid Skillset:

Proven ability to work with Motion Capture data alongside strong Hand-Keyed animation skills.

• Technical Proficiency:

High proficiency in Maya, Blender, or MotionBuilder.

• Engine Experience:

Solid understanding of Unreal Engine 5, including Control Rig and Animation Blueprints.

• Portfolio:

An animation reel demonstrating heavy, impactful melee combat. You must understand how to break pure realism (using squash/stretch, anticipation, and overshoot) to achieve a satisfying gameplay feel.

Compensation & Partnership Structure

This position is structured as a high-stakes partnership for our bootstrapped indie team during the Vertical Slice phase.

• Profit Sharing:

Compensation is a legally binding 4.0% share of the game's Net Profit following commercial release.

• Future Stipends:

Upon successfully securing publisher funding from our Vertical Slice, our goal is to transition the core team to monthly stipends.

• Creative Attribution:

Unique combat moves or boss behaviors you choreograph will be formally credited to you.

How to Apply

Please click the "Apply" button to be redirected to the Flawky Studios careers page. You will be asked to provide your resume, a link to your animation reel, and a brief overview of your workflow.