Velan Studios, Inc. · 10 hours ago
Senior Gameplay Animator
Troy, NY
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid, Senior Level
$80K/yr - $120K/yr
7+ years expVelan Studios, Inc. is a creative gaming company known for titles like Mario Kart Live and Knockout City. They are seeking a Senior Gameplay Animator to define and drive the animation style, collaborate with team members, and bring characters to life through gameplay mechanics.
Extermination ServiceGamificationGamingSoftwareVideo Games
Responsibilities
Help define and drive the game's animation style with expressive, solid body mechanics that makes gameplay feel amazing
Take ownership of the full gameplay animation process, from rough prototypes to polished game performances
Drive in-engine development with excellent engine competency, including animation systems, state machines and other procedural animation techniques
Collaborate with designers and engineers to explore new ideas, solve tricky gameplay challenges, and push what's possible through animation
Document tools and workflows
Mentor other animators, offering feedback, guidance, and support
Champion animation across the studio — always pushing for clarity, responsiveness, and that breath of life within every press of a button
Qualification
Required
7+ years of professional experience animating for games, with a focus on gameplay
A standout demo reel that shows clear body mechanics, timing, and personality
Expert in Maya or equivalent 3D animation software
Hands-on experience working in-engine, with focus on general state machine structures
Proactive and self-directed, with a good sense of when to explore and when to get things done
Able to effectively communicate technical needs and issues to Engineering/Tech Art/Design
Above all, deeply curious and passionate about creating responsive, character forward animation that makes gameplay feel amazing
Preferred
Experience leading small animation teams or driving animation direction
Reel should include game or engine captures of your animations in gameplay context
Familiarity with motion matching, procedural animation, or other modern runtime techniques
Generalist skills in modeling, rigging, or related areas
A passion for game design and how animation supports player feedback, pacing, and readability
Experience with motion capture
Basic scripting or tool-building experience (Python, MEL, or similar) to streamline workflows or prototype ideas
Benefits
Potential annual bonuses (though they are not guaranteed)
Health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
A retirement savings plan
Paid holidays
Flexible time-off benefits
Company
Velan Studios, Inc.
Velan Studios is a new development studio made up of a diverse team of game industry veterans.
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Velan Studios, Inc. has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2024 (1)
2023 (1)
2021 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$7MKey Investors
Velan Ventures
2017-07-11Series A· $7M
Leadership Team
Kerry A Coffey
CFO
David Pokress
Chief Marketing Officer
Recent News
2025-03-14
2025-03-01
Company data provided by crunchbase