Freelance Video Game Animator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Animation Director - Sledgehammer Games Requisition ID: R027967 Job Description: Your Platform Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Since its founding in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles like "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare," "Call of Duty: WWII," and most recently, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.” With a focus on creating high-quality multiplayer experiences and captivating single-player campaigns, we continue to shape the future of first-person shooters. We are looking for a passionate and Animation Director to join our studio team in San Mateo, California. In this role you will partner closely with our teams at our other studio locations in Canada, Australia and the UK. Your goal is the creation of epic content for some of the biggest games in the world. This role is based on-site in our San Mateo studio and follows a work schedule with a combination of in-studio and remote workdays. Work arrangements may change at the company's discretion to meet business needs. Sledgehammer Games is part of the Activision family and is wholly owned by Microsoft. To learn more about our studio, please visit us at www.sledgehammergames.com or search for Sledgehammer Games on your favorite social media platform.

As the Animation Director, you will define and drive the animation vision for Sledgehammer Games, leading a world-class animation team responsible for delivering immersive, high-quality player experiences across all aspects of gameplay and storytelling. You will partner closely with Design, Art, Narrative, Engineering, Production, and studio leadership to establish animation standards, workflows, and creative direction that elevate the overall player experience. You will act as a senior example to the wider animation team, helping to develop and grow them so that they can realize their full potential. This role requires a highly collaborative leader who can balance artistic excellence, technical innovation, and team development while delivering best-in-class animation content at scale. You will champion animation quality across first-person and third-person gameplay, cinematic storytelling, character performance, and AI systems while helping shape the future of the Call of Duty franchise.

• Define and champion the overall animation vision, quality bar, and creative direction for the project.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Animation Leads, Principal Animators, and team members, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous growth.
• Partner with studio leadership to establish animation strategy, priorities, staffing plans, and production goals.
• Collaborate with Art, Design, Narrative, Engineering, and Production teams to ensure animation supports gameplay, storytelling, and player immersion objectives.
• Drive the creation of world-class character, gameplay, cinematic, and AI animation experiences.
• Oversee the integration and implementation of animation content, systems, and pipelines within proprietary and industry-standard game development tools.
• Establish and evolve animation workflows, processes, and best practices to improve quality, scalability, and development efficiency.
• Guide performance capture and motion capture strategies, ensuring authentic character performance and visual fidelity.
• Review animation content regularly, providing artistic direction and actionable feedback to internal and external teams.
• Partner with outsourcing and co-development partners to maintain consistent quality and execution across animation deliverables.
• Stay informed on emerging industry trends, technologies, and animation techniques, helping drive innovation within the team and studio.

• 12+ years of professional animation experience in game development, including significant leadership experience.
• Proven experience leading animation teams through the development and delivery of AAA titles.
• Deep understanding of animation principles, character performance, gameplay animation, cinematics, and motion capture pipelines.
• Strong expertise with Maya and modern animation workflows.
• Experience partnering across multiple disciplines, including Art, Design, Engineering, Narrative, and Production.
• Demonstrated ability to establish creative vision and execute against it through both direct and indirect leadership.
• Strong understanding of game engines, animation systems, state machines, blending, and technical animation pipelines.
• Experience building, mentoring, and growing high-performing animation teams.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Passion for games and a commitment to creating exceptional player experiences.

• Experience shipping multiple AAA first-person action titles.
• Experience with performance capture direction and cinematic animation pipelines.
• Experience working with globally distributed development teams and external partners.
• Strong understanding of player-centered design and animation's role in gameplay feel and immersion.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide!

Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do!

At Activision Blizzard, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to candidate-accommodations@activisionblizzard.com.

General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together.

We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®.

As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world.

We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy.

And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance
• Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company
• You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $136,880.00 - $253,260.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process.

In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.

Activision Blizzard, Inc. is the world’s largest interactive entertainment company, with operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Skylanders®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™, and Bubble Witch™. Our 10,000+ global employees are some of the best and brightest talents across entertainment, media, and technology.