3D Animator

Unpaid 3D Animator – Player & Enemy Animation (Dark Fantasy RPG – OmniSpire)
Remote
Outlaw Studios is looking for two skilled 3D Animators to help bring the characters and combat of OmniSpire to life — a dark gothic / dark fantasy action RPG currently in active development.
This is an unpaid opportunity with two available positions.
The primary focus is creating high-quality, game-ready character animations that support responsive, weighty, and readable combat inspired by games such as Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Sekiro, Stellar Blade, and Black Myth: Wukong.
We are looking for one animator focused on player and humanoid characters, and another focused on enemies and creatures. Both roles will work collaboratively, with opportunities to assist outside their primary specialization when needed.
AVAILABLE POSITIONS
1) Player & Humanoid Animator
This position focuses primarily on the player character, Ric Varn, and other humanoid characters throughout OmniSpire.
Animation work may include:
• Player locomotion, sprinting, dodging, and traversal
• Light and heavy weapon attacks across different weapon types
• Blocking, parrying, stagger, and hit reactions
• Combat finishers and other contextual actions
• Spellcasting and ability animations
• General NPC animations for Vehlmoor and other areas
• Refining or expanding existing player animation sets
Experience playing Soulslike or similar action-combat games is especially important for this position. Applicants should understand how animation timing, anticipation, recovery, and movement contribute to responsive and satisfying combat.
2) Enemy & Creature Animator
This position focuses primarily on OmniSpire's enemies, including standard enemy archetypes, guardians, and bosses.
Animation work may include:
• Enemy locomotion, attacks, and combat behaviors
• Distinct movement styles for different enemy types
• Attack telegraphs, recovery, and combat reactions
• Hit reactions, stagger, stun, and death animations
• Humanoid, monstrous, and quadrupedal creature animations
• Unique guardian and boss animations
• Creating or modifying character rigs when necessary
Enemy types currently include Thralls, Sentinels, Wraiths, Stalkers, Brutes, and Hounds, with additional unique guardians and bosses planned.
Experience animating creatures, monsters, or varied combat encounters is especially valuable for this position.
Both animators may occasionally contribute to the other's area depending on project needs, individual strengths, and availability.
REQUIREMENTS
Applicants should have:
• A portfolio or animation reel demonstrating competent 3D character animation
• A strong understanding of animation fundamentals, including timing, weight, anticipation, and believable movement
• Experience creating character animations using Blender, Maya, or other suitable 3D animation software
• Strong English communication skills, both written and spoken, sufficient for effective collaboration and feedback
• Familiarity with action-oriented video games and their combat mechanics
• The ability to create, refine, and organize animations suitable for real-time gameplay
• A willingness to receive feedback, iterate on animations, and communicate progress clearly
Professional industry experience is not required.
Students, independent artists, and junior animators are welcome to apply, provided they have solid animation fundamentals and can demonstrate their ability through previous work.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Additional experience is especially helpful in:
• Animating third-person melee combat for video games
• Familiarity with Soulslike combat mechanics and animation conventions
• Creating animations for multiple weapon types and combat styles
• Character rigging, skinning, and weight painting
• Animating humanoid and non-humanoid creatures
• Developing reusable animations across characters or enemy variants
• Working with existing rigs and adapting animations to different characters
• Preparing organized animation files for export into game engines
Rigging experience is particularly valuable for the Enemy & Creature Animator position, as multiple enemy archetypes, guardians, and bosses will require rigs.
Applicants do not need to be experts in every area. Strong animation ability and effective communication take priority.
RESPONSIBILITIES
You may help with:
• Creating new gameplay and combat animations
• Refining and expanding existing animation sets
• Animating characters from provided models, rigs, and references
• Creating or adjusting character rigs when applicable
• Maintaining consistent animation quality and character movement
• Organizing animation clips and source files for production
• Collaborating with developers and other artists to support gameplay requirements
• Iterating on animations based on feedback and combat testing
TOOLS & PIPELINE
OmniSpire is being developed in Unity 6 using URP.
Animators are welcome to use the 3D animation software they are most comfortable with. Our production pipeline can accommodate different software packages as long as the animations and associated assets can be delivered in compatible formats.
The development team handles much of the game-engine animation integration, so prior Unity experience is not required.
Most animations are intended to be created in-place, with root motion used only where specifically needed.
Experience preparing organized, game-ready animation files is helpful, particularly for:
• Character animation clips and action organization
• Rig and skeleton compatibility
• Clean animation looping and transitions
• Consistent character scale and orientation
• Reliable animation export
PROJECT STRUCTURE
Work is currently focused on OmniSpire's playable combat demo, vertical slice, and foundational animation pipeline.
Current and upcoming animation work includes:
• Core player movement and combat
• Multiple weapon animation sets
• Enemy archetype combat and locomotion
• Enemy reactions and death animations
• Character and creature rigging
• Guardian and boss animation sets
• NPC and non-combat character animations
The immediate priority is establishing a strong player and enemy combat animation foundation.
The scope of each position can expand over time depending on project needs, individual interests, strengths, and availability.
ENGAGEMENT TYPE
• Unpaid collaboration
• Fully remote
• Flexible, indie-friendly scheduling
• No fixed daily or weekly hour requirement
• Initial small, scoped test or task
• Potential for ongoing collaboration
We understand that school, paid work, and personal responsibilities come first. The goal is to build a collaborative team where contributors can meaningfully participate without unrealistic scheduling expectations.
Contributors receive credit for accepted work in accordance with the applicable agreement. Portfolio use may be permitted with studio approval.
This opportunity does not guarantee future paid employment, monetary compensation, or royalties.
Long-term collaboration is welcome for animators who enjoy the project and want to continue contributing.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
You might be a good fit if you:
• Enjoy animating characters, combat, or creatures
• Have experience playing Soulslike or other action-oriented games
• Understand the importance of animation timing and gameplay responsiveness
• Can produce convincing movement with appropriate weight and impact
• Communicate clearly and are comfortable receiving feedback
• Can work independently while collaborating with a small development team
• Are interested in dark fantasy characters and environments
• Want experience contributing to a real game currently in development
HOW TO APPLY
Please include:
• Portfolio or animation reel
• Examples of combat, character, or creature animations, if available
• Your preferred position: Player & Humanoid Animator or Enemy & Creature Animator
• A short note about your experience with action games, particularly Soulslike games or similar titles
• Any character rigging or skinning experience, if applicable
• Your general availability and a brief description of your animation background
Students, newer artists, and experienced animators are welcome to apply as long as they are comfortable with the unpaid nature of the opportunity and have the foundational animation skills needed for the role.
Learn more about Outlaw Studios and OmniSpire at https://theoutlawstudios.com

Work arrangement
Yes