Who we are
At Fortis Games we aspire to make great games that bring people together while redefining how game companies work. We believe in building a sense of belonging through our games, their communities, and how we operate and treat each other. Through our game communities, we will create powerful connections and lasting memories. We will foster a culture of diversity, equity and belonging where together our diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds impact the games we make.
We are an early but mighty organization with a leadership team of game industry veterans. There are many opportunities for you to have a big impact on the products we'll be making as well as the overall direction of the company. If you're passionate about tackling difficult problems with direct and thoughtful communication and team first mentality, we may be the right place for you.
We’re seeking a visionary Senior Art Director to lead the artistic vision and creative strategy for our New Game Concepts department. This team is responsible for incubating original IPs and shaping new game experiences from the ground up, with two projects currently in concept phase and more anticipated in the future.
The ideal candidate has deep experience in early-stage game development, concept exploration, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. You understand the nuances of player psychology, worldbuilding, theme resonance, and the business realities of launching new IPs. You’re hands-on when necessary and know how to scale teams and pipelines to match evolving needs from napkin sketch to prototype to vertical slice.
Importantly, you’re excited about the evolving role of AI in the creative pipeline—using it to accelerate worldbuilding, amplify exploration, generate new possibilities, and enhance teams' overall creative abilities
What you’ll achieveCreative Leadership- Define and drive the visual identity of new IPs in collaboration with Game Directors and Narrative Leads.
- Guide theme exploration, style development, and worldbuilding aligned with gameplay goals and player profiles.
- Lead “visual-first” worldbuilding exercises and internal creative workshops that inspire new gameplay concepts.
- Explore emerging themes and build visual research packages around untapped cultural trends or social mechanics.
- Champion AI-assisted ideation tools for mood boards, exploration, and concept iteration.
Prototyping & Concept Development
- Partner with design and engineering leads to ensure art direction supports gameplay experimentation.
- Define what’s “enough” for early prototyping and manage fidelity expectations.
- Build and lead prototype-focused art teams, scaling pragmatically with project needs.
- Maintain and refine the shared prototype art library, including modular environments and genre-flexible kits.
- Establish templates, toolkits, and visual alignment baselines for rapid exploration.
Strategic IP Development
- Contribute to IP development materials for internal pitch and greenlight processes.
- Help shape long-term IP roadmaps and visual languages for properties with multi-game or cross-media potential.
- Use AI worldbuilding tools to enrich lore, environments, and player fantasies at scale.
Production Oversight
- Make informed trade-offs between 2D vs. 3D, stylized vs. realistic, and fidelity levels, balancing design and business needs.
- Collaborate with technical artists and engineers to ensure implementation-ready, scalable content.
- Develop pipelines and team structures to transition prototypes into pre-production.
- Evaluate AI-powered production tools for asset creation, animation, and efficiency while ensuring quality control.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner across Art, Design, Narrative, UX, and Marketing to align visual direction with product vision and player engagement.
- Mentor and guide artists and junior art leads to grow their skills and careers.
- Present visual market insights, trend analyses, and early concept tests to inform strategy.
What you’ll need to be successful
- Proven success leading early-stage concept teams and launching new IPs or innovative game concepts.
- Strong understanding of player-centered design and how art style impacts emotional resonance.
- Expertise in worldbuilding, narrative integration, and theme exploration.
- Hands-on familiarity with game engines (Unity, Unreal, etc.) and content pipelines.
- Curiosity and practical experience in integrating AI tools into creative workflows.
- Mastery in at least one core art discipline (e.g., concept art, 3D modeling, VFX, animation, technical art).
- Ability to balance artistic integrity with performance, budget, and platform requirements.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and cross-functional leadership skills.
- Experience in both start-up/small team and large studio environments.
- Knowledge of market trends in indie and experimental games.
- Experience working across mobile and PC platforms.
- Background in visual storytelling or narrative design. (nice to have)
Why join us
There are many reasons to join us, but here are a few:
- We strongly believe we are changing how games studios operate and at the core of what we do is making great games that create a connected community
- We're not just about making Games Where You Belong. We're also about building communities where our people belong. That's why Fortis is a thriving environment that celebrates diversity, embraces inclusivity, and fosters growth.
- Build and grow with a seasoned team of accomplished talent who have left an impactful mark in their disciplines, both in and out of gaming
Fortis is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
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