Seeking UE5 Combat Animator for "Elden Ring" Style Action-RPG (Freelance/Hourly)

The Project:

We are developing a multiplayer action RPG in Unreal Engine 5 set in a dark, low-fantasy universe. The gameplay targets the "Defensive Trinity" of combat (Parry, Dodge, Block) with a focus on heavy, deliberate, and high-consequence encounters similar to Elden Ring.

The Role:

We are looking for an experienced Gameplay Animator for ad-hoc, hourly work. This role is less about keyframing from zero and more about editing, refining, and expanding high-quality marketplace asset packs to fit our specific combat design.

We need someone who can take a "good" base animation and turn it into a "perfect" gameplay asset that feels responsive and heavy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Asset Pack Extension & Modification: Take existing combat animations and create additional animations that suit the specific gameplay of the project.
  • E.g. Turning a root-motion forward lunge into a "neutral" in-place variation while keeping the style consistent.
• Technical Polish: Fix foot sliding, adjust timing/spacing for game feel, and ensure weight transfer is realistic.
• UE5 Implementation: Own the pipeline. We do not want FBX files that need 20 minutes of debugging. We need animations that are imported, retargeted, and checked for Root Motion correctness in-engine.
• Root Motion Management: You must understand how to edit animations specifically for Motion Warping and Stride Warping systems (e.g., stripping forward movement for specific variants).
• Strong portfolio showing 3rd Person Combat Animation (Melee focus).
• Deep familiarity with Unreal Engine 5 animation pipelines (Skeletons, Retargeting, Root Motion settings).
• Ability to edit existing baked animation data cleanly (Graph Editor proficiency).
• "Plug-and-Play" Delivery: You are responsible for ensuring your files work in Unreal immediately upon delivery.

Nice to Have:

• Experience with Cascadeur or similar physics-assisted animation tools.
• Experience setting up Animation Montages or Anim Notifies.

Logistics:

• Type: Freelance / Hourly (Ad-hoc).
• Workload: Higher intensity for the next 4-8 weeks to build the core library, followed by ad-hoc maintenance and expansion.
• Location: Remote.

To Apply:

Please submit an expression of interest to our online application form, including links to your best combat animation work!