---
title: 'Associate Lead Cinematic Animator at Larian Studios'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/associate-lead-cinematic-animator-larian-studios-dublin-z5cts7pxwwjd'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Associate Lead Cinematic Animator at Larian Studios

- **Company:** Larian Studios
- **Location:** Dublin, Ireland
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-25
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/larian/67a1c934-14d8-4925-bf10-08f5242fb5ce

## Job description

With multiple awards to our name, Larian Studios has proven that we’re dedicated to delivering high-quality role-playing games As we move on to new projects, the studio that brought you Baldur’s Gate 3 & Divinity: Original Sin 2 is looking for an Associate Lead Cinematic Animator to join the team and help us in crafting the high calibre games our fans have come to expect.

## Responsibilities

- Partner with the Leads Cinematic Animators to develop, refine and champion the studio's Cinematics Animation style in alignment with our Animation Director and Head of Animation
- Mentor, lead, and grow a team of high performing cinematic animators in Dublin
- Ensure the quality and visual goals of cinematic animations are met through clear actionable feedback and creative problem solving
- Take part in technical research and help push the boundaries of our cinematic features and processes
- Work alongside production and leadership to deliver on production plans and schedules
- Communicate and collaborate with adjacent teams to improve and refine studio pipelines

## Requirements

- 5+ years working in cinematic animation
- 2+ years experience as a team lead or manager
- This is a full-time, on-site role, requiring your presence in the office to support collaboration and creativity
- Experience in both MoCap and Keyframe Animation
- Experience working in game engines, with a solid understanding of cinematic systems
- Expert in Maya
- Solid experience with technical feature development
- Solid experience in visual storytelling, cinematography, staging and acting
- Experience with Autodesk Flow

Nice to haves

- Mocap performance direction
- MEL/Python Scripting
- Experience with working with outsourcers
- Experience with gameplay animation systems
- Experience as a Cinematic Artist (scenes work, layout, cameras, storytelling)

## What we Offer

- An international team of over 500 employees spread across 7 studios around the world, each of which have their own unique qualities, and maintain a small-studio feel
- An open, collaborative environment where ideas are welcome and encouraged
- A managerial team consisting of highly experienced game developers at the top of their fields
- Sharing hobbies and passions with like-minded colleagues
- Inclusive environment with many activities organised by the studios or the employees
- Commitment to making the best game possible for the fans, including listening to community feedback

## About Larian Studios

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Larian Studios is a Belgian independent video game developer and publisher renowned for creating critically acclaimed role-playing games, including the Divinity series and Baldur’s Gate 3.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Bootstrapped)
- **Headquarters**: Ghent, Belgium
- **Founded**: 1996
- **Founders**: Swen Vincke

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Video game development and publishing, with a focus on role-playing games (RPGs).
- **Target customers**: B2C (gamers on PC, console, and mobile), with a strong community of RPG enthusiasts.
- **Mission/purpose statement**: “Creating immersive, world-class RPGs that allow the player to shape their own adventure.” (from [larian.com](https://larian.com/))

## Products & Services
- **Divinity Series**: A collection of six RPGs spanning multiple sub-genres, including *Divine Divinity*, *Beyond Divinity*, *Divinity II: Ego Draconis*, *Divinity: Dragon Commander*, *Divinity: Original Sin*, and *Divinity: Original Sin II*. The latter two are particularly celebrated, with *Original Sin II* earning a 93 Metacritic rating and over 160 awards.
- **Baldur’s Gate 3**: The third main game in the *Baldur’s Gate* series, based on Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. Released in 2023, it won “Game of the Year” at all five major award shows (BAFTA, Golden Joysticks, GDC, DICE, The Game Awards) and received over 200 Game of the Year awards total.
- **Upcoming Projects**: A new *Divinity* title is in development (announced but not yet released).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company).
- **Key Metric**: Baldur’s Gate 3 was a massive commercial and critical success, selling millions of copies and winning over 200 Game of the Year awards. Revenue is not disclosed, but the company is self-funded through game sales.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: None (independent studio; no external funding rounds reported).
- **Growth Signals**: Employee headcount grew from ~300 (around 2020) to 530 as of 2025 ([wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larian_Studios)). The company expanded from its original Ghent studio to seven global locations (Ghent, Quebec City, Dublin, Kuala Lumpur, Guildford, Barcelona, Warsaw). Active job postings count 35 openings as of late 2026 ([linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/larian-studios)).

## Competitive Advantages
- **Creative Independence**: As a privately held, bootstrapped studio, Larian retains full control over its game design without publisher interference.
- **Proven RPG Excellence**: Consistently high Metacritic scores (93 for *Divinity: Original Sin II*, 96 for *Baldur’s Gate 3*) and a trophy case of industry awards.
- **Deep Player Agency**: Games are known for turn-based combat, branching narratives, and almost limitless player choice – a hallmark that builds strong community loyalty.
- **Multi‑Studio Model**: Seven studios worldwide allow for talent diversity and 24/7 development cycles while maintaining a single, unified culture.

## Strategic Focus
- **New Projects**: Following the monumental success of *Baldur’s Gate 3*, Larian is focused on developing its next major RPG (a new *Divinity* game) and continuing to innovate in the RPG genre.
- **Talent Investment**: The company is actively hiring across design, engineering, audio, and production disciplines, aiming to scale its ambition and improve “the state of the art when it comes to RPGs” ([larian.com/careers](https://larian.com/careers)).

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Larian describes itself as “a very ambitious team that seeks to improve the state of the art” and prides itself on “having fun bringing worlds to life every day” ([larian.com](https://larian.com/)).
- **Work Environment**: Positions are primarily on‑site at one of the seven studios (Ghent, Barcelona, Dublin, Guildford, Kuala Lumpur, Quebec, Warsaw). Remote/hybrid options are not explicitly advertised; most listings specify “On‑site”.
- **Perks & Engineering Culture**: The studio invests heavily in proprietary engine technology (Divinity Engine) and supports a wide range of specializations (gameplay, graphics, tools, engine programming, machine learning, etc.). Team members come from top studios like CD PROJEKT RED, Ubisoft, and Creative Assembly.
- **Notable Perks**: Not detailed in the search results, but the company’s independence and award‑winning track record suggest a creative, low‑bureaucracy environment.

## Sources
1. [larian.com](https://larian.com/)
2. [larian.com/careers](https://larian.com/careers)
3. [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larian_Studios)
4. [linkedin.com/company/larian-studios](https://linkedin.com/company/larian-studios)
5. [jobs.lever.co/larian](https://jobs.lever.co/larian)

## Other roles at Larian Studios

- [Engine Programmer](https://feeny.ai/job/engine-programmer-larian-studios-barcelona-sd7mkws24b1y) — Barcelona, Spain
- [Motion Capture Engineer – Open Application](https://feeny.ai/job/motion-capture-engineer-open-application-larian-studios-guildford-gv47p9yxh5za) — Guildford, United Kingdom
- [Environment Artist | Artiste spécialisé dans les environnements](https://feeny.ai/job/environment-artist-artiste-specialise-dans-les-environnements-larian-studios-qcyh1r31vn8g) — Quebec, Canada
- [Environment Artist](https://feeny.ai/job/environment-artist-larian-studios-kuala-lumpur-2pzpk9ysmr9f) — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- [Combat Designer | Concepteur de combats](https://feeny.ai/job/combat-designer-concepteur-de-combats-larian-studios-quebec-2artz1r35wbh) — Quebec, Canada
- [Lead Graphics Programmer  | Programmeur de graphismes principal](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-graphics-programmer-programmeur-de-graphismes-principal-larian-studios-kjt9jgf0w6q3) — Quebec, Canada
- [Storytelling Director](https://feeny.ai/job/storytelling-director-larian-studios-guildford-675qbmts1zdc) — Guildford, United Kingdom
- [Systems Designer | Concepteur de systèmes](https://feeny.ai/job/systems-designer-concepteur-de-systemes-larian-studios-quebec-fd6fptqxyhsp) — Quebec, Canada
- [Machine Learning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/machine-learning-engineer-larian-studios-guildford-anfwktfvv0bw) — Guildford, United Kingdom
- [Voice Designer  (12 Month FTC)](https://feeny.ai/job/voice-designer-12-month-ftc-larian-studios-guildford-sj610956mkzv) — Guildford, United Kingdom