Full-Time
Principal VFX Artist
Lighthouse Games
51-200 employees
Unreal Engine-powered AAA racing game studio
No salary listed
Royal Leamington Spa, UK
Hybrid
Hybrid working is required.
 Art, Graphics & Animation (1) |
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- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate ideas and collaborate effectively with diverse teams.
- Experience shipping one or more games in a Senior, Principal, or Lead VFX Artist capacity, with a track record of delivering high-quality VFX content in realistic-styled games.
- Strong collaborative skills and an understanding of people dynamics.
- An outstanding portfolio showcasing recent examples of VFX artistry and a deep understanding of the principles underpinning successful VFX design.
- Proficiency with standard content-authoring tools used in games and the ability to produce optimized VFX content.
- Collaborate with the Art Director and cross-disciplinary teams to shape and execute the vision for VFX in the games, ensuring alignment with creative and technical requirements.
- Establish the quality benchmark with the team and offer mentorship and support to team members.
- Drive the development and implementation of efficient pipelines and processes to optimize the creation and integration of VFX content.
- Plan and manage VFX production budgets, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to achieve project goals.
- Maintain clear and open communication with team members to foster collaboration and alignment with project objectives and timelines.
- Stay up to date with industry trends and emerging technologies in VFX production, sharing insights and knowledge to advance practices and workflows.
- Contribute to the growth and development of the studio by leveraging VFX expertise to shape its presence in the gaming landscape.
- Experience working with Unreal Engine, particularly tools such as Niagara.
- Experience with Houdini or EmberGen for VFX authoring.
- Proficiency in authoring shaders for VFX using HLSL or node-based systems in Unreal Engine 4 or 5.
Lighthouse Games is an independent AAA game studio based in Leamington Spa, developing PC and console titles with a focus on technologically ambitious, highly polished experiences. Its debut project is a new intellectual property built on Unreal Engine, described as a disruptive driving game that aims to innovate within the racing genre rather than imitate existing franchises like Forza Horizon. The company relies on a growing team of industry veterans and has secured funding from Tencent’s Venture Lab while preserving full creative and publishing control. Compared with competitors, Lighthouse blends seasoned leadership from Codemasters and Playground Games with a fresh, independent stance and a clear aim to define a new genre of driving games for a global audience. The overarching goal is to deliver a high-budget, globally appealing racing title that establishes a new IP and drives the studio’s growth.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Royal Leamington Spa, United Kingdom
Founded
2023
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Lighthouse listed 21 live roles on July 26, 2026, signaling active production.
- June 2025 hiring reached 130 employees, with another 50 roles targeted.
- Tencent backing remains strong, and Lighthouse keeps recruiting without surrendering independence.
What critics are saying
- Lighthouse still lacked a publisher in June 2025, delaying marketing and launch.
- Forza Horizon 5 and Playground Games define the benchmark; Lighthouse chases that throne.
- If the debut driving game misses differentiation, Tencent funding becomes a costly dead end.
What makes Lighthouse Games unique
- Gavin Raeburn and 45 ex-Playground/Codemasters veterans bring rare racing expertise to Lighthouse.
- Unreal Engine and a disruptive driving IP target Forza Horizon without imitation.
- Tencent funded two rounds by June 2025 while Lighthouse kept publishing control.
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Benefits
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Performance Bonus
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Support
Wellness Program
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 1%1 year growth
↑ 0%2 year growth
↑ 2%New crime-and-racing game Clutch seeks outdo Forza Horizon 6 (and even GTA 6). The first of a new wave of racing games - well, at least two - by ex-Forza Horizon developers seeking to outdo Forza Horizon has been revealed. Maverick Games, led by Forza Horizon 5's creative director Mike Brown, unveiled Clutch, a story-focused racing game about sibling racers competing on what appears to be the French Riviera. Clutch has elements familiar from Forza Horizon, like licensed cars, a glamorous tourist location, and a mix of official racing series and illicit street racing. But it also weaves in a crime story with hints of Need for Speed and even Grand Theft Auto, as the protagonist "gets in some trouble" that seems to result in him performing automotive heists and getting into police pursuits. In Clutch, you can equip James Bond-style gadgets to your car to assist in these pursuits. The reveal trailer showed a grappling cable that shoots out of the front of the car, allowing it to slingshot around a lamppost. The two lead characters, a brother and sister, also get involved in a century-old motorsport series called the R1K, and a street-racing group called the Midnight Collective which is all about "the raw thrill of speed," according to Brown. Maverick showed off impressively detailed car models that showed realistic signs of age and wear and tear. Clutch also one-ups Forza, Gran Turismo, and the rest of the racing field by allowing players to customize their cars' interiors as well as exteriors. You can select from official manufacturer options, add aftermarket seats and steering wheels, and even fill the interior with coffee cups, parking tickets, trinkets, and discarded hoodies. Clutch will get a follow-up reveal trailer at Summer Game Fest on Friday, June 5. Brown said this trailer would formally unveil the game's characters and location. (It's definitely the Riviera though; perhaps the setting will extend into northern Italy, as Forza Horizon 2 did.) Clutch was originally set to be published by Amazon, but the tech giant pulled out of the deal back in February. Maverick Games appears to have been well-funded enough to continue with development anyway, and is seeking a new publishing partner. Maverick isn't the only rival studio based within a couple of miles of Forza Horizon developer Playground Games in Leamington Spa, U.K., and formed by ex-Playground staff. Lighthouse Games, led by Playground founder Gavin Raeburn, is also working on an open-world racing game. A short walk from Playground Games' offices, the man who created the series thinks he knows how to beat it
Lighthouse Games, a UK developer, has received additional funding from Tencent to accelerate the development of its debut title. The amount remains undisclosed. Founded in 2023 by Gavin Raeburn, co-founder of Playground Games, Lighthouse had already received investment from Tencent earlier that year. Raeburn expressed gratitude for Tencent's support, highlighting the investment's role in strengthening their studio and pursuing new creative opportunities in the driving genre.
The nascent studio hopes to become one of the UK's leading triple-A developers.
Lately launched UK studio Lighthouse Video games has acquired a “game-changing” funding from Chinese language gaming big Tencent.