Gaming & Esports Jobs in California with H-1B Sponsorship
California is the center of the U.S. gaming and esports industry, with major studios and publishers concentrated in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the broader Bay Area actively filing H-1B petitions for specialized roles. Companies like Activision Blizzard, Riot Games, Electronic Arts, and Scopely have established sponsorship track records, making California the most active state for gaming H-1B hiring.
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About us:
GungHo Online Entertainment America Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of the Japanese gaming company GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. We publish titles across multiple platforms ranging from AAA to handheld to mobile. Our group is comprised of veterans from various aspects of the industry who are brought together by one simple thing: a love of gaming.
Position Summary:
The Realtime lighting Artist will be responsible for creating high quality real-time environment scenes for our game title. The position will be lighting scenes, adjusting shaders and textures, and also help creating models and assets when necessary.
Responsibilities:
Lighting
- Artistic and Technical knowledge of lighting during runtime scenes for both gameplay and in-game cinematics.
- Clear knowledge of Unreal/Unity light baking, lightmap and lighting optimization techniques as well as Level Sequencer.
- The artist should be able to design and implement lighting setups for characters in both gameplay and cinematic scenes, ensuring that the character’s appearance remains natural, consistent, and visually appealing under various lighting conditions.
Composing Scenes
- Setting up scenes and lighting using the specified game engine.
- Create and adjust textures and shaders to get the correct effect and achieve aesthetic goal.
- Create high quality skyboxes.
- Follow the given Art Direction and work with other Level Designers to ensure that environments are compelling both visually and also from a gameplay perspective.
Look Development, Texturing and 3D Modeling
- Support the material artist for creating texture, shader and material settings to develop the look of characters and other assets with well-organized optimization ensuring the best performance.
- Help develop 3D models when needed based on concept art or other specifications to be game ready.
- Willing to explore different approaches of creating character and environmental assets for game, including but not limit to Procedural Building Generation and sculpting.
- Provide feedback for models and textures made by internal and external artists in order to fully develop the desired look.
- Willing to improve models and textures made by internal and external artists in order to fully develop the most desired look.
Other Game Development Tasks
- Work with developers of other discipline to make sure that the scenes and art assets support the game performance and memory budget as a whole.
- Help out with design, or testing when necessary.
- Look for and share information regarding latest best practices or tools for better or more efficient 3D art creation.
Other & Miscellaneous
- Perform special projects and other miscellaneous duties that are assigned by upper management.
- Test prototypes of future game titles to provide constructive feedback.
- Other tasks as assigned.
Requirements and Skills:
- 3+ years of professional experience as a Technical or Material Artist, or in a similar position.
- Intensive experience working with game engines.
- Experience with Unreal Engine is a required.
- Good foundation in art and design, includes composition, form and color theory.
- Strong understanding of architecture and city planning.
- Fluent with Photoshop, Substance Suite and ability to paint textures.
- Fluent with 3D modeling using Maya, Zbrush, or similar software.
- Knowledge of managing art assets for games in clean organization.
- Experience setting up 3D scenes and lighting required.
- Good communication skills—able to help others and ask for help when needed. Being proactive in sharing info and assets.
- Great team-player attitude—being flexible with new ideas, being open to direction and changes. Listening to team mates.
- Self-motivated—requires minimal direction, can carry on the vision for the level until completion and commit to deadlines.
Pluses:
- Experience working with particle effects.
- Experience teaching Art, and Environment Art in particular, online or in person.
- Art Leadership experience.
- Houdini Experience.
Why you want to work here:
At GungHo, we are enthusiastic about creating fun games and we are always looking for talented individuals with whom we can share our passion. We have a highly collaborative culture where everyone wants to work together to get things done. We are all specialists in our own field so you will constantly learn new things while sharing your own knowledge with us.
Perks:
- 100% employer-paid insurances: Health insurance (PPO Medical, Dental, and Vision), Life insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance, and Long Term Disability insurance.
- 401(k) with employer match.
- Competitive paid time off: Vacation, Personal time, Sick Leave, Holidays, and Winter Breaks.
- A bonus may be provided based on business performance.
Business hour: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM in Pacific Time
Salary Range: $60,000 - $100,000 per year
Note: Only applications submitted through the online system or formally referred by the designated recruiter will be deemed official and accepted. Any resumes submitted through alternative channels will not be recognized as valid applications.

About us:
GungHo Online Entertainment America Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of the Japanese gaming company GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. We publish titles across multiple platforms ranging from AAA to handheld to mobile. Our group is comprised of veterans from various aspects of the industry who are brought together by one simple thing: a love of gaming.
Position Summary:
The Realtime lighting Artist will be responsible for creating high quality real-time environment scenes for our game title. The position will be lighting scenes, adjusting shaders and textures, and also help creating models and assets when necessary.
Responsibilities:
Lighting
- Artistic and Technical knowledge of lighting during runtime scenes for both gameplay and in-game cinematics.
- Clear knowledge of Unreal/Unity light baking, lightmap and lighting optimization techniques as well as Level Sequencer.
- The artist should be able to design and implement lighting setups for characters in both gameplay and cinematic scenes, ensuring that the character’s appearance remains natural, consistent, and visually appealing under various lighting conditions.
Composing Scenes
- Setting up scenes and lighting using the specified game engine.
- Create and adjust textures and shaders to get the correct effect and achieve aesthetic goal.
- Create high quality skyboxes.
- Follow the given Art Direction and work with other Level Designers to ensure that environments are compelling both visually and also from a gameplay perspective.
Look Development, Texturing and 3D Modeling
- Support the material artist for creating texture, shader and material settings to develop the look of characters and other assets with well-organized optimization ensuring the best performance.
- Help develop 3D models when needed based on concept art or other specifications to be game ready.
- Willing to explore different approaches of creating character and environmental assets for game, including but not limit to Procedural Building Generation and sculpting.
- Provide feedback for models and textures made by internal and external artists in order to fully develop the desired look.
- Willing to improve models and textures made by internal and external artists in order to fully develop the most desired look.
Other Game Development Tasks
- Work with developers of other discipline to make sure that the scenes and art assets support the game performance and memory budget as a whole.
- Help out with design, or testing when necessary.
- Look for and share information regarding latest best practices or tools for better or more efficient 3D art creation.
Other & Miscellaneous
- Perform special projects and other miscellaneous duties that are assigned by upper management.
- Test prototypes of future game titles to provide constructive feedback.
- Other tasks as assigned.
Requirements and Skills:
- 3+ years of professional experience as a Technical or Material Artist, or in a similar position.
- Intensive experience working with game engines.
- Experience with Unreal Engine is a required.
- Good foundation in art and design, includes composition, form and color theory.
- Strong understanding of architecture and city planning.
- Fluent with Photoshop, Substance Suite and ability to paint textures.
- Fluent with 3D modeling using Maya, Zbrush, or similar software.
- Knowledge of managing art assets for games in clean organization.
- Experience setting up 3D scenes and lighting required.
- Good communication skills—able to help others and ask for help when needed. Being proactive in sharing info and assets.
- Great team-player attitude—being flexible with new ideas, being open to direction and changes. Listening to team mates.
- Self-motivated—requires minimal direction, can carry on the vision for the level until completion and commit to deadlines.
Pluses:
- Experience working with particle effects.
- Experience teaching Art, and Environment Art in particular, online or in person.
- Art Leadership experience.
- Houdini Experience.
Why you want to work here:
At GungHo, we are enthusiastic about creating fun games and we are always looking for talented individuals with whom we can share our passion. We have a highly collaborative culture where everyone wants to work together to get things done. We are all specialists in our own field so you will constantly learn new things while sharing your own knowledge with us.
Perks:
- 100% employer-paid insurances: Health insurance (PPO Medical, Dental, and Vision), Life insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance, and Long Term Disability insurance.
- 401(k) with employer match.
- Competitive paid time off: Vacation, Personal time, Sick Leave, Holidays, and Winter Breaks.
- A bonus may be provided based on business performance.
Business hour: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM in Pacific Time
Salary Range: $60,000 - $100,000 per year
Note: Only applications submitted through the online system or formally referred by the designated recruiter will be deemed official and accepted. Any resumes submitted through alternative channels will not be recognized as valid applications.
Job Roles in Gaming & Esports in California
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Which gaming and esports companies in California sponsor H-1B visas?
Several large California-based studios and publishers have consistent H-1B sponsorship histories, including Activision Blizzard (Santa Monica and Irvine), Riot Games (Los Angeles), Electronic Arts (Redwood City), Scopely (Culver City), and Zynga (San Francisco). Sponsorship is more common at larger studios with established HR and legal infrastructure than at smaller independent developers, where sponsorship capacity varies significantly.
Which cities in California have the most gaming and esports H-1B sponsorship jobs?
Los Angeles is the largest hub, home to Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, and a dense cluster of mid-size studios. The San Francisco Bay Area, particularly Redwood City and San Mateo, hosts EA and several mobile gaming companies. Irvine and Culver City also have notable concentrations. For esports specifically, Los Angeles dominates, with most league operations, production studios, and team organizations headquartered there.
What types of gaming and esports roles typically qualify for H-1B sponsorship in California?
H-1B sponsorship applies to specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field. In gaming, this typically includes software engineers, game programmers, technical artists, data scientists, product managers, and UX designers. In esports, roles like broadcast engineers, data analysts, and platform engineers commonly qualify. Creative roles such as general community management or event coordination are less likely to meet the specialty occupation standard without a closely related degree requirement.
How do I find gaming and esports H-1B sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically by visa sponsorship type, so you can search for H-1B-sponsored roles in California's gaming and esports sector without sifting through positions that don't offer sponsorship. The platform surfaces openings at studios and esports organizations that have documented H-1B filing histories, which is particularly useful given how inconsistently individual companies advertise their sponsorship availability in job postings.
Are there any California-specific considerations for H-1B sponsorship in gaming and esports?
California's high concentration of gaming employers means more total H-1B filings, but competition for roles at top studios is also intense. California labor law requires employers to follow strict wage and classification rules, which interact with H-1B prevailing wage requirements under Department of Labor standards. Studios with multiple California office locations may file petitions under different worksites, which can affect the certified wage level on your Labor Condition Application.
What is the prevailing wage for H-1B gaming & esports jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.
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