How to Get Hired at Certain Affinity
What Certain Affinity actually looks for in game artists, how the hiring process works, salary ranges by role, and how to build a portfolio that passes their bar.
Get Certain Affinity Job Alerts →Certain Affinity at a Glance
Art Style and Games
FPS Gameplay Animation
Certain Affinity is known for multiplayer FPS work on Halo. First-person weapon and arm animations that feel responsive and weighty are a core competency.
Technical Animation Systems
Facial rigging, procedural animation, and runtime blending systems. CA builds animation systems that serve live-service games with large cast sizes.
Multiplayer Environment Art
Map design and environment art for competitive multiplayer. Clear sightlines, readable geometry, and modular construction are priorities over narrative detail.
Engine-Agnostic Art
CA works with partners across multiple engines. Artists must be adaptable — Halo uses Slipspace Engine, Age of Empires uses a proprietary engine. Transferable skills matter more than engine-specific knowledge.
The Hiring Process at Certain Affinity
Application via Workday Portal
Certain Affinity uses Workday for applications at certainaffinity.com/jobs. Contract roles open and close quickly — set up alerts for animation and technical animation roles specifically.
Recruiter Screen
A short call confirming your animation style, contract availability, and whether you have FPS or multiplayer game experience. Live-service game experience is valued.
Animation Review
Art director or animation lead reviews your reel with specific attention to gameplay feel — not just quality. A reel full of cinematic animations may not read as well as shorter gameplay loops.
Technical Skills Discussion
For technical animator roles: rigging methodology, blend tree setup, and runtime animation graph experience. For facial roles: facial action coding system (FACS) knowledge is a major plus.
Offer
CA uses contract roles frequently before converting to permanent. The Austin office is the primary hub but some roles are remote. CAD-denominated roles are for their Canadian entity.
Salary Ranges at Certain Affinity
Estimates based on industry data, DB listings, and comparable studios. Actual offers vary by role seniority, location, and negotiation.
| Role | Level | Salary (USD / CAD) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animator | Mid-level | USD / CAD 59,500 – 136,000 | Austin |
| Animator | Senior | USD / CAD 70,000 – 160,000 | Austin |
| Technical Animator | Mid-level | USD / CAD 59,500 – 136,000 | Austin |
| Technical Animator | Senior | USD / CAD 70,000 – 160,000 | Austin |
| Environment Artist | Mid-level | USD / CAD 59,500 – 136,000 | Austin |
| Environment Artist | Senior | USD / CAD 70,000 – 160,000 | Austin |
| Character Artist | Mid-level | USD / CAD 59,500 – 136,000 | Austin |
| Character Artist | Senior | USD / CAD 70,000 – 160,000 | Austin |
Portfolio Tips by Discipline
Gameplay Animators
Build a gameplay-feel reel not a beauty reel. Include first-person or third-person game loops, combat states, and locomotion blending. Reference Halo’s movement feel in your breakdown.
Technical Animators
Show rig builds with commentary. CA cares deeply about how the rig performs at runtime — include Unity or Unreal animation graph screenshots alongside your rig demo.
Facial Rigging Specialists
FACS-based facial rigs are highly valued. Show a full facial rig setup, corrective shapes, and how the rig integrates with a live-service animation pipeline.
Environment Artists
Show multiplayer-scale work — maps and spaces designed for competitive play. Callout clarity, cover density, and vertical space control matter more than atmospheric narrative work.
Before You Apply
Certain Affinity works heavily on partner projects under NDA. Most shipped work cannot be shown publicly. Factor this into your career planning — your two years at CA may produce limited portfolio-able work.
Get Notified When Certain Affinity Hires
ArtBlast sends new art job listings daily. When Certain Affinity posts a role, subscribers see it within hours.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What games has Certain Affinity worked on?
Certain Affinity has co-developed on Halo: Reach, Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Infinite, Age of Empires IV, and Left 4 Dead 2. Much of their work is under NDA.
Is Certain Affinity remote-friendly?
Certain Affinity has offered remote roles and is based in Austin, Texas. Their Canadian entity also hires. Contract roles are more likely to be remote than permanent positions.
What engine does Certain Affinity use?
Certain Affinity has worked with multiple engines across partner projects including Microsoft’s Slipspace Engine (Halo), Relic’s proprietary engine (AoE IV), and others. They value engine-agnostic artists.
What salary does Certain Affinity pay animators?
One confirmed DB listing shows CAD 80,000-130,000 for a Senior Gameplay Animator in Canada. US-based senior animators and technical animators likely range from USD 80,000-130,000. Lead and principal roles reach USD 130,000-160,000+.
How often does Certain Affinity hire?
Certain Affinity opens roles when partner project work ramps up. Animation roles are the most frequent opening. Check their portal regularly — roles can open and fill within 2-3 weeks.
Certain Affinity has posted these roles recently
These listings are archived. Subscribe to ArtBlast for current openings.