How to Get Hired at Nintendo
Where Nintendo and its studios hire artists in Japan and the US, real pay from their own postings, the language and visa rules, how hiring works, and what your portfolio needs.
Get Today’s Job ListFree to join · Premium $7/month, cancel anytime
Latest Nintendo Jobs
Fresh listings from the ArtBlast feed. Members see the studio, salary info, and direct apply link.
- CONTRACT🔒 Studio hidden · On-site · United States · YesterdayUnlock
- Concept Artist🔒 Studio hidden · On-site · United States · 2 days ago💵 $31—$47 USDUnlock
- Lighting Artist (Retro Studios)🔒 Studio hidden · On-site · United States · 3 days agoUnlock
- + 250 more art jobs posted this weekJoin free to browse the full feedUnlock
Nintendo at a Glance
Where Nintendo Hires Artists
Nintendo's art roles are split between Japan, where most of its games are made, and a few studios in the US and Europe. ArtBlast has a separate guide for Next Level Games.
Nintendo Co., Kyoto and Tokyo
Character, Stage, Effects, Cutscene, UIKyoto and Tokyo hire character, stage, effect, cutscene and UI/UX designers and CG specialists. Nintendo says character designers also design clothing, weapons, vehicles and furniture for in-game function, and that most new-graduate stage designers join without 3DCG experience because it weighs basic form and design skill more heavily.
- Design for in-game function, not just looks
- Whole explorable stages: terrain, sea and sky
- Responsive, readable animation
- Japanese at JLPT N1 or native level
Studios in Japan
MONOLITH SOFT, Nintendo Cube, 1-UP StudioMONOLITH SOFT, the Xenoblade studio, hires 3DCG character and map designers, animators and 2D artwork staff in Tokyo and Kyoto. Nintendo Cube, the Mario Party studio, hires motion and UI designers in Sapporo, and 1-UP Studio, which worked on Donkey Kong Bananza, hires character and terrain designers in Tokyo.
- High-poly organic and hard-surface models
- Hand-keyed motion for non-humanoid characters
- Personal work weighted heavily
- Drawing skills in every portfolio
US and Europe
NST, Retro Studios, Nintendo of EuropeNintendo Software Technology in Redmond, Washington, and Retro Studios in Austin, Texas, the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond team, post art roles on careers.nintendo.com, recently contract concept and lighting artists. Nintendo of Europe in Frankfurt hires marketing-side design and video roles.
- Contract roles through an agency
- Hybrid in Redmond, on site in Austin
- Real-time lighting with PBR
- Marketing design in Frankfurt
The Nintendo Hiring Process
Nintendo describes different processes for Japan, the Americas and Europe.
Japan: Apply and Send Work
For Nintendo Co. career roles, apply through the web form, then submit work samples as instructed by email. You may apply to only one role at a time, and you cannot reapply within a year.
One role at a timeJapan: Screening and Interviews
Screening results take about a month. Some roles add a work screening or an assignment, then several interviews and an offer; the whole process takes about two to three months. MONOLITH SOFT adds a written aptitude test.
About 2 to 3 monthsAmericas: Apply Online
Nintendo of America, NST and Retro roles are posted on careers.nintendo.com. Forms ask for a resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, willingness to relocate and US work authorization, and several postings say visa sponsorship is not available.
US work authorization neededEurope: Apply in English
Nintendo of Europe accepts applications only in English, with a cover letter, CV, earliest start date and salary expectation. Review takes a few days to four weeks, and every applicant gets a reply.
Every applicant hears backSalary Ranges at Nintendo
Japanese postings list annual pay. These ranges come from Nintendo group postings live in October 2026.
| Role | Level | Posted Range |
|---|---|---|
| New graduate, Nintendo Co. (2027 intake) | New graduate | ¥306,300 per month to start |
| 3DCG Motion Designer, Nintendo Cube (Sapporo) | Experienced | ¥3,900,000 to ¥6,400,000 per year |
| 2D UI Designer, Nintendo Cube (Sapporo) | 3+ years | ¥4,050,000 to ¥6,600,000 per year |
| Character Designer, 1-UP Studio (Tokyo) | Experienced | ¥4,400,000 to ¥7,050,000 per year |
| 3DCG Character Designer, MONOLITH SOFT (Tokyo) | Experienced | ¥4,000,000 to ¥10,000,000 expected per year |
| 2D Artwork Staff, MONOLITH SOFT (Tokyo) | Entry | ¥4,000,000 to ¥10,000,000 expected per year |
Nintendo Cube's ranges include 30 hours a month of fixed overtime pay. In the US, NST's contract Concept Artist posting in Redmond lists $31 to $47 without stating the unit, and Retro Studios does not list pay.
Get Nintendo Job Alerts
ArtBlast sends 10-60+ art jobs daily, with salary on every listing. When Nintendo posts a role, subscribers see it within hours of it going live.
Free to join · Premium $7/month, cancel anytime
What Your Portfolio Needs to Show
Nintendo group studios ask for work samples with a written explanation of each piece, and weigh personal work heavily.
Portfolios for Japan
- Many and varied pieces, including personal work
- An explanation of each piece: period, your part, what you solved
- Rough sketches and process, not only finished work
- Drawing that shows basic draftsmanship
- Common file formats; some studios refuse website links
3D Artists and Animators
- High-poly organic and hard-surface modeling
- Hand-keyed character animation with basic and original motions
- Maya, ZBrush and Substance Painter
- MotionBuilder and Python for MONOLITH SOFT animators
- Houdini and Substance Designer for CG specialists
US Roles
- Concept art in Photoshop, Maya, ZBrush and Substance
- Real-time lighting in Unreal, Unity or similar engines
- A solid grasp of PBR and real-world lighting values
- Range across many styles
- A portfolio link on the Retro application
Timing Matters at Nintendo
Nintendo's group headcount grew from 6,717 in 2022 to 8,666 in 2026, but art openings stay few and specific, and new-graduate hiring in Japan runs on a fixed yearly schedule. ArtBlast sends new Nintendo postings to subscribers the morning they go live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work at Nintendo without speaking Japanese?
For design roles in Japan, no: Nintendo Co. designer postings require JLPT N1 or equivalent, and MONOLITH SOFT and 1-UP Studio also require N1-level Japanese. In the US, Nintendo Software Technology and Retro Studios post roles in English, and Nintendo of Europe accepts applications only in English.
Where does Nintendo hire artists?
Most art roles are in Japan: Nintendo Co. in Kyoto and Tokyo, MONOLITH SOFT in Tokyo and Kyoto, Nintendo Cube in Sapporo and 1-UP Studio in Tokyo. In North America, Nintendo Software Technology in Redmond and Retro Studios in Austin post art roles, and Next Level Games in Vancouver has its own job board.
How much does Nintendo pay artists?
Japanese postings in October 2026 listed about ¥3.9 million to ¥7 million a year at Nintendo Cube and 1-UP Studio and an expected ¥4 million to ¥10 million at MONOLITH SOFT. Nintendo Co. new graduates start at ¥306,300 a month.
Does Nintendo sponsor visas for US roles?
Several current US postings say applicants must be legally eligible to work in the United States and that visa sponsorship is not available. Application forms ask about work authorization and sponsorship.
Does Nintendo have an art test?
In Japan, sometimes: Nintendo Co. designer postings say an assignment may be requested and the process includes a role-dependent work screening, and MONOLITH SOFT and 1-UP Studio include an aptitude test. No art test is documented for Nintendo's US studios.
Does Nintendo hire new graduates as artists?
Yes, in Japan. Nintendo Co. hires new graduates each April into design tracks such as stage, character, UI/UX, effects and artwork through a Japanese-language process, and says most new character and stage designers join without 3DCG experience.
Get These Jobs Before They Fill Up
ArtBlast members see the studio, salary info, and the direct apply link the moment a job posts. Apply in the first 24-48 hours, when your odds are best.
Get Today’s Job ListPremium $7/month or $60/year (3 months free) · cancel anytime