Game Environment Art Intern

Nex is on a mission to help families rediscover the joy of movement. Created by parents for parents, Nex combines technology and play to deliver fun, social, and interactive experiences powered by natural body motion, encouraging kids and adults to move more, play more, and have fun together. Nex Playground, the company’s award-winning active play system, is purpose-built to get families moving year-round, with safety and privacy as core considerations in its intentional design. It is certified kidSAFE+ COPPA compliant and built to support healthy, active play for all ages and abilities.

Nex Playground features a growing library of 50+ experiences, including motion and dance games, fitness and educational experiences, and Nex Originals. Content includes collaborations with partners like Hasbro, Sesame Workshop, and NBCUniversal. Nex has been recognized by Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, TIME’s Best Inventions, and Parents’ Best Entertainment System for Families, and has earned Red Dot, IDEA, and Core77 international design awards. We encourage you to explore Have Fun and Is Motion Gaming Back?, as they offer a deeper look into our culture, values, and explain how our approach to motion gaming differs from previous generations.

Location: Hong Kong
Type: Full Time Internship (June 1, 2026 - August 31, 2026)

The Role

We’re looking for a motivated and creative Game Environment Art Intern to join our team and help craft immersive, family‑friendly worlds for our games. In this role, you’ll support the art team in creating high‑quality 3D environments—including landscapes, architecture, and set‑pieces—that enhance gameplay, readability, and player immersion.

This internship is ideal for someone early in their environment art journey who enjoys building worlds and wants hands‑on experience with real‑time production. You’ll collaborate closely with artists, designers, and engineers while learning how environments are planned, built, optimized, and implemented in a real‑time engine such as Unity.

You’ll contribute to new games, updates, and prototypes, work directly with experienced environment and 3D artists, and see your work tested and enjoyed by real players.

You don’t need to be an expert—curiosity, passion, and a willingness to learn are what matter most.

What You'll Learn

During this internship, you’ll gain hands‑on experience with:

• Real‑time environment art creation for games
• Professional environment workflows, from reference gathering to final implementation
• Blocking out scenes to support gameplay flow and readability
• Modeling, UV mapping, and texturing optimized environment assets
• Performance and optimization techniques (draw calls, batching, texture usage)
• Importing, assembling, and testing environments in Unity
• Working within production constraints, feedback loops, and iteration cycles
• Collaborating in a multidisciplinary game development team

What You'll Do

With guidance from senior artists, you will:

• Assist in creating 3D environments from concept to in‑engine implementation
• Gather references and block out scenes to establish scale, composition, and gameplay flow
• Model and texture environment assets such as architecture, props, and terrain elements
• Create optimized assets using efficient topology, UV layouts, and textures
• Implement environments in Unity, setting up materials, prefabs, and basic lighting
• Conduct basic performance checks (draw calls, batching, texture memory)
• Maintain consistency with the game’s visual style and art direction
• Collaborate with designers and engineers to ensure environments support player experience
• Iterate on environments based on feedback from artists and playtesting
• Learn and follow studio pipelines, naming conventions, and version‑control practices
• Take initiative, ask questions, and actively contribute ideas to the environment art team

What We're Looking For

We’re looking for someone early in their game art journey who is excited about building worlds and eager to grow.

Required:

• Strong interest in environment art for games
• Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Game Art or a related field*(Self‑taught artists with relevant experience are also welcome)*
• Basic understanding of 3D art fundamentals (shape, proportion, composition, color)
• Familiarity with at least one 3D modeling tool (e.g., Blender)
• Basic understanding of UV mapping and texturing workflows
• Introductory exposure to texturing tools such as Substance Painter
• Interest in real‑time engines and environment workflows, especially Unity
• Willingness to learn, receive feedback, and iterate on your work
• Good communication skills and a collaborative mindset
• Passion for creating playful, readable environments that support fun, family‑friendly gameplay

Nice to Have (Not Required)

• Experience creating stylized or anime‑style environments
• Familiarity with lighting and material setup in Unity
• Awareness of real‑time optimization principles (low‑poly modeling, efficient UVs)
• Experience with Photoshop or basic VFX setup in Unity
• Interest in Nintendo‑inspired, sports, party, or social game environments
• A sense of humor and enthusiasm for creative collaboration

Mentorship & Support

• You’ll work under the guidance of experienced Environment and 3D artists
• Regular feedback, playtests, and learning opportunities
• Structured mentorship focused on Unity‑optimized environment workflows
• Exposure to real production challenges and professional pipelines

Application Requirements

• A portfolio or personal projects showcasing environment art, student work, or personal projects
• Share your proudest environment or scene so far and tell us why you’re proud of it
• Tell us what excites you most about environment art and what you hope to achieve after this internship

We Offer

• Competitive compensation package.
• Flexible working hours and vacation policy.
• Product-driven culture that treasures talents and individual growth.
• Front-row seat and hands-on experience with cutting edge technologies in the evolving gaming field

Nex is located in San Jose, California, USA and Hong Kong. Learn more about us at nex.inc/who-we-are.

We encourage applications even if you don’t meet more than 50% of the requirements — we believe that experience comes in many forms!