Marvel project artist - Senior Animator Niantic Employee Review

3.0
Apr 1, 2023
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Fair pay, good benefits, inclusive work environment, ethical company, no overtime, and paid continuing education. Got to do a game jam early in production to create a mini game. Company supported clubs, like a ramen club that went out to eat ramen! Fun slack channels, particularly the cat channel! Good animation feedback from my lead, and had monthly meetings with my art director, who genuinely cared about my career advancement. Potential for promotions. I was offered a lead positions that I declined. Marvel is an IP that I enjoy, and I got to do some fun super hero animations!

Cons

High turnover; about half of our team left throughout four years of production, including the lead designer and executive producer. Important positions like a combat designer would be open for months. In response, management said that we were all designers, so we had to cover for them. We outsourced a majority of the fun animations, with varied quality results, while I was often stuck doing mundane tasks. We had to edit, fix, or completely redo a good amount of outsourced animations. Production was mostly top down, where artists just created assets, instead of it being a collaborative process between artists and designers. Numerous game design ideas shared by non-designer, which I felt were better then what was in the game, seemed to be mostly overlooked. Honest game feedback was encouraged, but nothing much seemed to be done about it. I was even admonished for being too critical of the game, and had my performance review and bonus docked. I didn't feel that our game lived up the the potential of the Marvel IP, and as a long time Marvel fan, it was disheartening. Animation work didn't seem appreciated. Late in production, an animation speed scale adjuster was added to the game because combat was taking too long, so instead of designing for a good speed and length of combat in early production, they ruined the timing of years of combat animation work.

Explore other reviews about Niantic

5.0
Jan 20, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

The people, the amazing office, the work life balance, the benefits, 401k match

Cons

Niantic had few flaws and none that come to mind currently

3.0
May 12, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Niantic has a unique mission and works on products that blend technology, gaming, community, and real-world exploration. The people are generally smart, passionate, and collaborative, and there are opportunities to work on creative projects with global impact. The company also offers a good learning environment for those interested in gaming, AR, live operations, and location-based products.

Cons

Priorities can shift frequently, which sometimes makes it difficult for teams to stay focused or understand how their work connects to the broader company strategy. Communication from leadership could be clearer, especially during periods of change. Some processes feel reactive rather than proactive, and cross-functional alignment can vary depending on the team.

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