HoYoverse — the studio behind hit gacha games Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail — is hiring for what seems to be its next big project. Currently, the studio is prepping Honkai: Nexus Anima, an auto-chess gacha game with Pokémon-like monster catching elements. In true 2025 fashion, though, it’s not just looking for illustrators who are good with Photoshop or Clip Studio for its latest game. HoYoverse is also hiring ‘AI-specialist’ 2D artists who can crank out gorgeous waifu art while teaching the algorithm all their secrets.
Of course, the job listing still demands the fundamental skills all high-profile game illustrators should have. From a strong compositional sense and mastery of color to the ability to keep up with the team’s output. Nevertheless, nestled between those classic job requirements is the real twist. HoYoverse expects applicants to be able to build AI pipelines. The framework that might one day automate their work — or maybe even put them out of a job.
As the posting bluntly puts it, candidates must have proficiency and proactively research AI tools, such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, or DALL-E 3. Illustrators who want to work on Honkai: Nexus Anima will also have to develop ‘related pipelines or workflows’ to support ‘AI research-and-development’ and day-to-day production. Here’s the complete HoYoverse job ad, translated using multiple sources:
2D Artist (AI Specialist) – Full-Time
Shanghai | Art & Visual Department | Regular RecruitmentJob Responsibilities
- Explore and apply AI tools in 2D art production, helping create high-quality visual content that meets the project’s style requirements.
- Maintain strong artistic fundamentals, with excellent structural awareness and the ability to skillfully apply graphic composition principles in design.
- Approach tasks from a project-oriented perspective to ensure consistent style and quality across all stages of production.
- Proactively research AI tools and develop related pipelines or workflows to support both R&D and day-to-day production.
Qualifications
- Proficiency in at least one AIGC (AI-generated content) tool, such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, or DALL-E 3.
- Exceptional aesthetic sense with a strong grasp of Japanese-style art, visual rhythm, color theory, and creative direction.
- Strong learning ability and initiative, with a high sense of responsibility, teamwork spirit, and excellent communication skills.
- Passion for games, with substantial gaming experience and personal insight into game design or art.
Please include a portfolio in your resume, or provide links to personal pages on platforms such as Weibo, ArtStation, Lofter, Pixiv, Bilibili, Zcool, or Behance.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as HoYoverse isn’t the first studio to flirt with AI, and it certainly won’t be the last. Many Eastern developers are putting their bets on AI tools, including Final Fantasy‘s Square Enix and niche studios like the Trails of series’s Nihon Falcom.
As budgets climb and deadlines tighten, more companies are hiring humans not just to do their job. But also to teach the bots how to streamline their job. Whether that makes artists indispensable mentors or disposable middlemen is a question the entire industry will have to answer sooner rather than later.
