A high-flying student has landed her dream job in the multi-billion-pound video games industry before she has even graduated from the renowned Game Art BA (Hons) course at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
Esme Hume has already started work as a Junior 3D Environment Artist with acclaimed UK games developer Climax Studios, even though she is not due to graduate from DMU until September.
An image from The Timekeeper - Esme's final year project at DMU Game Art.
“It’s a bit crazy, really - I wasn’t expecting it at all,” said Esme, who secured the role after creating an impressive industry-ready portfolio during her studies at DMU.
Climax Studios has contributed to some of the industry’s best-known titles, including Age of Empires IV and the award-winning Returnal, which won four BAFTAs including Best Game in 2022.
Like many others, Esme came to the course with creative ability but little or no knowledge of 3D game design. The 20-year-old, who also happens to be the reigning British Women’s Slopestyle Snowboard Champion and has a sponsorship deal with giant US snow sports brand Burton, credits the course and staff at DMU with transforming her from a raw talent into an employable, industry-ready game artist.
“The course is amazing,” she said. “I looked at lots of different universities, and DMU was my top choice. The way it’s structured really helps you build your skills step-by-step, especially if you’ve never done 3D before.”
An image from Esme's 'Over the Clouds' project at DMU.
“Everything you do is geared towards a job in the future,” she said. “Everyone on the course knows they want to be a 3D artist, so all the work is tailored towards that. It makes a huge difference.”
“The lecturers are really approachable and give detailed, personalised feedback,” she said. “They’re always around to help, whether that’s in class or over email. You don’t just get generic comments - you get proper guidance on your work.”
That hands-on teaching has helped Esme develop both the skills and professional attitude needed to begin a career in the fast-growing global games industry, which is estimated to be worth more than £200 billion a year worldwide - more than the music and film industries combined.
“I didn’t even know Game Art was a career before I came to university,” she said. “But DMU gave me everything I needed to get there.”
As a 3D Environment Artist, Esme will help build the virtual worlds players explore in games - designing landscapes, objects and spaces that shape the atmosphere, storytelling and overall player experience.
“It’s about creating the whole atmosphere and the vibe of the game,” she explained.
Despite embarking on a career in gaming, Esme says she is less of a gamer herself these days, instead studying games from a creative and artistic perspective.
“I don’t really play games that often anymore,” she said. “But whenever I do, I’m looking at how they look visually. I still study them - it’s really important to keep looking at new work and understanding how games are designed.”
DMU Game Art course leader Craig Mooney said Esme’s success reflected both her talent and the employability-focused nature of the course.
“Esme is talented and driven, a really good example of a student whose attitude and work ethic enabled her to secure a fantastic job in the games industry before she even graduated,” he said.
To see more of Esme’s work at DMU, visit ArtStation.
Traditional hand-drawn image by Esme Hume.
From The Timekeeper project - a fully playable game environment.
The thumbnail image associated with this page is from Esme's DMU Game Art project 'Hume's Hair'.
Posted on Monday 6 July 2026