Shiv Rig
Creator
Noah Li 3 products

Shiv Rig by Noah Li

Shiv is a free, game-ready Maya rig of Shiv from Deadlock by Valve, rigged by Noah Li. It has three outfit versions (Default, Neon Prime and Proxy), a full face rig with a pose library of facial expressions, HIK retargeting, rig controls isolation, spring dynamics on the hair, coat and reliquary, and a Game Ready FBX. Maya 2022 or later with mGear 4 or later.

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284
Downloads
26 May 2026
Last updated
26 May 2026
Released
Works with
Maya 2022+, mGear 4+
Licence
Free
File size
102 MB
Outfits
Default, Neon Prime, Proxy
Engine export
Game Ready FBX
  • Maya 2022+
  • mGear 4+

Instant download Vetted creator

Latest rig updates
26 May 2026

Shiv Rig is out

Everything the rig ships with. What you get on day one:

Three outfit versions

Default, Neon Prime and Proxy, so you can swap the look depending on the shot.

Face rig and pose library

Expression and performance range, with a library of facial poses to start from.

HIK retargeting

An HIK setup for mocap import, so motion goes onto Shiv quickly.

Springs on hair, coat and reliquary

Secondary motion takes care of itself instead of you keying every overlap.

Watch it move

Shiv from Deadlock, rigged by Noah Li

Demo reel
The story behind the Shiv rig

A Deadlock rig built with production care

Animators ask all the time where to find good game character rigs to practise with, and Shiv by Noah Li is exactly the kind of answer Animworks wants to give. He is based on Shiv from Deadlock by Valve, and the rig has been built with the kind of care you would want on a production shot.

The character translates well into Maya, the controls behave the way you expect, and the setup is geared towards how animators work in a game animation pipeline. Rig controls isolation keeps the workflow clean when you only want part of the rig in view.

Because he ships as a Game Ready FBX as well, the path from animation to engine is short, whether you are putting together a gameplay reel, a body mechanics test or a personal project.

Inside the rig

What you get with the Shiv Deadlock rig

Three versions

Default, Neon Prime and Proxy.

Full face rig

With expression and performance range.

Facial pose library

A pose library of facial expressions.

HIK setup

For motion retargeting and mocap import.

Rig controls isolation

For a clean animator workflow.

Spring dynamics

Secondary motion on the hair, coat and reliquary.

Game Ready FBX

Included in the download.

Great for

What the Shiv rig is great for

  • Gameplay-style animation and combat tests
  • Acting shots with proper facial performance
  • Motion capture retargeting via HIK
  • Body mechanics, weight and combat timing studies
  • Showreel work with a recognisable, characterful protagonist
Additional information

The details

Software
Maya 2022 or later
Rig framework
mGear 4 or later
Facial controls
Full face rig, expression pose library
Outfits
Default, Neon Prime, Proxy
Engine export
Game Ready FBX
Requirements

Maya 2022 and mGear 4, or later

  • Maya 2022 or later
  • mGear 4 or later, free from the mGear releases page
Credits

Credits

  • Rig: Noah Li
Licence terms

Free for practice and study

Shiv is based on the Deadlock character by Valve Corp and is shared by Noah Li for animation practice and study. Please don't redistribute the files outside of Animworks.

What animators say

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Why you can trust this rig
Vetted

Every rig on Animworks is checked by our team before it goes live.

Supported

Questions and bug reports go straight to Noah Li, or email support@anim.works.

Yours to keep

It lands in your downloads the moment you check out, and stays there.

Community

Share your feedback on the rig

Animating with Shiv Rig? Post your shots in the Discord, ask Noah Li a question, or tell us what you would want in the next version.

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