Principal Game Designer

As a Game Designer, you will design and optimize the player experience. Your analytical skills, player insight, and creativity help craft in- and out-of-game experiences that engage and surprise players. You will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and work with every tool at hand to create innovative, player-focused designs that'll delight millions around the world. Working on an early stage product, you will help decipher one of Riot's next big bets.

As a Principal Game Designer specializing in core gameplay on the R&D team, you excel in designing Mechanics and Systems for combat-centric experiences. You partner with other designers, artists, and engineers to create and iterate on a variety of combat and combatant features, ranging from player control, animation, and abilities, to enemy AI, progression trees, and hit reaction systems. All of these features contribute to a combat experience which is deep, compelling, and always feels great to play. You will report to the Design Manager on the team.

Responsibilities:

• Design and improve mechanics and systems that satisfy players and further solidify the game concept.
• Lead small cross disciplinary teams (2-5 people) to build systems and mechanics that achieve product goals.
• Create and provide multiple potential designs and solutions. Articulate trade-offs and risks between different options.
• Playtest the game and help push for continued improvements for existing designs and fresh prototypes.
• Seek opportunities for new design spaces in collaboration with Product Managers and Design Leadership.

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in professional Game Design
• 4+ years of experience in either Combat Mechanics or Combat Feel
• You have demonstrated proficiency in scripting in at least one engine in a shipped title
• Shipped or worked on at least one AAA+ online game
• Can create complex mechanics and systems with attention to the player impacts and downstream effects

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in combat and AI design
• Is familiar with the LoL IP

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise and a collaborative spirit that prioritizes the delight of players. We will look at your past studies and experience, but for this role, we also look for dedicated people with a personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this is the role for you!

Our Perks:

Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the Summoner's Code and Community Code. Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of thriving together and our ongoing work to build the most inclusive company in Gaming.

It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.

Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:

• Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
• Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
• Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
• Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.