Research Scientist Intern - Game AI - Summer 2025 (Remote)

Riot Research Scientists combine their wide technical expertise across data processing, automation, machine learning ("ML"), artificial intelligence ("AI"), and experimental design to inform decisions and develop robust research prototypes and inform data powered products. 

The Technology Research team performs applied research to accelerate the pace of building amazing player experiences at Riot Games.  As a Research Scientist Intern on Tech Research, you’ll contribute to a research team whose focus is to leverage generative AI to augment, evolve, and even revolutionize game development pipelines and/or player experiences. To this end, you and your team will track the latest research in relevant areas, work closely with teams to prioritize the most promising research, build prototypes to highlight the value of new capabilities, and in certain cases partner with game teams to create robust and efficient production versions of your prototypes.  

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with game teams and content creators to accelerate the pace that we produce content for our games
• Partner with artists, designers, and engineers to prototype new applications of research
• Explore the application of large language models and state of the art content generation models to games in development and production

Required Qualifications:

• Enrolled in an M.S. or Ph.D. program in statistics, engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, or a related quantitative field (math, physics, etc.)
• Graduating during the 2026 calendar year 
• Available to work full-time hours for the 12 week internship duration
• Eligible to work in the country that you reside in during this remote program
• Experience in deep learning, including frameworks such as Tensorflow or PyTorch
• Experience processing data and build machine learning models using Python
• Experience in machine learning techniques
• Experience in statistical modeling and optimization 

Desired Qualifications:

• Understanding of distributed systems and concurrent programming
• Familiarity with cloud computing basics on AWS (EC2, S3)
• Experience working with Linux operating systems
• Experience in C++ and game development (Unreal, Unity, Godot)
• Experience with version control systems. (We use Git)
• Experience in large language models, diffusion models, neural radiance fields, or Gaussian splats
• Experience in social network analysis, natural language processing, computer vision, or signal processing

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!

Applications close Friday, January 10th, 2025 at 11:59pm PT 

Our Perks:

Riot Internships are paid, and interns can also participate in our 401(k) plan. You can expect in-game perks, and the ability to participate in our Play Fund, so you can broaden and deepen your knowledge of our players and community through games. The University Programs team also invites you to intern focused events so you can connect with your fellow interns and Rioters to make the most out of your experience.

Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the and. 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 and our ongoing work to build the.

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. 

(Remote Only) The hourly rate for this internship is USD $61.78