Principal Software Engineer - Engine & Tools

Riot’s mission is to put players at the center of everything we do. We do this by continuing to evolve and deliver new experiences to players with games like Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, VALORANT, and League of Legends: Wild Rift. Riot is also expanding into the world of music/multimedia with the release of our animated series Arcane and music from KDA and True Damage. In short - it’s an exciting time to be a Rioter.

As a Principal Software Engineer in League of Legends, you’ll report to your team’s Engineering Manager in our office in Los Angeles. You will drive the architecture and evolution of League’s core game engine, improving the foundational systems and tools used to develop League. You’ll solve complex technical challenges across these systems, improving their reliability, scalability, and performance while reducing iteration time and workflow friction for developers across League.

Responsibilities:

• Design, build, and maintain software systems with a focus on quality, reliability, and maintainability.
• Accelerate the development of the core engine architecture and developer experience.
• Uphold a high standard of engineering excellence. Participate in code reviews, write unit/integration tests, and contribute to continuous improvement of team practices.
• Collaborate with designers, product managers, producers, and other engineers to understand their workflows, scope, implement, and test features.
• Write clear documentation and communicate technical details across disciplines.
• Provide mentorship to junior and senior engineers across the League team.
• Participate in the on-call rotation to resolve live incidents.

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of game, game engine and tools development experience
• 5+ years of professional experience in C++
• Deep subject matter expertise in building and architecting tools and engine features
• Experience shipping software at scale that deploys on a range of different platforms
• Experience collaborating across disciplines (e.g. Design, Art, QA, Production) to create solutions
• Experience implementing software engineering best practices within your team, including design reviews, coding standards, code reviews, tools improvements, source control management, build processes, and testing
• Experience applying AI to software development workflows, including using or integrating AI-powered tools to improve engineering productivity and code quality
• Product sense, pragmatism, and player empathy in making tech decisions
• BS in Computer Science, or proven understanding of Computer Science fundamentals

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience playing League of Legends
• Strong interest in AI and its potential to improve game development workflows

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 the experiences of players, this could be 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.

At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether you’re working directly on a new player-facing experience or you’re supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, we’re better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, we’re looking forward to your application.

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.