In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends, which has since gone on to become the most played PC game in the world and an important driver of the dramatic growth of esports. Delivering unparalleled in-game experiences for a global audience while also building new games gives Game Designers exciting and complex problems to tackle. Game Designers at Riot craft the systems, mechanics, and content that make up a resonant player experience. We explore how to best push the boundaries of that experience to create new and engaging moments for players.

As a Game Designer II, you will design, tweak, and optimize the player experience. Your analytical skills, player insight, and creativity aid in crafting 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 innovate and iterate player-focused designs that’ll delight millions around the world. We’re looking for a combat designer with a taste for experimentation and a flair for the thematic for our unpublished fighting game, code named Project L. You’ll report to the Champion Design Lead, and your role will be one of hands-on implementation, where together with a team of industry veterans you’ll craft and perfect the moment to moment experiences of the player. You’ll be deeply involved in owning the holistic gameplay experience of champions in our roster and elevating them beyond player expectations.

Responsibilities:

• Create holistically compelling champion combat experiences; ones that aren’t only just fun to play, but also resonate with players of all skill levels
• Guide wide and varied ideation of unique solutions, analyze their possible effects, and then quickly prototype and validate those solutions
• Apply a scientific approach to design - identify what is compelling, how that translates to other contexts, and articulate why it works
• Openly share work with other developers on the team and seek feedback
• Implement, tune, and iterate on champion combat mechanics in engine
• Combine co-worker and player feedback to calibrate design direction and collaboratively build the best solution
• Deeply understand the relevant audiences for the product and calibrate your design judgment to reflect appropriate taste for these audiences

Required Qualifications:

• At least 2 years experience as a game designer
• Experience designing animation dependent combat systems or encounters
• Scripting implementation experience

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience developing a competitive or multiplayer game
• Deep knowledge of the fighting game genre
• Proficiency in Unreal 5

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 has a focus on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy, in addition to 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 ourbenefits pages for more information.

Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by theSummoner’s Code andCommunity 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 ofthriving together and our ongoing work to build themost inclusive company in Gaming.

(Bellevue Only) Base salary range between $102,000 USD - $143,200 USD + incentive compensation + equity + 401K with company match + medical, dental, vision, and life insurance + short and long-term disability + open PTO.

(Los Angeles Only) Base salary range between $102,000 USD - $143,200 USD + incentive compensation + equity + 401K with company match + medical, dental, vision, and life insurance + short and long-term disability + open PTO.

(Redwood City Only) Base salary range between $111,700 USD - $156,900 USD + incentive compensation + equity + 401K with company match + medical, dental, vision, and life insurance + short and long-term disability + open PTO.

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, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance relating to an applicant’s criminal history.