Staff Software Engineer, Gameplay Generalist - Unpublished R&D Product

At Riot, we build games that inspire passionate communities around the world. Engineers here bring their deep technical expertise, and also value the opportunity to widen their craft across a variety of subject matters – to create gameplay experiences that are as joyful to develop as they are to play.

As a Staff Software Engineer on an unpublished R&D product, you’ll contribute directly to the core player experience - developing interactive player-facing features and more. You’ll work closely with designers, artists, and fellow engineers to bring fast paced, responsive, and emotionally resonant gameplay to life. The ideal candidate is passionate about empowering the team to deliver great player experiences, thrives in cross-disciplinary teams, and finds energy in solving creative and technical challenges.

Responsibilities:

• Design, prototype, and implement complex and innovative gameplay systems that are robust, scalable, and performant in close collaboration with other disciplines.
• Own implementation of interactive player facing systems from conception to production.
• Follow and contribute to the technical direction and standards for the team. Partner with technical leaders to establish architecture that meets gameplay requirements, identifies technical risks and mitigation strategies
• Provide critical input on all aspects of design and development in this early phase project.
• Contribute to the technical culture of the team, ensuring the right balance of speed and sustainability.
• Mentor your peers across disciplines, and invest in sharing insights and learnings on both technical and creative problem-solving.

Required Qualifications:

• 7+ years of professional experience in game development.
• Strong C++ programming skills and solid computer science fundamentals.
• Proficiency with gameplay and software design patterns
• Strong debugging, optimization, and performance-tuning skills.
• Experience working in cross-disciplinary, distributed teams.
• Strong product sense and empathy for players when making technical decisions.

Desired Qualifications:

• Familiarity with Unreal Engine internals and extending or modifying engine code.
• Experience working on mid-sized engineering teams in a live or in-development game environment.

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.

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.

• (Los Angeles Only) Base salary range between $192,500.00 - $269,400.00 USD + incentive compensation + equity + 401K with company match + medical, dental, vision, and life insurance + short and long-term disability + open PTO.