Senior Game Designer, Combat – Unpublished R&D Product

Riot Games was established in 2006 by entrepreneurial gamers who believe that player-focused game development can result in great games. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to critical and player acclaim. As the most played video game in the world, over 100 million play every month. Players form the foundation of our community and it’s for them that we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience.

We’re looking for humble but ambitious, razor-sharp professionals who can teach us a thing or two. We promise to return the favor. Like us, you take play seriously; you’re passionate about games. We embrace those who see things differently, aren’t afraid to experiment, and who have a healthy disregard for constraints.

That's where you come in.

As a Game Designer, you will design, tweak, 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 and iterate player-focused designs that will delight millions around the world.

As a Senior Game Designer, Combat on the Unpublished R&D Product team, you will design, prototype, and refine engaging player experiences through creative problem-solving and thoughtful game design. You will translate high-level creative goals into actionable design solutions, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to develop and iterate on high-quality game content. You will apply your design expertise and player insights to establish best practices, address design challenges, and deliver cohesive player experiences. You will report into the Game Director of the team.

Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, and iterate on gameplay experiences and systems, ensuring high standards of quality, clarity, and player engagement.
• Explore innovative game design approaches, evaluate potential solutions, and articulate trade-offs and risks.
• Establish design principles, best practices, and workflows to support consistent quality and efficient development.
• Utilize rapid prototyping, playtesting, and feedback to evaluate and improve design solutions.
• Create clear design documentation that can be evaluated and implemented by cross-functional partners.
• Collaborate with game design and other disciplines to align on design goals, address challenges, and continuously improve the player experience.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional experience in game design.
• Strong understanding of game design principles, player experience, and gameplay systems.
• 3+ years of experience with Unreal Engine, including Blueprint or equivalent development tools.
• Demonstrated ability to design and iterate on complex gameplay systems with consideration for player impact and overall experience.
• Ability to translate ambiguous design challenges into clear, actionable solutions and execute independently.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams throughout the game development process.
• Fluency in Mandarin Chinese.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience leading game design initiatives or providing design direction within a development team.
• Experience working on live games or supporting ongoing game development.
• Experience with early-stage game development, including rapid prototyping, experimentation, and iterative design.
• Hands-on experience with scripting or implementing gameplay content using game development tools.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

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!