Principal Competitive Systems Designer

Riot Games; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 258,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Life Insurance

Parental Leave

401k with company match

Open PTO

Job summary

Riot Games in Los Angeles seeks a Principal Game Designer to lead the design of VALORANT's Competitive Systems. You will shape ranked, matchmaking, and related systems, partnering with product managers, engineers, analysts, and other designers to drive fairness, engagement, and value for players worldwide.

You will mentor designers, iterate on complex systems based on data and feedback, and playtest frequently to push improvements.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in professional Game Design.
• Deep experience developing competitive multiplayer systems such as matchmaking, ranked, and skill systems.
• Shipped or contributed to at least one AAA+ online competitive title.
• Demonstrated ability to design and iterate on complex systems with a clear understanding of player impact and downstream effects.
• Strong communication skills with proven ability to articulate design rationale, trade-offs, and decision frameworks to cross-disciplinary partners.
• Experience working in a live-service development environment.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve competitive systems that reward player skill, growth, and long-term investment in VALORANT.
• Guide the design of ranked, matchmaking, and adjacent competitive systems to support fairness, competitive integrity, and player engagement.
• Work closely with product managers, engineers, analysts, and design leadership to ensure systems are cohesive, consistent, and in line with VALORANT’s overall vision.
• Keep the focus on player value by leveraging feedback, research, and game data to iterate on designs and improve the competitive experience.
• Create multiple design solutions and clearly articulate the trade-offs, risks, and player impact of each.
• Provide direction, mentorship, and feedback to other designers, fostering collaboration and craft excellence across systems design.
• Playtest VALORANT regularly and help push improvements for existing systems and new concepts.

Skills

Competitive systems

AAA+ title

Live-service development

Communication skills

Design iteration

Job description

Riot Games in Los Angeles seeks a Principal Game Designer to lead the design of VALORANT's Competitive Systems. You will shape ranked, matchmaking, and related systems, partnering with product managers, engineers, analysts, and other designers to drive fairness, engagement, and value for players worldwide.

You will mentor designers, iterate on complex systems based on data and feedback, and playtest frequently to push improvements.