Principal Game Designer - League of Legends, ARAM Mayhem

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

401(k) with company match

Open PTO

Flexible work schedules

Short and long-term disability

Job summary

Riot Games in Los Angeles is looking for a Principal Game Designer to lead the design of ARAM: Mayhem, shaping player experiences and crafting high moments for a live-service title loved by millions.

You will mentor designers, drive set-based design, run early validation and iterate with cross-functional teams, reporting to the Design Director. A strong background in LoL player psychology and live-service updates is essential. This role emphasizes collaboration and craft excellence.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in professional Game Development.
• Strong knowledge of League of Legends and what excites its players.
• Experience designing content streams for live-service games.
• Proven scripting proficiency in at least one engine in a shipped title.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement Augments and other content for compelling gameplay satisfaction.
• Mentor and provide feedback to other game designers, fostering collaboration.
• Conduct early-stage discovery and playtesting to validate direction.
• Contribute to processes enabling reliable, high-quality delivery of content.

Skills

LoL knowledge

Live service design

Scripting in engine

Mentorship

Job description

As a game designer, you will design, tweak, and optimize the player experience. Your analytical skills, player insight, and creativity aid in crafting in-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.

As a Principal Game Designer on ARAM: Mayhem, you will level up the team responsible for growing and improving this hit new game mode within League of Legends. You will use your deep understanding of League players to develop new content and systems that deliver unforgettable high moments for the champions they love. As an expert in set-based or live service design, you will define what good looks like for game updates that consistently create novel experiences and high quality gameplay. You will report to ARAM: Mayhem’s Design Director.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement Augments and other content that demonstrate exemplary gameplay satisfaction.
• Provide direction, mentorship, and feedback to other game designers, fostering an environment of collaboration and craft excellence.
• Conduct early stage discovery on new projects that quickly validates their direction using intentional iteration and effective playtesting.
• Contribute to team processes that operationalize our design goals and ensure reliable, sustainable, high quality delivery of new content.

Required Qualifications

Please ensure all of these qualifications are represented in your resume or cover letter

• 8+ years of experience in professional Game Development
• High familiarity with League of Legends and a strong understanding of what excites League players
• Experience designing sets or other content streams for a live service game
• Demonstrated proficiency in scripting in at least one engine in a shipped title

Desired Qualifications

• Experience leading projects or teams
• Experience designing characters or other player ability kits
• Experience as a senior thought leader of materially-impactful world-class innovations on a commercial video game

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.

Duties

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 $185,200.00 - $258,000.00 USD + incentive compensation + equity + 401K with company match + medical, dental, vision, and life insurance + short and long-term disability + open PTO.