Staff Software Engineer, Riot Games

League, League Client

$183.3-256.6k

+ Equity

AngularJS
JavaScript
C++
Chromium
Senior and Expert level
Los Angeles
Riot Games

Player-focused game development platform

Open for applications

Riot Games

Player-focused game development platform

1001+ employees

B2CGamingEntertainment

Open for applications

$183.3-256.6k

+ Equity

AngularJS
JavaScript
C++
Chromium
Senior and Expert level
Los Angeles

1001+ employees

B2CGamingEntertainment

Company mission

To be the most player-focused game company in the world.

Role

Who you are

  • 6+ years software development experience using C++
  • Experience building applications in web tech
  • Experience developing large product features, including gathering requirements, designing scalable, production-ready architecture, breaking down the project into smaller work items, and the development across multiple contributors
  • Experience upholding software engineering best practices within your team, including design reviews, coding standards, code reviews, tools improvements, source control management, build processes, and testing

Desirable

  • Experience working in EmberJS or other web frameworks (ReactJS, AngularJS, etc)
  • Experience building applications using the Chromium Embedded Framework
  • Prior game development experience
  • Experience building and supporting games-as-a-service

What the job involves

  • As a Staff Software Engineer focusing on League Client, you will play a pivotal role in empowering engineers to quickly develop high quality around-game experiences
  • You will be a local expert for C++ game client development, establishing best practices, leveling up the team’s C++ capabilities, and helping chart a path to make foundational changes to improve the development ecosystem
  • The League Client consists of a C++ application layer that handles business logic and a Chromium Embedded Framework used to render major components of the League experience like Champion Select, Player Profile and Collections, Queue Selection, and Lobbies
  • Contribute to a large code base that spans across C++ and Javascript
  • Write and review reliable, maintainable code, and author architectural design documents
  • Contribute to technical vision and direction, using your expertise to guide tough technical decisions
  • Promote adherence to engineering excellence including: code maintainability, quality, monitoring, operational excellence, and documentation
  • Mentor and coach to lift the expertise of the engineering team
  • Collaboration across disciplines and other teams of engineers
  • Participate in the on-call rotation
  • Work with feature teams to help them create the best possible experiences for players

Our take

Riot Games has grown into one of the world’s most prominent online and mobile game developers, due in large part to the success of its 2009 flagship title League of Legends which hosts just under seventy million users every month.

Riot is riding the wave of online gaming growth, having made a well timed switch from PC-only into mobile-based gaming, as capitalising on the rising popularity of esports, with the League of Legends World Championships one of the most watched events in the space.

However, adding further titles to its resume will be key to building on its success, as League of Legends was its only offering for the best part of a decade. Since being acquired by Chinese tech giant Tencent in 2011, the company has grown significantly in Asian markets, opening its Shanghai Game Studio in 2021 and expanding its China Game Studio Group in 2022. These two hubs will help Riot Games make further inroads in a country where PC gaming is already huge and continues to grow.

Regardless of League of Legends' success both online and in live arenas, the company nevertheless experienced a round of layoffs internationally that amounted to 11% of its workforce. Pair that with legal troubles in 2024 concerning the company’s partnership with now bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, and Riot Games appears to be in a period of transition. Thanks to the strength of its gaming products, however, Riot will no doubt maintain a comfortable position within the gaming world.

Freddie headshot

Freddie

Company Specialist

Insights

Top investors

Most candidates hear
back within 2 weeks

24% employee growth in 12 months

Company

Funding (2 rounds)

Sep 2009

$8m

SERIES C

Jul 2008

$7m

EARLY VC

Total funding: $15m

Company benefits

  • We offer medical, dental, and vision plans that cover you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children
  • Life insurance, parental leave, plus short-term and long-term disability coverage are also available
  • Riot will support your retirement benefits with a company match, and double down on your donations of time and money to non-profit charitable organizations
  • Balance between work and personal life is encouraged with open paid time off, and a play fund so you can broaden and deepen your personal relationship with games

Company values

  • Player experience first
  • Dare to dream
  • Thrive together
  • Execute with excellence
  • Stay hungry, stay humble

Company HQ

Sawtelle, Los Angeles, CA

Leadership

Brandon Beck

(Co-Chairman)

Having studied at the University of Southern California, they worked as a Management Consultant at Bain & Company. they left this role in September 2006 to co-found Riot Games, where they served initially as co-CEO.

Marc Merrill

(Co-Chairman)

After a degree at the University of Southern California, they worked as a U.S. Bank Analyst and a Manager of Advanstar Communications. They co-founded Riot Games with Brandon in September 2006, alongside being a Principal of NaHCo3 since 2016.

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