Principal Software Engineer, Engine & Tools - League of Legends
Required skills
- C++
- game engine
- tools development
- software architecture
- AI for software development
- scalable systems
- mentorship
- on-call incident resolution
- BS in Computer Science
Nice to have
- League of Legends
- AI
- game development workflows
- Scrum
Role summary
Riot Games is seeking a Principal Software Engineer for League of Legends in Los Angeles. This role will drive the architecture and evolution of the game engine and developer tools, focusing on quality, reliability, scalability, and performance. Responsibilities include designing and building software systems, improving developer experience, upholding engineering excellence, and providing mentorship. The ideal candidate has 8+ years of game/engine/tools development experience, 5+ years in C++, deep expertise in tools and engine features, and experience shipping software at scale. Familiarity with AI in software development, cross-functional collaboration, and software engineering best practices is required. A BS in Computer Science or equivalent understanding is also necessary. Experience playing League of Legends and a strong interest in AI for game development are desired.
Riot’s mission is to put players at the center of everything we do. We do this by continuing to evolve and deliver new experiences to players with games like Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, VALORANT, and League of Legends: Wild Rift. Riot is also expanding into the world of music/multimedia with the release of our animated series Arcane and music from KDA and True Damage. In short - it’s an exciting time to be a Rioter.
As a Principal Software Engineer in League of Legends, you’ll report to your team’s Engineering Manager in our office in Los Angeles. You will drive the architecture and evolution of League’s core game engine, improving the foundational systems and tools used to develop League. You’ll solve complex technical challenges across these systems, improving their reliability, scalability, and performance while reducing iteration time and workflow friction for developers across League.
Responsibilities:
Required Qualifications:
Desired Qualifications:
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 the experiences of players, this could be 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:
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.
Sample Riot Games interview questions
- 1
Create a real-time data feed for stock prices.
system designmedium - 2
Buildings with an Ocean View Find all buildings that have an ocean view. Input: heights = [1,2,3,4] Output: [3] Explanation: Since the ocean is to the right, only the rightmost tallest building (index 3) is not blocked by any others.
codingmedium - 3
Find the majority element in an array. Given an array of size n, find the majority element. The majority element is the element that appears more than ⌊n / 2⌋ times. You may assume that the majority element always exists in the array. Input: nums = [3, 2, 3] Output: 3 Explanation: The number 3 appears 2 times, which is strictly greater than n/2 (1.5).
codingmedium - 4
Dot Product of Two Sparse Vectors Calculate the dot product of two sparse vectors. Input: nums1 = [0,1,0,0,2], nums2 = [0,0,0,0,5] Output: 10 Explanation: Multiplies the aligned non-zero values (2 * 5) and ignores all the zeros, yielding a dot product of 10.
codingmedium - 5
Maximum Subarray Sum Find the maximum subarray sum in an integer array. Input: nums = [-3,-4,-1,-2] Output: -1 Explanation: Kadane's algorithm correctly identifies that the single isolated element -1 provides the highest possible sum.
codingmedium
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