All Game Designers at Riot have a base set of skills: you design, tweak, & optimize the player experience. Your analytical skills, player insight, & creativity aid in crafting in- & out-of-game experiences that engage & surprise players. You will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams & work with every tool at hand to innovate & iterate player-focused designs that'll delight millions around the world.

As Principal Level Designer on the MMO team, you will help prove an innovative game concept in the early stages of development. The ideal candidate is very experienced in Level Design. You will help us define the theory & best practices of our level design process & deliver bar setting demonstrations of our world to validate our direction. You partner with other designers, artists, & engineers to build & iterate player-focused designs that aim at delivering a groundbreaking experience. This requires lots of hands-on work creating, iterating, & tuning levels & encounters. You are comfortable operating in an ambiguous environment where goals & constraints are mostly team driven & where change, big & small, is a critical part of the process. You will report to the Level Design Director on the team.

Responsibilities:

• Design or help design MMO levels & open world or interior environments
• Responsible for rapid implementation & iterations on levels & world environments
• Work collaboratively with the Design team & project leads to create a great holistic experience
• Create high level principles & best practices for future level design work
• Help guide the project from prototype to pre-production & ultimately even launch & ongoing live support
• Design, implement, & improve mechanics & systems that satisfy players & increase confidence in the game concept. 
• Lead small cross disciplinary teams (2-4 people) to build environments that facilitate core gameplay & goals
• Create & provide multiple potential designs & solutions. Articulate trade-offs & risks between different options. 
• Playtest the game & help push for continued improvements for existing designs & fresh prototypes.

Required Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in professional Level Design
• Demonstrated industry leading work in Level Design 
• Experience with using environments to shape the player experience, enhance combat systems, create intuitive navigation, & social connections between players
• Has demonstrated proficiency at level building in an established game engine
• Has experience developing template/model content (that serves as the basis for more junior staff to build upon)
• Shipped or worked on at least one AAA+ game
• Deep level of understanding, passion, & engagement with online multiplayer PvE & PVP games (ARPG, MMOs, etc)

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working on a live product 
• Experience with level design for open world games or MMOs
• Experience designing AI/combat NPCs, content design, or player combat design
• Is familiar with the LoL IP
• Significant proficiency (3+ years experience) with Unreal
• Extensive experience playing & ideally developing MMORPGs
• Is interested in managing other designers

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise & a collaborative spirit that prioritizes the delight of players. We will look at your past studies & experience, but for this role, we also look for dedicated people with a personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy & 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 & other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, & life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, & children, & 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 & experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether youre working directly on a new player-facing experience or youre supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, were 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, were looking forward to your application.

Its our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants & members of Riot Games Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped & disabled Rioters & 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 & state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state & 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, & 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:

• Safeguarding confidential & sensitive Company data
• Communication with others, including Rioters & third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
• Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, & networks
• Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players & other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, & compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs & additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency & security.