About the role
Role Overview
As a Principal Concept Artist for League of Legends at Riot Games, you will bring champions, and gameplay moments to life through compelling, stylized visuals. Your work will help define iconic experiences for players around the world. You will navigate constrained game design spaces and find elegant, thoughtful ways to express fantasy. Reporting to the Concept Art Lead, you will help shape the future of League’s art style, set standards through your work, and uplift your teammates through feedback and mentorship. This role is for someone who thrives on creative problem-solving, deeply understands the League IP, and believes that player delight starts with strong visual storytelling.
Responsibilities
- Partner with creative leadership to explore new cosmetic thematics that elevate League’s champions, environments and express powerful fantasy
- Concept compelling characters, environments, props, and skin lines that support gameplay clarity, aesthetic appeal, and originality
- Translate design intent and gameplay constraints into visually satisfying concepts that align with League’s art and game design direction
- Develop moodboards, style guides, and pitch materials grounded in research, taste, and trend awareness. Create production-ready concept art and orthographics for 3D artists, VFX, and animation teams
- Actively participate in craft reviews and offer/receive feedback with clarity and intent
- Mentor and support other artists by modeling quality, consistency, and collaboration
- Work closely with cross-disciplinary partners to ensure visual solutions serve both gameplay and fantasy
Required Qualifications
- 10+ years of professional experience in concept art for games or animation
- A strong portfolio highlighting early ideation, a range of visual styles, and case studies that showcase your process and creative decision-making, with concept work across characters, props, and environments, balancing visual storytelling with gameplay clarity
- Expert-level proficiency in Photoshop or equivalent software
- Strong grasp of stylized art fundamentals: anatomy, form, lighting, color, and value
- Ability to draw inspiration from diverse sources including fantasy, pop culture, historical references, and global trends
- Strong communicator who thrives in collaborative, interdisciplinary environments
Desired Qualifications
- Shipped content for at least AAA title
- Familiarity with League of Legends, its champions, cosmetics, and player expectations
- Experience designing for isometric camera gameplay
- Ability to deliver broad-appeal visuals while pushing boundaries in creative expression
- Learning mindset and openness to evolving tools and workflows
Compensation and Benefits
- Base salary range: $166,600.00 - $232,800.00 USD
- Additional benefits:
- Incentive compensation
- Equity
- 401k with company match
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
- Short and long-term disability
- Open paid time off policy
- Flexible work schedules
- Parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children
Company Values and Environment
Riot focuses on work/life balance and strives to put players first. The mission drives every decision to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Riot emphasizes collaborative teams where individuals are empowered to bring their unique perspective every day.
Legal and Fair Chance Policy
Riot Games provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants 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.
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. Job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.