About the role
Los Angeles, USA
Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the chance to work in many broader domains. As a Senior Software Engineer at Riot, you'll combine deep technical expertise with product ownership and player empathy to build experiences that delight millions of players around the world.
As a Senior Software Engineer on the League of Legends Bots team, you’ll build and integrate bot systems, develop the services and tools that power them, and collaborate with global partners to bring new gameplay capabilities into League. You'll report to the team's Engineering Manager and work in a hybrid environment based at our Los Angeles office, with an expectation of being onsite 1–2 days per week.
Responsibilities:
- Design, implement, and maintain gameplay systems using traditional game AI, machine learning tech, and proprietary engine technologies
- Collaborate with game designers, engineers, and product partners to translate player needs into compelling bot experiences
- Improve team workflows by identifying and implementing engineering best practices
- Own complex technical initiatives from design through delivery, contribute to architectural decisions, and elevate engineering quality through mentorship, thoughtful code reviews, and technical collaboration.
- Work closely with global teams, including but not limited to Sydney and China
Required Qualifications:
- 5+ years of professional experience in the game industry
- 3+ years of C++ development experience in a production environment
- Interest in building and operating ML-powered applications, with a willingness to learn model inference, deployment, and integration into game systems.
- Hands-on experience in either Gameplay engineering, or AI/Bots engineering
- Strong communication and collaboration skills across disciplines
- Professional working proficiency in Mandarin for technical collaboration with international partners
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience or interest in building machine learning applications, backend services for games, or data-driven decision making
- Interest in full-stack engineering within the game development space
- Experience with Unreal, Unity, or other commercial game engines
- Has a history, is actively playing, or has a deep desire to play League of Legends
Our Perks:
- Open paid time off policy and flexible work schedules
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
- Short and long-term disability
- Parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children
- 401(k) with company match
Compensation:
- Base salary range: $161,500.00 - $227,000.00 USD (Los Angeles Only)
- Additional compensation: Incentive compensation + equity