Staff Software Engineer, Progression - VALORANT

Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the opportunity to work in a variety of broader domains. As a Software Engineer, you’ll also dive into projects that focus on team cohesiveness and cross-team objectives. You’ll lead without authority and provide other engineers with a clear illustration of extraordinary engineering.

VALORANT is Riot’s take on a character-based tactical shooter (for more info on VALORANT click here!). As a Staff Software Engineer on the VALORANT team you will be responsible for building metagame client features and scalable backend services for progression systems throughout VALORANT. You'll influence the technical direction for how VALORANT services are built, scale and are operated in production, and collaborate with design to build smooth and intuitive player-facing in-game experiences. All the systems you design and build will be “Player Focused”, meaning striving for the goal of motivating players to choose to engage with them, rather than feeling pressured to.

You will report to the Engineering Manager of the Progression team.

• Create and/or contribute to best practices, development processes and coding standards; demonstrate a high bar of craft excellence for your team
• Design, build and deliver full-stack, in-game features enabling players to have a world-class experience
• Design, build, and deliver large scale backend services to support millions of players
• Collaborate closely with Production, Game Design and UI/UX disciplines
• Mentor and grow other engineers on the team

• 6+ years of experience as a software engineer
• BS degree or equivalent experience
• Experience with C++, C#, Java, Golang, or similar language(s)

• Professional experience working with cloud computing and cloud technologies
• Professional experience building large scale backend systems or game services
• Professional experience building player- or user-facing frontend experiences (e.g. web, mobile, game)
• Professional experience working with the Go programming language
• Professional or academic experience working with C++
• Professional or hobby experience working with the Unreal Engine

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 players' experiences, this could be your role!

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:

• 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 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.