Principal Researcher, Riot Games
Central Strategic Insights
$175.6-244.7k
Player-focused game development platform
Job no longer available
Player-focused game development platform
1001+ employees
Job no longer available
$175.6-244.7k
1001+ employees
Company mission
To be the most player-focused game company in the world.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Anthropology, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related discipline plus 5 years of relevant research experience (an advanced degree can account for 1 to 2 years of experience depending on Master’s or PhD)
- Broad experience in a quantitative and qualitative research methods including conducting interviews and performing survey research with deep expertise in at least one of these areas
- Experience conducting research to answer product or portfolio strategy questions
- Experience synthesizing & socializing research results and distilling results into impactful recommendations for product leadership
- Trusted to operate independently regardless of structure, owns larger problems/projects/workstreams
Desirable
- 2+ years doing research specifically in the games industry
- 2+ years of experience working directly with senior executives (includes clients)
- Familiarity with basic statistical methods for data analysis (regressions, correlations, factor analyses)
- Experience working with game teams, including designers, engineers, artists
- Vendor management experience
- Experience leading complex efforts with multiple collaborators
What the job involves
- Work as part of a central team to studying the global gaming audience and the audiences of Riot games across the portfolio to inform portfolio and product strategy across all of our games
- Construct, organize, and execute studies and surveys across a variety of methods designed to answer business and product strategy questions
- Partner with analysts, researchers, and designers to generate insights and frameworks that’ll inform the strategic direction of various games
- Be an effective advocate for players and provide strategic guidance about their wants, needs, and behaviors
- Provide strategic insights to test teams’ assumptions and inform their actions
- Share your results with other Rioters in clear, illustrative presentations
- Mentor other researchers, helping them learn from your own experiences
Our take
Riot Games has grown into one of the world’s most prominent online and mobile game developers, due in large part to the success of its 2009 flagship title League of Legends which hosts just under seventy million users every month.
Riot is riding the wave of online gaming growth, having made a well timed switch from PC-only into mobile-based gaming, as capitalising on the rising popularity of esports, with the League of Legends World Championships one of the most watched events in the space.
However, adding further titles to its resume will be key to building on its success, as League of Legends was its only offering for the best part of a decade. Since being acquired by Chinese tech giant Tencent in 2011, the company has grown significantly in Asian markets, opening its Shanghai Game Studio in 2021 and expanding its China Game Studio Group in 2022. These two hubs will help Riot Games make further inroads in a country where PC gaming is already huge and continues to grow.
Regardless of League of Legends' success both online and in live arenas, the company nevertheless experienced a round of layoffs internationally that amounted to 11% of its workforce. Pair that with legal troubles in 2024 concerning the company’s partnership with now bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, and Riot Games appears to be in a period of transition. Thanks to the strength of its gaming products, however, Riot will no doubt maintain a comfortable position within the gaming world.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
24% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (2 rounds)
Sep 2009
$8m
SERIES C
Jul 2008
$7m
EARLY VC
Total funding: $15m
Company benefits
- We offer medical, dental, and vision plans that cover you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children
- Life insurance, parental leave, plus short-term and long-term disability coverage are also available
- Riot will support your retirement benefits with a company match, and double down on your donations of time and money to non-profit charitable organizations
- Balance between work and personal life is encouraged with open paid time off, and a play fund so you can broaden and deepen your personal relationship with games
Company HQ
Sawtelle, Los Angeles, CA
Leadership
Brandon Beck
(Co-Chairman)Having studied at the University of Southern California, they worked as a Management Consultant at Bain & Company. they left this role in September 2006 to co-found Riot Games, where they served initially as co-CEO.
Marc Merrill
(Co-Chairman)After a degree at the University of Southern California, they worked as a U.S. Bank Analyst and a Manager of Advanstar Communications. They co-founded Riot Games with Brandon in September 2006, alongside being a Principal of NaHCo3 since 2016.
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