Pros
Riot was special, but it no longer is, which is incredibly sad but I will look back with fondness, appreciation and gratitude for being able to call myself a Rioter, collaborate with very talented people, while being part of a team that delivered such joy to millions across the world. I was lucky enough to have some great, supportive leaders and thanks to their support, I was well compensated, provided with challenges that enabled me to grow while also being lucky enough to do well in the Tencent purchase, though this also marked the beginning of the end for Riot with a new CEO and increased Tencent oversight. Marc and Brandon were truly inspirational founders, who gave generously back to their staff, more than was needed. The founders have not been around in recent years, though Marc is back, which is great for Riot. Riot does look after its people in many ways - the benefits (medical, life insurance, 401k match, comp is decent and bonuses can be good) and there’s a nice campus. I guess superficially also with great lunches/coffee and the kitchen pantries that many Rioters like to raid for their late-night weekend gaming snacks. There are managers who genuinely care and also provide great mentorship, but once you get to a senior leadership level, both that mentorship and the Learning Development programs for middle management (and up) are severely lacking. The games are great, well maybe not all - it’s worth calling out the creation and execution of TFT as being incredible (the protection that team got to work in a bubble was impressive, huge credit to LoL leadership and all involved).
Kontras
The current vision and future plans are uninspiring and weak, but when you put Publishing in charge of the company you will become a stolid publisher like many game companies before. In reality, Nicolo’s vision is executed as “all the things, let’s not miss out on China and give Jin more”. There is a lack of accountability throughout, especially in Senior and Executive Leadership, which is evidenced by Publishing becoming so powerful despite being the worst-performing area of the company for years (and they defunded the teams that were supposed to measure their performance), but yet their leader just keeps getting more power. Many in leadership care more about your "approach" versus what you contribute. They ask for your feedback but they don’t really want it, especially if you point out "the emperor has no clothes". At this point, be prepared for feedback about being critical, or advised to get aligned or to stick to your lane. You may then hear a narrative about you being negative or misaligned. If you want to progress to VP and above, be prepared to be political but look, this goes for most companies so that’s just life, but it seems to have become worse since the CEO change. The executive team have empowered the vocal minority (i.e. the Slack warriors, who are bitter about everything and whose job seems to be to ensure every social issue is a focus for Riot), while also rewarding many overly political leaders, who drive mostly failure, dish the kool-aid without any substance and never have to worry about being held accountable. So, with the culture changing, reward for performance “standardized”, and unaccountable leadership who continue to be allowed to get away with anything, the best talent is now leaving (during a pandemic) - many good leaders, upper management layer (who carried the company despite the weak executive layer) and ICs (i.e. the doers). Leadership has a tough job now on their hands to ensure more talent doesn’t leave but it’s mostly of their own making. They will most likely protect themselves and tell their own narrative regarding those who have left were not a cultural fit or were negative, i.e. “don’t worry, we are stronger now”. In closing, if you’re reading this and thinking about joining Riot, it really depends on the area you’re joining and its leadership. There are many amazing and talented people there (LoL, TFT & Valorant would be the highlights, though they’ve also lost a plethora of talent) but it is a cult and be wary of the narrative. There will also probably be an exodus of talent next March when the final big bonus payment drops.