Jobs / United States / Riot Games INC
Manager, Software Engineering - VALORANT, Gameplay Cosmetics
Riot Games INC · 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, USA; Mercer Island, USA
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 64 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 33 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Riot Games INC paid sponsored hires in similar roles1 certified filing for “Manager, Security Engineering” (Information Security Analysts) in CA: $173k–$173k, median $173k. Most were filed at wage level IV (100%) — 4 lottery entries, ≈61% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
A verdict summarises public evidence; it is not legal advice and never a guarantee — the employer and the immigration authority decide. Sign in to factor in where you can already work.
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Sponsor Radar — Riot Games INC
The US Department of Labor certified 64 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 33 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Riot Games INC →
About the role
Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the chance to work in many broader domains. As an Engineering Manager, you’ll predominantly offer creative solutions to organizational design. You’ll also serve as a mentor for a team of engineers, overseeing performance management, growth opportunities, and accountability. As an Engineering Manager on the VALORANT team, you'll be working in the code, guiding engineers to grow in their careers, and helping the team to meet its product and technical goals. Additionally, you'll own the technical direction for how VALORANT premium content is created and how it is used by players in the live game. Part of the role is to collaborate deeply with all the art disciplines that help create our content, as well as Design and Product Management to help create content that players will love. VALORANT is Riot’s take on a character-based tactical shooter ( for more info on VALORANT click here ! ). Responsibilities: • Own the technology for premium content end to end: during creation by artists, when players view the content in the out of game experience, and when players are using the content in game. • Work with Artist and Art teams to help create new kinds of content or improve existing ones to help realize the vision of the game • Create, review, and reframe an engineering vision with the team and key stakeholders including the Technology, Product, and Process Leads. • Collaborate effectively with art, design, and other disciplines within game development. • Identify, recruit, interview, and hire software engineers to help teams scale effectively. • Provide technical expertise throughout the product life cycle including design, implementation, and delivery of features while continuously improving the software engineering quality and efficiency. • Build and manage strong relationships between disciplines • Lead, grow, and coach team members to build talent over the long term • Demonstrate a high bar of craft excellence for your team • Cultivate your team's culture of collaboration, creativity and passion for game making Required Qualifications: • Experience working with visual effects, 3D, or other artists either in games or in another industry • 5+ years of experience as a Software Engineer • 2+ years experience directly leading an engineering team either as an Engineering Manager or Technical Lead & mentor. • 2+ years experience developing in Unreal, Unity, or another game engine • Experience writing, reading, and reviewing C++ • Experience collaborating across disciplines to create solutions. Desired Qualifications: • Experience working with artists to create cosmetic content in games • Experience working with game designers to create gameplay content • Deep expertise with Unreal Engine • Familiarity working in an agile environment For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players and fans. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about the experiences of players, this could be the role for you! Our Perks: 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 suppor