Jobs / United States / Riot Games INC
Staff Software Engineer - Esports Platforms
Riot Games INC · 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, 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 roles21 certified filings for “Software Engineer II” (Software Developers) in CA: $158k–$185k, median $185k. Most were filed at wage level IV (58%) — 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 opportunity to work in a variety of broader domains. We work with both new and current technology, creating innovative solutions to overcome high-volume obstacles and to deliver player value. Riot Games Esports is setting the standard for the industry. We're looking for passionate individuals with a desire to build products that serve as a gateway to sports fandom. As a Staff Software Engineer in the Esports Platforms team, you will work with a team of producers, designers, and engineers to prototype, build, and own products to foster the Esports ecosystem. The web application this role owns, develops, and maintains sits at the heart of Riot Esports. You’ll shape the experience of professional and amateur competitive players, from tournament creation to the most exciting moments, such as getting into a match. Responsibilities: • Drive the development of Esports applications primarily using web technologies, while integrating with Esports and Game Services, providing technical guidance and hands-on code contributions • Provide technical leadership within the team and adjacent teams to deliver high-quality, scalable, and reliable engineering solutions • Contribute to technical planning and architecture decisions, balancing long-term sustainability with near-term delivery needs • Partner closely with cross-functional partners (product, production, QA, design, data) to deliver great Esports experiences • Mentor other engineers on technical and interpersonal skills • Write clear documentation and communicate technical details across disciplines • Participate in the on-call rotation, triage & resolve live incidents and propose solutions through RCAs Required Qualifications: • 6+ years of industry experience in software engineering, with demonstrated technical leadership on complex projects • Bachelor's, Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or comparable experience in software development. • Strong proficiency with web technologies, with working experience in Typescript, React & NextJS • Have been responsible for driving the design and leading of development of large-sized efforts (6-month+ scope), including requirements gathering, planning, development, testing, and release • Solid communication and collaboration skills, with experience working across disciplines and teams • Demonstrated examples of setting engineering policy and standards across teams or initiative Desired Qualifications: • Experience with PaaS Vendors like Netlify or Vercel • Experience with GraphQL • Experience with test automation frameworks like Playwright or Cypress • Familiarity with Riot’s Esports titles • Familiarity with tournaments and tournament formats For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes your fellow Rioters, who are the customers of your work. Being a dedicated fan of games is not necessary for this position! 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 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 a