What Do I Need To Become A Champion Designer?

Hairzo·7/21/2015, 5:37:57 PM·3 votes·3,255 views

I know this isn't a champion concept, but i felt this was the best place for it, as i hope Riots champion designers lurk in these waters. anyways, what do i need to be able to do to get a job in Riot Games as a champion designer. I've come up with many champion ideas which i unfortunately don't want to share with the world, as i would like to keep them for if i join Riot. I am 15 (at least 3 years to go), and the only prior technical knowledge i have is a little bit of Python.

it is my dying passion to be able to work for Riot Games, and would do anything for a chance to become part of their ever growing family

thank you for your time -Hair

12 Comments

Grand Medic7/21/2015, 6:30:55 PM7 votes

Must push three human sacrifices into a volcano and call out the name of the demon god himself, "CertainlyT". Once he has seen your complex Kits, stacked with passives, shields, and CC he will allow you to become one of them. Joining their ranks as the most hated people among Riot.

Deotay7/21/2015, 9:01:54 PM3 votes

You'll want to look into a career around "Game Design". Before anything though, I'll have to warn you that it's not an easy life. Game Design is full of ups and downs and grueling work hours for not a whole lot of pay. It's not for everybody. However, if you think it's worth it and still wish to take the plunge there are a couple ways into the industry.

Riot is pretty well known by now, which means they won't just be taking anybody. Before you work for Riot or anybody like Riot, you'll need to build up an impressive resumé. Remember, no one is going to take an "idea guy" so you have to provide more than that. You'll have to build up skills that show you can be an asset to a development team, like coding or art. I suggest you figure out which you're most comfortable with and start working on it. If possible, you could be strong at both which would make you much more valuable. Alternatively you can try downloading a basic game making program (e.g. GameMaker) and try to make a few small games yourself and prove how strong your design skills are.

Either way, the more you can "prove" your worth as a developer the more likely people will take you. The sooner you start creating a portfolio of your work, the better. 15 years old is still pretty young. If you start working hard now, you'll be pretty ahead of the curve.

Unfortunately, it could still be many years before you're ready to help design or develop games. It'll take even longer to get into a specific company you want and then it'll be even longer before they let you touch one of their main attractions (e.g. Champions).

tl;dr What you're asking requires years of unwavering dedication. Start working hard now if you really want it. Be conscious that things may not go the way you want even if you pour in years of work.

RiotRiot Lutzburg7/21/2015, 10:08:34 PM3 votes

Deotay makes a ton of great points and pretty much hits every nail on the head. I definitely agree that you should check out Extra Credits. You can and should spend days going through their backlog of Game Design videos.

The "Game Maker's Toolkit" videos are also very well made and offer a lot of insight about particular facets of the industry.

SulkingKING7/21/2015, 8:28:20 PM1 votes

Here's where you can go to try and become a Rioter, one of those who work on the League of Legends. Riot Career Page

Best of luck to the aspiring artist.

Warlord Rhinark10/2/2018, 1:48:47 PM1 votes

Just find some way to work in the word "true" in a champion's kit, and you're hired.