Last year I made it through to an on-site interview at Riot Games. Ultimately the results and feedback fit my feelings on how it went: mixed. Some portions went really well and a couple just weren't quite there. Particularly for my some aspects of my skills and experience. My current role isnt developing those skills or really giving me a chance to grow beyond salesmanship: presentations and documentation (and I feel like I'm only doing it to jump through hoops rather than getting true buy-in). I worry that I've missed a good chance to get into the company and that my design skills are stagnating despite being high-high in 9 boxing. Riot has been my number one for a long time, but is there anywhere else I should consider that has a similar culture but might push my growth more and have more opportunities? Or is there a good way to push myself to hone my skills outside work? #gamedesign
Get some experience at another company and set your sights on riot.
Go niantic. I knows few rioters, ninatic is similar. Blizzard depends on team. Roblox.
All my Riot to Niantic friends hate it. I hear it's not similar at all. From my experience, my time at Blizzard as the most similar to my time at Riot. It pretty different everywhere else.
Obviously I'm missing a lot of context, but your outlook is healthy. Find your own challenges - either in the form of online forums where you can engage with fellow craft peers, take an online class, extend your network at conferences or just through the internet. You didn't miss your chance, however keep in mind you'll probably have to show some growth before applying again (unless a more relevant role appears).
The hardest part is bracing for the time commitment of the interview process again. It was almost 5 months from start to finish, and required PTO multiple times. I'm trying to develop some personal projects, but I can't post them (even for free). So I'm not sure how I can surface the growth at the applicant level.
That is really brutal for that timeline. It's longer than what we benchmark for internally in terms of interview process. The constraint on personal projects is also really brutal. Being unable to grow and share your craft is super restrictive. I would ask other game design professionals on here how they get around fences like that (since I'm not really in design).
Sorry for the lack of clarity. It was for a senior game design role. I know that the number of openings for design are few and far between, and finding the right match and timing is a game of patience. The entire experience was great - engaging phone interviews, a fun test, great conversations on-site and the campus completely blew me away. It just further served to highlight what I'm not getting at EA and that trying to change the way EA thinks is like moving boulders with a Tonka truck.
@OP it’s a tad hard to respond when we don’t know the exact feedback, when you’re comparing it your salesmanship work at EA. If your can share that, then I/we could provide more specific advice as to the growth scenarios. It’s amazing that Riot provided you with feedback in the first place. I’ve interviewed at TONS of gaming companies and many others, and only 2 have ever provided me with feedback.
Honestly, Riot, really? You can find better studios.
Everyone has different priorities and values. Riot's values (stated and observed) align with mine - something the Rioters clearly reinforced during the interview. No place is perfect, but I feel Riot's intent and desire to improve and self-examine is better than any other studio I've encountered. That said: I'm curious who you think is better right now. I also applied to Bungie, but got a generic "not now" response. A lot of the other studios I like are incredibly small and volatile / don't need designers because founders handle that role. I'm always open to learning more and hearing recommendations. Just please keep it constructive and open-minded about my priorities relative to your own.
Just don't let their rejection define you. You can find better.
Great I failed before on-site last year by bq round
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Failure is good feedback. It’s very easy to give up here, but keep looking to hone your skills.