Principal Visual Design Artist - Riftbound

Riot Games was established in 2006 by entrepreneurial gamers who believe that player-focused game development can result in great games. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to critical and player acclaim. As the most played video game in the world, over 100 million play every month. Players form the foundation of our community and it’s for them that we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience.

We’re looking for humble but ambitious, razor-sharp professionals who can teach us a thing or two. We promise to return the favor. Like us, you take play seriously; you’re passionate about games. We embrace those who see things differently, aren’t afraid to experiment, and who have a healthy disregard for constraints.

That's where you come in.

Riftbound, the League of Legends trading card game, is looking for a world-class visual design lead who has a deep background and emphasis in the print industry to ensure the look and tactile feel of our cards is something that continuously surprises and delights our players.

Reporting to the Game Art Director, you will earn the trust of players and collectors for Riftbound by leveraging your years of experience with high end print craft techniques and ensuring our visual experience embodies the craft, polish, and imagination players expect from Riot. We need a hands-on visual craftsperson who can bring consistency, clarity, and aspiration to every touchpoint allowing Riftbound to stand out in a crowded TCG market.

In this role, you’ll partner closely with the Game and Publishing Creative Art Directors as well as cross-disciplinary teams to translate ideas into visual reality, helping to guide the look and feel of our cards, packaging, marketing, and brand systems. You’ll set the standard for quality and cohesion, elevating both the product at the point of sale and the player experience from set ideation all the way until cards end up in players decks and binders.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with the Creative Leadership across Game and Publishing to ensure Riftbound's Creative Direction is world class in the TCG genre
• Visual Design
• Ideate and execute world class game and card UI visual design systems, including scalable icons, and typography standards that accommodate Global localization while honoring player experience.
• Oversee the Print Production Process for Cards, Packaging, and Accessories
• Apply deep knowledge of printing processes and materials to ensure final product quality meets visual standards
• Communicate with factories, at times in person for Print Checks, to align on specifications, push for optimal production methods, and resolve quality issues
• Evaluate and improve production workflows to ensure efficiency, consistency, and scalability
• Establish and monitor color and print tolerances across global print partners, including color targets, proofing standards, and press approval procedures.
• Identify and collaborate on print innovations, including finishes, materials, and production techniques, that enhance collectibility, and narrative themes while remaining scalable across global manufacturing partners.
• Design Ops:
• Partner with Creative Leadership to ensure our visual design content pipeline can support our product output demands

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years experience in the TCG and/or print industries
• Worked on shipped titles or sustained titles (‘evergreen’ projects, like LoL, MtG, Pokemon) with demonstrable experience in shipping physical product
• Strong practical CAD experience with an understanding of physical engineering and comfort working with die lines, die whites and printing specs
• A strong understanding of the print process for physical products and quality standards
• A keen visual eye with strong knowledge of design principals including an expert knowledge of typography, visual hierarchy, clarity and user experience
• Experience working with external vendors, printers and contract artists, giving thorough direction, and delivering timely, clear feedback
• Proficiency in video game development tools, pipelines, and workflows
• Familiar with manager work systems (performance calibration methods and software)
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese 

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in the video games industry as a visual designer.
• Experience and familiarity with League of Legends and the world of Runeterra

Don’t forget to include a resume and cover letter. We receive a lot of applications, but we’ll notice a fun, well-written intro that shows us you take play seriously.