Pros: Flexible Schedule when working there.

Cons: No cons that I can think of.

Pros: You get to work with some of the smartest and coolest engineers on earth from places like Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, etc. For the scale the software is developed at, it doesn't feel like a high-pressure environment. It's challenging, but rewarding and fulfilling work. The campuses are fun, and the subsidized food and visitor policies are great.

Cons: As a USA-based contractor, it's absolute heartbreak to be there for a year and have to leave because of contractor protection laws. Foreign contractors get to stay for several years. I was incredibly liked by my team and adjacent teams. My manager told me I'd be a valuable asset at the company, and people were trying to recommend me for a full-time role, but I would have had to interview. The company doesn't allow managers to create new roles to convert contractors to full-time. There has to be an approved need for a full-time role from higher powers at the company. Contractors are only allowed to look for internal jobs to apply for to get converted after six months. So, you basically have a ticking six-month clock to get hired full-time, while potentially competing with other full-time employees. Unfortunately, the year I needed an opening to get hired for, there were layoffs and fewer roles were being created, and some roles were being shelved. So I had to leave, and nobody could help me despite many people wanting me to stay at the company long-term. Company seems at an inflection point after layoffs where fewer new positions seem to be created.

Pros: Just a bit of context: I relocated to LA from the UK to take the job at Riot. I guess I took a considerable risk. I already had a very senior and well-paid job in a prestigious global investment bank as a lead architect, and had a family settled in London. I also left halfway through the bonus cycle. However, I wasn't really enjoying London or banking (or the commute). I've been at Riot for six months now. Without exception, I've found Riot and the work environment to be very refreshing and full of opportunities. I enjoy the gaming space, the company ethos inspires me, and I'm really enjoying the work and the company culture. I'm glad I made the move for the company as well as the location. Pros: * The game they make is an absolute phenomenon. I'm working on (and making a difference to) one of the most successful games in history. I'm having the time of my life! How often do you get the chance to work on such a prolific system? * Senior leadership is made up of really good people. They think very clearly about complex issues and are very approachable. * Nearly all the original employees are still present. * The quality and energy of the staff is extremely high. The average tech person here would walk all over the average tech person in investment banking. * The people are genuinely friendly and very geeky. I feel quite at home here. * The company is pointed in (what I consider) a very ethical direction by senior management. * They have been genuinely flexible about work hours, areas of work, and dealing with the complexities of an international move. I have really decent bosses. * Politics is pretty minimal (and it's not really organized as a strict hierarchy per se).

Cons: - They've literally got too much work to do. Getting good hires through the door has been challenging, and I've had to spend more time than I would have liked in interviews. - Being apart from my family (my wife and kids are still in the UK temporarily as my eldest is finishing GCSEs) has been tough. I'm glad I moved to California, though; the weather in the UK was really starting to bring me down. - Riot is in transition from a startup to a more mature organization, with all the commensurate growing pains. Coming from banking, I find this very exciting with lots of opportunities, but YMMV.