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 in the bonus cycle. However, I wasn't really enjoying London or banking (or the commute). I've been at Riot for 6mths 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.