I would be the first to admit that I've drunk the kool-aid, but it tastes delicious.
Pros
You know that feeling you get when you first start a new job? The excitement mixed with moments of cringe-worthy awkwardness? It usually lasts a couple of months – sometimes as long as six months – but eventually the new-car smell fades and you get nice and comfy in your new job. That doesn't happen at Riot. I've been here for a whisker short of a year and it never slows down. I would be the first to admit that I've drunk the kool-aid, but it tastes delicious. For me personally, working at Riot is my dream job. I have always been a gamer and to work for a company I admire has been amazing. That said; you should really be sure Riot is the place for you by researching the culture as much as you can. It's laid back but all about high-performance. You'll be asked to live outside of your comfort zone and have no one pushing you to do well, rather you will be given the trust to want to excel. If you wait for someone to tell you to do something around here then you are doing it wrong. The Oceania branch of Riot is also a little different to the rest of the world. We're a smaller team and looking to grow, so while you have access to all the resources of the mother-ship in North America, there are countless situations where you'll be wearing lots of different hats and improvising to get things done. It's very startup-esque here. We are always trying to get things done without the benefit of big sprawling teams. Personally I love that, as it makes us able to be flexible and we can make things happen, but that kind of environment isn't everyone's cup of tea. The perks are also pretty crazy, but if that's the reason you're coming on board then I would do some soul-searching first. The writing on the wall about trying to become the most player-focused company around isn't just a slogan – we live it. The culture here is much like a sporting team, everyone is mates with one another, but it's also about putting the runs on the board. As an example, this is the first place I have ever worked where there are so many high performers in the room that it can be a struggle just to keep up. This should excite you into wanting to level up and be a part of that. I have learnt more working at Riot in less than a year than I did in 3 years at my previous role. This place teaches you so much about yourself and challenges you to improve and to want to grow. The food is good too.
Cons
I think the biggest piece of advice I can say about Riot OCE is that you aren't signing up for a 9-to-5. There are calls for volunteers to run things like eSports programs on weekends and it's frowned upon to not step up. That said; if you have a child you will never miss a school play/sporting event/etc.
