Research Scientist Intern, Next-Gen Gameplay - Summer 2026 (Remote)
About The Position
Riot Research Scientists combine their wide technical expertise across data processing, automation, machine learning ("ML"), artificial intelligence ("AI"), and experimental design to inform decisions and develop robust research prototypes and inform data powered products. The Technology Research team performs applied research to accelerate the pace of building amazing player experiences at Riot Games. As a Research Scientist Intern on Tech Research, you’ll contribute to a research team whose focus is to leverage generative AI to augment, evolve, and even revolutionize game development pipelines and/or player experiences. To this end, you and your team will track the latest research in relevant areas, work closely with teams to prioritize the most promising research, build prototypes to highlight the value of new capabilities, and in certain cases partner with game teams to create robust and efficient production versions of your prototypes. For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will certainly be looking at your past studies and experience, but for this role, we also look for dedicated people with a personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about the experiences of players, this could be the role for you!
Requirements
- Enrolled in a Ph.D., M.S. or undergraduate program in statistics, engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, or a related quantitative field (math, physics, etc.)
- Graduating during the 2027 calendar year
- Available to work full-time hours for the 12 week internship duration
- Eligible to work in the country that you reside in during this remote program
- Experience in deep learning, including frameworks such as Tensorflow or PyTorch
- Experience processing data and build machine learning models using Python
- Experience in machine learning techniques
- Experience in statistical modeling and optimization
Nice To Haves
- Understanding of distributed systems and concurrent programming
- Familiarity with cloud computing basics on AWS (EC2, S3)
- Experience working with Linux operating systems
- Experience in C++ and game development (Unreal, Unity, Godot)
- Experience with version control systems. (We use Git)
- Experience in large language models, diffusion models, neural radiance fields, or Gaussian splats
- Experience building and optimizing language model-powered agents (context engineering, ReAct, etc.)
Responsibilities
- Partner with game teams and creators to shape the future of gameplay through next-generation technologies
- Collaborate with designers and engineers to prototype novel gameplay systems that blend player expression, AI behavior, and dynamic world interaction
- Investigate how large language models and simulation technologies can enable emergent, player-driven gameplay experiences
Benefits
- Riot Internships are paid, and interns can also participate in our 401(k) plan.
- You can expect in-game perks, and the ability to participate in our Play Fund, so you can broaden and deepen your knowledge of our players and community through games.
- The University Programs team also invites you to intern focused events so you can connect with your fellow interns and Rioters to make the most out of your experience.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
Number of Employees
1,001-5,000 employees
