Riot Games Internship Study Guide Technical Assessment Tips & Advice

It’s that time again! Applications for Riot’s 2025 US Summer Internship Program will soon be accepted. We’ll post our internship positions in early September, sometimes in batches, but most often we’ll start working on software development for the upcoming summer program.

For information on our current roles, suitability and timelines, please visit our internship page. You can also visit our Life@Riot and Riot Games’ social media channels to know when new roles go live.

This study guide focuses specifically on the technical assessments often associated with software engineering roles, so if you’re looking for more resources to help you with your application, check out our first three study guides:

Volume 4: Tips and advice on technical assessment

If you’re studying software development and want to break into the industry, a technical assessment or programming test is almost certainly part of the process. This guide is designed to help you get there.

What is a technical assessment?

Technical assessments are designed to assess the technical skills required for a specific role. For software development roles, they are an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate their problem-solving skills, programming knowledge, and understanding of computer science fundamentals during the interview. These tests are often assigned to candidates to complete in their own time, within a set time limit, and by a specific deadline.

Five tips to prepare for Riot’s technical assessment for software engineering interns:

• Programming language: Make sure you are fluent in the language, but still choose the right language for the job. You can use any object-oriented programming language you like, but it’s best to use the language that fits the position you’re applying for. For example, if you want to work on a gameplay team, using Javascript might not be the best choice. Try completing the test in C++ instead.

• Linear questions: Cleanliness is the closest thing to Aurelion’s loneliness – or something like that. Linear questions build on each other, so be prepared to answer while considering the cleanliness and maintainability of your code.

• Practice: HackerRank is your friend. Practice solving coding problems within a time limit. This will help you read problem sets, plan your approach, optimize your code, and manage your time effectively during the actual testing.

• Set up: What does your version of the lofi girls room look like? Minimize distractions and interruptions by setting aside time for the test. Find a quiet place with a stable internet connection.

• Insights and findings: Perfection is overrated – and no technical assessment will be perfect anyway. Review the problems you struggled with and understand your mistakes. There is always more to learn and ways to improve!

Internships in software development at Riot

What do software development interns at Riot work on, anyway? In the past, Riot interns have worked on live games like League, VALORANT, and TFT, as well as contributing to features for unreleased titles like 2XKO—not to mention tools, services, and infrastructure that support many teams at Riot.

Some were even kind enough to share their projects and experiences with future interns. Check out the articles and videos below for an in-depth look at some of the projects Riot interns have previously completed.

Technology interns in 2024 will work on League, VAL and TFT

Technology Interns in 2020 – League, VAL and TFT

2020 Technology Interns – General Gaming Technology and Tools/Infrastructure

Even more technical interns at Riot Games