How good are Riot Games employees at LoL and TFT?
With incredibly complex games being built by the studio, it’s easy to wonder how good Riot Games employees are at League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics?
Recently, Teamfight Tactics lead developer Stephen “Mortdog” Mortimer hit the highest possible rank of Challenger. In a
developer blog post, he spoke about the expectation for developers to be able to play their games at the
top level. Does it matter how good Riot Games employees are at League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics?
How good are Riot Games employees at LoL and TFT?
Obviously, not every single person who works at Riot Games should be expected to perform at the very highest levels of either their MOBA or auto battler titles. There’s little use in public relations, human resources, or other disciplines to high DPS or knowing the intricacies of wave management. However, the developers who design and balance the game are often accosted with the accusation that their judgments are misguided due to a lack of game understanding or skill.
In Mortdog’s post on his climb to the highest rank in Teamfight Tactics, he outlines a few core issues with expecting designers to reach high ranks. Already spending 40 or more hours a week working on a game is a colossal commitment, and every developer shouldn’t be expected to grind competitive play in their off-hours. This sort of demand would lead to inevitable burnout, which is the last thing players should want from the designers of a game. The question of how good Riot Games employees are at LoL and TFT also misses out on much-needed audience understanding.
Mortdog details the grueling experience of making Challenger, and how he’ll likely never try to reach it again. Trying to optimize gameplay to compete against the very best can make developers lose sight of the reasons their game is appealing to a wider audience in the first place. Nonetheless, League of Legends’ balance teams are peppered with Masters, Grand Masters, and even the occasional Challenger player.
The individual skill will vary widely, but the truth seems to be that it matters less than fans might like to imagine. As long as they can craft an engaging, fair, and fun experience, developers don’t need to dominate ranked play.
Nicholas James
About Nicholas James
Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.
View full profile
Read Also
League of Legends
List of qualified teams at First Stand 2026: Who are the favorites?
Hannan Mundia
With the first split of every competitive League of Legends region concluded, the list of qualified teams for the 2026 First Stand tournament is set. Last year's First Stand saw just five teams compete. The stakes are upped this year, with eight First Stand teams coming together for a chance to win the first international event of the year. Here are the teams that made it and who the outright ...
League of Legends
League of Legends 2026 First Stand preview
Hannan Mundia
First Stand will be the first competitive League of Legends international event of 2026. This preview goes through all of the necessary details, including First Stand's location, prize pool, and schedule, ensuring fans can tune in live to support their favorite teams and players. The 2026 First Stand is the newest of the three international competitions in the circuit. Launched in 2025, this year’s tournament is slated to start on ...
Esports Betting
FEARX vs Dplus 2026 LCK Cup playoffs: Preview, betting tips & predictions
Hannan Mundia
FEARX and Dplus KIA will compete in the 2026 LCK Cup lower bracket final to determine which team will face Gen.G in the grand final, and this betting preview highlights all of the important details about this upcoming match. While FEARX and Dplus KIA both went into this split as the underdogs, the two teams have surprised many with their performances since. Reaching the top three in a competitive region ...
Esports Betting
LYON vs Team Liquid 2026 LCS Lock-In predictions, key stats, odds & more
Hannan Mundia
LYON and Team Liquid are slated to face off in the 2026 LCS Lock-In playoffs, and this betting preview highlights the stats and form behind both teams to help you make more accurate predictions and picks. Despite the subpar performance of both teams in the Swiss stage, Team Liquid and LYON have seemingly bounced back in the playoffs. Both teams comfortably won their lower bracket quarterfinals matches without giving a ...
Esports Betting
GIANTX vs Karmine Corp 2026 LEC Versus: Preview, predictions
Hannan Mundia
GIANTX may have lost against Karmine Corp once already in the 2026 LEC Versus playoffs, but the team has another shot now at victory in the lower bracket semifinals, and this betting preview aims to help you predict exactly how things will go. After Karmine Corp comfortably beat GX in the upper bracket quarterfinals, both teams will meet on the big stage one more time. With a spot in the ...
Esports Betting
G2 Esports vs MKOI 2026 LEC Versus playoffs: Preview, picks
Hannan Mundia
After two impressive playoff wins, G2 Esports and MKOI are slated to face off in the 2026 LEC Versus playoffs upper bracket final, and this betting preview highlights all of the necessary stats and information bettors need to make the best picks for the match. After both teams barely qualified for the playoffs, G2 Esports and MKOI have comfortably won their matches in making their way to the upper bracket ...
Kick
Transitioning from League of Legends to Kick, Rybsonlol dominates
M Alzamora
Artur "Rybsonlol" Gebicz originally made his name as a League of Legends esports pro, but he's since taken that success and built for himself a strong streaming presence on Kick. Esports and competitive gameplay in general, is a major streaming category across all modern streaming platforms. From the top esports organizations battling it out at tournaments, to their players and personalities creating original content for fans, to streamer groups like ...
