Yoann: Hey, hello everyone! Today I’m with Luna, Riot Games employee!
How did you get into the world of gaming and esports?
Luna: Hey! It all started back in 2016 on CSGO, we were organizing small private tournaments for our friend group. Then I played League Of Legends in 2018, and more recently, Valorant, where I joined Riot in 2022!
Yoann: That’s cool! What’s your role, working at Riot Games?
Luna: I’m in charge of server management, fixing problems, updating them… I’m also working on the punishments, making sure everything is correct when Vanguard detects cheaters or penalties given manually.
Yoann: Nice! What degree or studies did you need to join Riot?
Luna: It’s different in my case because I’ve been invited by Riot to join the staff. I graduated high school, and I’m studying computer science. I also had some previous experience back in 2018 with Riot, as an old member of their LoL Staff Team.
Yoann: Okay, that’s interesting. How would you define the work atmosphere at Riot?
Luna: It’s pretty good, I’m getting along with everyone!
Yoann: What kind of relationship do you have with the other Riot offices, in other countries? Do you work on the same projects together, or are you doing different tasks?
Luna: It really depends on the tasks, but working hand-in-hand with other offices helps us keep the game consistent all around the world. It’s really important.
Yoann: For sure! Riot is one of the biggest gaming and esports companies in the world, what’s your secret?
Luna: The fact that they reinvented the 5v5 FPS game mode, and added specific mechanics. But you also have a very good social media team, the patch notes are well-written, and the fact that developers can explain the thought process behind certain decisions is very good too.
You also have extras such as music, and numerous esports events. Arcane is also a great example!
Yoann: Yeah! Arcane was amazing!
Let’s now move on to the quick questions part, are you ready?
Luna: Yeah!
Yoann: Phantom or Vandal?
Luna: Phantom!
Yoann: What’s your favorite map?
Luna: Ascent!
Yoann: What’s your favorite agent?
Luna: Sova!
Yoann: What’s your favorite skin bundle?
Luna: The Reaver collection!
Yoann: Can you name the seven teams that won an international event?
Luna: Oh, I won’t be able to give you the seven, but I can name Fnatic and Loud!
Yoann: Good enough! What are your favorite teams right now?
Luna: Team Liquid and Fnatic.
Yoann: Define your Night Market in one word.
Luna: Good enough haha!
Yoann: Nice haha!
What’s your best memory of working at Riot Games?
Luna: Whether that’s with the Valorant or the League of Legends staff, everyone is super nice, always ready to help you if you need it, you are never all alone. I joined a family, that made me feel at home.
Yoann: That’s awesome!
Can you quote a voice line from Sova, your favorite agent?
Luna: “On Target”!
Yoann: Nice! Let’s now get back to the standard questions!
What games do you play in your free time, and do you play with colleagues?
Luna: Valorant of course! But I also play CSGO or OSU to kill some time.
And yes, we sometimes play together. We don’t have to talk about work all the time!
Yoann: That’s nice! What are your hobbies or passions aside from gaming?
Luna: I play the piano and the guitar, but I also love biking!
Yoann: What would you change to the game if you were in charge of the game’s development?
Luna: Try to target more issues players are having, and complaining about.
The agent selection menu, for example, having every player select their agent one by one could be a good idea, just like on Apex. I don’t think it would solve every problem, but it would be nice to try it out.
I would also like to see the game’s lore influence the actual gameplay more. If an agent has a problem or is in danger in the lore, to see some repercussions on the game itself, it would be a nice way to implement agent rotations for example.
Yoann: That would be interesting for sure!
What do you think of the current meta, and about Deadlock?
Luna: I think Deadlock is a pretty strong agent, her design is out of the ordinary. You really need to master her to get good value out of her kit.
Outside of that, I think the meta is pretty good. There have been some complaints about the Stinger meta, but it has been well handled and changed.
Yoann: What are your short and long–term ambitions working for Riot?
Luna: Short-term, to keep on doing what I’m doing right now, and keep on contributing to the success of the game.
For the long term, I would love to be more implicated in the tournaments, or events organization. That would be cool!
Yoann: Great! What advice would you give to someone willing to pursue gaming or esports as a career?
Luna: Always try to take criticism the right way, don’t be upset about it. Also, don’t limit yourself, believe in your goals and your dreams. Always do the best you can!
Yoann: Awesome! Would you like to add anything else?
Luna: We see a ton of players asking for Riot gun buddies, you should know that some Riot employees don’t have any. We also often see toxicity in the support regarding game updates, or controversial changes. The people working on that have nothing to do with it, it’s not the same team.
Yoann: Yeah, I understand that can be annoying, with the number of people asking for gun buddies on socials or even in-game!
Luna: Yeah!
Yoann: Thank you so much for your time, and I wish you the best in the future!
Luna: Thank you!
