Major Video Game Developer Announces Mercer Island Office, Creation of 400+ Local Jobs

December 9, 2021 – Riot Games, a notable developer of video game franchises, announced the opening of a new office in Mercer Island’s Town Center, bringing 400+ professional jobs to the Island. The company purchased the Mercer Park Workplace office building on 77th Ave SE with plans to transform the 156,000 square foot building into a world-class facility supporting their engineering, research and development, and live services teams.

Riot’s Mercer Island office will join the company’s 20+ locations around the world, including US facilities in St. Louis, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the company’s headquarters in Los Angeles. Riot Games is best known for producing popular titles League of Legends and VALORANT.

“We’re excited to plant roots with a permanent home on Mercer Island in the greater Seattle area,” Scott Gelb, President of Games at Riot Games, said. “The region has a wealth of passionate and talented game developers and we look forward to finding new folks from the area to join our teams. The studio is centrally located, has access to convenient transportation, and is surrounded by great shops and restaurants. We look forward to being a part of the thriving community and meeting our new neighbors soon.”

Riot’s announcement is a welcome addition for the Island’s economic resiliency and growth, Mercer Island City Manager Jessi Bon, said. The creation of 400 professional jobs in a high-paying industry helps diversify the area’s professional talent, encourage other entrepreneurial ventures, and increase patronage of the Island’s local businesses.

“Mercer Island is welcoming a unique and celebrated company to the community,” Bon said. “We’re excited to see Riot Games invest themselves here and we look forward to having 400 new workers collaborating, dining, exploring and calling the Island home.”
While Riot is currently working remotely, it plans to maintain a balance of virtual and in-person work across its offices, including the new Mercer Island facility. Employees will have three "core" days in the office, with the other two days as "flex" days where employees can come into the office or work from home at their discretion.

This addition of daily workers will be easily absorbed in Town Center, as the Mercer Park Workplace building has sat mostly vacant since the former tenant, Farmers New World Insurance, relocated to Bellevue. 

"The infusion of 400 new jobs will replace those lost when Farmers left," said Sarah Bluvas, the City's Economic Development Coordinator. "New jobs create not only the potential for new patrons of the more than 150 restaurants, retailers, and service providers located in the Town Center but also possible demand for new services."

To learn more about Riot Games, visit the company’s website.