This document outlines Riot Games' evolution of their Insights team to become more player-focused and trusted advisors. Initially, the Insights team was disjointed and seen as an outside service. To gain trust, the team unified their culture, embedded members into other teams, and educated stakeholders to ask the right questions. This allowed them to provide strategic, player-informed insights and become true advisors focused on empowering decisions that benefit players. While costly to maintain, embedding helped align the team, create a presence, and establish them as trusted advisors.

1. Brandon Hsiung
Riot Games
Director of Insights
bhsiung@riotgames.com
Riot Games’ Insights Evolution
A Journey to Become More Player-Focused

3. RIOT HEADQUARTERS

4. 1700+ RIOTERS

5. 1,700+ RIOTERS
IN 17 OFFICES
1700+ RIOTERS

6. 7.5MILLION
PEAK CONCURRENT
PLAYERS
STATS RELEASED JANUARY 2014
67MILLION
MONTHLY ACTIVE
PLAYERS
MORE THAN
27MILLION
DAILY ACTIVE
PLAYERS
MORE THAN MORE THAN
LEAGUE PLAYER BASE

7. ESPORTS

8. INSIGHTS @ Riot
We strive to empower Rioters to make
player informed strategic decisions &
data-powered products

9. INSIGHTS @ Riot
ANALYTICS
Allows us to measure,
investigate and analyze
player behaviors
DATA SCIENCE
Gives us the ability to
apply science to
behaviors in-game to
develop models and
products
RESEARCH
Equips us to understand
the wants, needs,
behaviors, attitudes and
relationships of players
TECH
Enables us to ingest,
store, process,
and serve up our
player data

10. We want to be
TRUSTED advisors

11. We were disjointed
We were on the outside
We were acting as a service

12. Disjointed
Engineering
Data Tech
Player Experience
User
Research
User
Experience
Publishing
Market
Research
Business
Intelligence
Predictive
Analytics
Web Analytics
How could we gain their trust if we
weren’t unified?
*Insights related disciplines org chart circa
2012

13. Culture
&
Organization
Disjointed

14. Symbols
Stories
Structures

15. Disjointed

16. Symbols
Stories
Structures
Disjointed
INSIGHTS @ Riot
We strive to empower Rioters to make
player informed strategic decisions &
data-powered products

17. Symbols
Stories
Structures
Disjointed

18. Symbols
Stories
Structures
MONTHLY
INSIGHTS
Oct 12, 2015
February 4th 2015
Insights Offsite 2015
Disjointed
INSIGHTS @ Riot
ANALYTICS
Allows us to measure,
investigate and analyze
player behaviors
DATA SCIENCE
Gives us the ability to
apply science to
behaviors in-game to
develop models and
products
RESEARCH
Equips us to understand
the wants, needs,
behaviors, attitudes and
relationships of players
TECH
Enables us to ingest,
store, process,
and serve up our
player data

19. Symbols
Stories
Structures
UnifiedDisjointed
INSIGHTS OPS
Enables Insights to deliver
extraordinary value
INSIGHTS @ Riot
ANALYTICS DATA SCIENCE RESEARCH TECH

20. We built a foundation of trust
We were on the outside
We were acting as a service

21. Tech
Research
Data Science
Analytics
Insights
TeamTeamTeamTeam
At first, we did really
well…

22. Tech
Research
Data Science
Analytics
Insights
TeamTeamTeamTeam
Outside
Due to increasing demand,
we lacked alignment, so…
TeamTeamTeamTeam TeamTeamTeamTeam
…couldn’t prioritize
…lacked context
…had no influence

23. Tech
Research
Data Science
Analytics
Insights
TeamTeamTeamTeam
Outside
TeamTeamTeamTeam TeamTeamTeamTeam

24. Product
Production
Design
Engineering
Dev Mgmt
Insights
Art
Central Embed
Insights
TeamTeamTeamTeam TeamTeamTeamTeam TeamTeamTeamTeam
InsideOutside

25. For Embeds,
how do we know they’re effective?

26. Ensure you Embed at the
highest scope possible
Prod. Prod.
Initiative
Game
Prod.
Initiative
Prod.
Embed
Here
Revaluate placement every
3-6 months

27. For Central people,
won’t they get left the scraps?

28. Non-embed
Products
Product-
specific needs
Central Embed
Company-wide
needs
• Player segmentation
• Competitive analysis
• Cross-game economy study
• Regional variation study
• R&D
• …and many more

29. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
13 14 15 16
#ofRioters
Year
Embeds
Forecast

30. We built a foundation of trust
We embedded to create alignment
We were acting as a service

31. Can you get me the sentiment
results for Shurima?Q:
Sure, here’s the report with
the lab results and analyticsA:
Service

32. Service
We were present,
but didn’t have a
presence

33. Service
Team
Production
Design
Engineering
Dev Mgmt
Insights
Art
How do we move
beyond a historically
weak “pull” &
non-existent “push”
relationship?Pull
Push

34. Service
Team
Production
Design
Engineering
Dev Mgmt
Insights
Art
Stakeholders weren’t
educated enough to ask the
right questions
Pull
Embedded even more!
Built education programs
• Data 101
• Taste the Insights
Launched Knowledge Platform
• Knowledge@Riot

35. PushPush
Team
Production
Design
Engineering
Dev Mgmt
Insights
Art
We lacked roles to drive
and represent Insights
Pull?
Crafted three roles
• Delivery Lead
• Strategy Lead
• Data Lead
AdvisorService

36. We built a foundation of trust
We embedded to create alignment
We became advisors

38. DISCLAIMER
The journey we took isn’t for everybody
• Costly to maintain identity
• Going native is a risk
• Can’t address as many problems
• Need to constantly evolve

39. Build a foundation of trust
Embed to create alignment
Be a presence, not just present +
Trusted Advisor

40. Trusted Advisor +
Player-Informed Mission
Player-Focused

41. Questions?
Brandon Hsiung
Director of Insights @ Riot Games
BHSIUNG @ RIOTGAMES.COM