Episode 101 - Building New Player Experiences at Riot Games with Zach Koncir and Ashwin Raghuraman

In this episode, join Dave and Jacquie as they sit down with Zach Koncir, Tech Lead at Riot Games, and Ashwin Raghuraman, Senior Solutions Architect at AWS supporting Riot Games. Dive into the dynamic world of Riot Games, the creative force behind iconic titles like League of Legends (LoL) and Valorant. Discover Riot's innovative approach to reshaping the gaming experience with Riot Direct. This initiative has revolutionized the way Riot collaborates with Internet Service Providers, moving from traditional 'hot-potato routing' to intelligent packet routing. This shift significantly reduces player ping times, a critical factor in competitive esports gaming. We also explore Riot Games' strategic move to the cloud, particularly their adoption of Kubernetes, which marks a transformative step in their game development process. This transition not only streamlines operations but also opens up new horizons for innovation and agility in game creation. In a groundbreaking move, Riot Games has introduced 'Voice Toxicity Tech' to foster healthier, more inclusive gaming communities. This episode delves into how this technology combats negative behavior, ensuring a respectful and enjoyable environment for all players. Join us as we discuss how Riot Games is leveraging cloud technology to redefine game development and create extraordinary player experiences today! Ashwin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashwinraghuraman/ Zach on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zkoncir/ Jacquie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/devopsjacquie Jacquie on LilnkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelyne-grindrod/ Dave on Twitter: twitter.com/thedavedev Dave on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidisbitski Cloud and The Rise Of Esports | WIRED Brand Lab https://www.wired.com/video/watch/cloud-and-the-rise-of-esports Riot Games re:invent sessions (2021/2022) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Opqwna6gY&t=248s - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGK-ojM7ZMc&t=4s - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJIkTH3HMAk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L1K_moG-dY Riot Games Partnership Press release: - https://www.riotgames.com/en/news/improving-the-esports-experience-with-project-stryker-and-aws - https://venturebeat.com/games/riot-games-and-aws-are-teaming-up-to-deliver-fresh-esports-content/ Riot Direct - https://technology.riotgames.com/news/leveling-networking-multi-game-future#:~:text=Riot%20Direct%20is%20basically%20a,for%20critical%20game%2Drunning%20processes. Riot Games Tech Blog - https://technology.riotgames.com/ Project Stryker - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YYEoatPKuc LoL Worlds 22 Opening Ceremony - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzRi2JyRlvw LoL Worlds 23 Opening Ceremony - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH8A79BrTEY AWS Riot Games Page: https://aws.amazon.com/sports/riot/ Riot Games – Valorant - https://playvalorant.com/en-us/ Riot Games – League of Legends - https://www.leagueoflegends.com/ Riot Games – League of Legends Wild Rift - https://wildrift.leagueoflegends.com/ Subscribe: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7rQjgnBvuyr18K03tnEHBI Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aws-developers-podcast/id1574162669 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/1065378 Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/aws-developers-podcast/PC:1001065378 TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Technology-Podcasts/AWS-Developers-Podcast-p1461814/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f8bf7630-2521-4b40-be90-c46a9222c159/aws-developers-podcast Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLmNvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjk5NDM2MzU0OS9zb3VuZHMucnNz RSS Feed: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:994363549/sounds.rss