What Esports Publishers Are Actually Hiring For in 2026?
A few years ago, the esports industry was in expansion mode. Publishers were building leagues, opening broadcast studios and expanding regional teams at a fast pace. That created demand for a wide range of jobs, from event staff and community managers to marketing executives and tournament producers.
The market looks different today.
Major publishers are still hiring, but the focus is becoming more specific. Current listings from companies such as Riot Games, Moonton, and Tencent show strong demand for product management, esports operations, engineering, data, partnerships, and business functions. Riot’s career pages, for example, currently include roles such as Senior Technical Product Manager for its organized-play platform, Staff Software Engineer for esports platforms, Systems Engineer for esports, and senior esports event production positions. (Find the full list of openings at the end of article.)
The result is a more specialized job market. Passion for games still helps, but publishers increasingly need people who can solve a specific business or technical problem.
Product Operations Are Becoming Core Roles In Esports Industry
Modern esports is no longer a competition that exists only on match day. It is connected to a live game that may receive patches, new content, balance changes, and digital items throughout the year. If we talk about the current openings, Riot Games is currently hiring for Esports Product Manager, Korea – Riftbound and Senior Esports Events Production Manager in Berlin, Germany.
People working in these roles sit between the game, the competitive ecosystem, and the players. They may help plan tournament calendars, coordinate competitive updates, manage organised-play systems, or make sure a patch does not create problems immediately before an important event.
Data Is Moving Closer to the Centre of the Business
Esports generates enormous amounts of information. Publishers can track player behaviour, match performance, audience activity, engagement with digital products and the performance of different competitions.
Many companies are hiring for insights, data, and machine learning positions alongside traditional game development roles.
For example, Riot Games is hiring for a "Staff Software Engineer – Global Esports Platforms" at the Los Angeles, USA Office.
For esports businesses, data can affect everything from scheduling and audience strategy to monetization and player retention. That makes skills such as SQL, Python, dashboards, statistical analysis and experimentation increasingly useful, even for candidates who ultimately want to work inside gaming rather than in a traditional technology company.
Partnerships and Revenue Roles Matter More as the Industry Matures
Esports still needs sponsors, media partners and commercial deals. The difference is that publishers are becoming more interested in the business value behind those relationships.
A partnership manager is not simply selling a logo on a broadcast. The job can involve creating a campaign around a game, connecting a sponsor with creators, planning physical activations, negotiating distribution opportunities or building a longer-term commercial relationship.
Broadcast Is Now a Technology Business Too
The broadcast side of esports has also become much more technical.
Large tournaments require game capture, real-time statistics, observer tools, graphics, remote production, cloud infrastructure, and reliable data feeds. When millions of viewers are watching, even a small technical failure can become a major issue.
This means that someone with experience in software engineering, networking, cloud infrastructure, broadcast technology, or real-time graphics may have a more direct route into esports than they might expect. As per the current listing, KRAFTON India is hiring for Virtual Production & Real-Time Broadcast in Bengaluru, India.
The industry still needs producers and creative staff, but the technical layer behind the show is becoming just as important.
Graduates and Entry-Level Candidates Still Have a Clear Path Into Esports
The fact that publishers are hiring does not mean that every company is looking for large numbers of inexperienced candidates. Many current positions at different gaming firms are mid-level or senior roles, and several explicitly ask for multiple years of experience.
That does not mean beginners/graduates have no route into the industry. It means the first job may not carry an esports label.
- Campus Recruitment & Trainee Tracks: Fresh graduates should target dedicated early-career pipelines. Major publishers increasingly offer entry-level tracks; for example, MOONTON Games hires directly through listings like "Campus Hiring- Esports Business Development & Marketing".
- Other major publishers, like Riot Games run Emerging Talent Programs to help students and recent grads connect their passion for games to meaningful careers.
- The Esports Ecosystem: Candidates past graduation without direct publisher experience should start within partner networks. Esports Clubs, Independent tournament organizers, gaming marketing agencies, broadcast production studios, and data hubs offer accessible roles in operations, logistics, and analytics.
Gaining 1–2 years of hands-on experience in this ecosystem provides the exact credentials top publishers demand.
Current Openings at Major Publishers
To help job-seeking profesionals navigate this shifting market, Esports Pulse compiled key openings across top publishers.
Whether targeting live operations, broadcast engineering, or platform data, these listings highlight where organizations are investing. Review the active roles below to find your next opportunity, and don't forget to follow our LinkedIn page for ongoing industry analysis and future recruitment updates.
Note - All listings verified as of September 2026.
Riot Games - via Riot Games Careers and LinkedIn
- APAC Esports Partnership Manager | Seoul, South Korea (Onsite) - Apply Here
- Esports Product Manager, Korea – Riftbound | Seoul, South Korea (Onsite) - Apply Here
- Senior Esports Events Production Manager | Berlin, Germany (Onsite) - Apply Here
- Brand Manager – League of Legends DACH | Berlin, Germany (Onsite) - Apply Here
- Staff Software Engineer – Global Esports Platforms | Los Angeles, USA (Onsite) - Apply Here
- Game Producer, Event – Wild Rift | Shanghai, China (Contract) - Apply Here
- Systems Engineer (Esports) | Los Angeles, USA (Onsite) - Apply Here
Tencent Games / Level Infinite - via Tencent Careers Global & Level Infinite Careers
- Global Esports Operations Lead (Honor of Kings / EWC Circuits) | Singapore / Shenzhen, China - Apply Here
- Marketing Manager – Regional Esports & Tournaments | Palo Alto, USA / Singapore - Apply Here
- PUBGM Overseas Game Community Operations Manager | Shenzhen, Guangdong, China (Onsite) - Apply Here
- PUBGM Esports Ecosystem Operation | Shenzhen, Guangdong, China (Onsite) - Apply Here
- PUBGM Türkiye Market Manager| Shenzhen, Guangdong, China (Onsite) - Apply Here
MOONTON Games - via LinkedIn
- Regional Publishing Manager (Competitive Gaming) | Shanghai, China (Onsite) - Apply Here
- BD Manager, IP Licensing & Partnerships (Competitive Games Center) | Singapore (Hybrid) - Apply Here
- Regional Marketing Lead / Operations Specialist – SEA Esports | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Jakarta - Apply Here
- Senior Marketing Manager (MPL Malaysia) | Kuala Lumpur (Onsite) - Apply Here
- Campus Hiring - Esports Business Development & Marketing | Singapore (Onsite) - Apply Here
Electronic Arts (EA) - via EA Careers Hub & LinkedIn
- Senior Publishing Manager, FC Online, SEA (Vietnam) - Apply Here
- Head of Publishing, Shooters Shanghai, China - Apply Here
- Senior Director, Creative – EA SPORTS FC - Apply Here
Activision Blizzard - via Blizzard Careers & Activision Careers
- Capture Artist, Original Content (Contractor) | Marketing | Remote (US) - Apply Here
Ubisoft - via Ubisoft Careers
- Senior Product Manager, R6 eSports (Paris, France) - Apply Here
- Operations Manager - R6 Esports (Paris, France) - Apply Here
- Creator Platform Manager (Paris, France) - Apply Here
GARENA - via LinkedIn
- Community & Events, Senior Associate (Bengaluru, India) - Apply Here
KRAFTON - via KRAFTON Careers
- Publishing Platform Product Manager | Seoul - Apply Here
- Product Manager | Bengaluru, India (Onsite) - Apply Here
- Manager, Licensing & Partnerships | Bengaluru, India (Onsite) - Apply Here
