Riot Games announced this week that it has hired seasoned executive Hoby Darling as its new president.
The role of president has been vacant since Dylan Jadeja left it to tackle the role of CEO in 2023. In his new role at Riot, Darling “will partner with teams across the company to help Rioters dream big, unlock creativity, and serve players around the world.”
“The first time I walked into Riot, I felt a scrappy, soulful, and courageous energy I knew I needed to be a part of,” Darling said in Riot’s announcement. “I’ve worked with a lot of companies, and there’s something special about a place that takes risks, challenges convention, and stays fiercely committed to its mission. Riot has a long history of creating experiences that truly matter to players, and I couldn’t be more excited to work alongside passionate Rioters who push each other to do their best work every day.”
Darling has an interesting career trajectory, the majority of it was spent in sports-adjacent apparel companies and gaming, save a six year stint as a business attorney at Southern California law firm Latham & Watkins (1996 – 2005).
Over the years, he has worked for skate wear clothing company VOLCOM as SVP, president & CEO of gaming peripherals company and Astro Gaming owner Skullcandy, senior executive at the Logitech global leadership team, and is an active co-founder of human performance company The Liminal Collective.
He also spent more than three years at Nike as part of the Nike Affiliates executive team and as the global general manager of Nike+ Sport.