We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Cheung. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.
Michael, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
As a sound designer at Riot Games, my role centers on crafting soundscapes for video games, often transforming abstract visuals into immersive audio experiences for players globally. Creativity is essential to my work—not just in producing sounds, but in elevating the overall gameplay experience. I experiment with new techniques, collaborate with different teams, and draw inspiration from various art forms to bring each game’s world to life.
Maintaining a high level of creativity can be challenging in the fast-paced gaming industry. Tight deadlines, repetitive tasks, and studio constraints can sometimes stifle creative flow. One of the toughest parts of staying creative as a sound designer is breaking free from the routine. While sound design is inherently creative, the day-to-day tasks of mixing, editing, and implementing can feel monotonous. It’s easy to fall into a rhythm where efficiency takes precedence over innovation.
To combat this, I make it a point to continually experiment with new techniques and mix up my workflow. In game audio, there’s an endless array of tools to explore—whether it’s field recording, synthesis, plugin processing, or scripting. Using plugins in unconventional ways, for example, helps break the routine and often leads to unexpected creative breakthroughs.
One of my favorite discoveries involved using noise reduction plugins, like Waves Z-Noise, to extract tonal elements from animal vocalizations—a tool typically meant for cleaning up background noise in vocal recordings. By pushing the plugin to its limits and even stacking instances of it, I was able to strip away most of the original sound and reveal unique tonal qualities with dynamic movement and modulation that I couldn’t achieve with traditional methods.
Staying curious and continually exploring new areas of sound design has been crucial for keeping my creativity alive. It keeps me passionate about delivering immersive audio experiences that enhance the gameplay for all our players in League of Legends!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Hello, my name is Michael, and I’m currently a sound designer at Riot Games, where I help craft immersive soundscapes for League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and more. As a longtime League of Legends player myself, it’s truly been a dream come true to work on a game that’s been such a huge part of my life. I still remember being that kid staying up late to study for exams, because my dad would reward me with a $10 RP gift card if I scored above 90%. I’d then spend days figuring out how to use that measly 10 bucks of RP wisely—reading skin reviews, watching gameplay footage, and even use borderline illegal third-party software to try out skins locally. Now, I’m the one creating the content that today’s players are getting excited about, it’s an incredible full circle moment!
My very first project at Riot was Snow Moon Ahri, and I’ll never forget the feeling of sitting in my sound room, watching player feedback come in on Twitter and YouTube. Seeing people react to something I’d worked on was surreal, and it reminded me how how fortunate I am to contribute to a game that has the potential to impact so many lives.
Fast forward to today, I’ve created over 20 gigabytes of sound material and shipped more than 10 skins, with several other projects in the pipeline that I can’t reveal just yet. One of the projects I’m most proud of is Empyrean Varus”. I had to imagine what a corrupt human archer would sound like if he was transformed to this neon cosmic overlord — a concept that really pushed me creatively. I loved experimenting with guttural sound textures to bring his alien-like bow to life, and it was incredibly rewarding to see how positively the players responded, specifically calling out the sound effects during release patch. It made all the long hours in the studio worth it at the end!
Here’s a showreel of Empyrean Varus in game: https://youtu.be/J0R919daJU8?t=1
Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue working on even larger projects within the League of Legends IP, bringing fresh and impactful sound design to players! There are some incredible things in the works, and I can’t wait for everyone to check it out!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I believe that to succeed in this field, three essential qualities are adaptability, the ability to learn how to learn, and an openness to feedback.
As a game developer, adaptability has been essential to my success. The gaming industry is fast-paced and constantly evolving, with new technologies, genres, and player expectations emerging all the time. Being adaptable allowed me to pivot quickly, whether I was integrating new audio techniques, collaborating with different teams, or adjusting to creative shifts in projects. This flexibility ensured that I could consistently deliver high-quality soundscapes that enhanced the gaming experience.
Mastering the art of learning how to learn has been a critical skill in my role. With new audio technologies, platforms, and industry trends emerging rapidly, it’s impossible to rely solely on what you already know. Developing an efficient approach to acquiring and applying new knowledge allowed me to stay ahead of the curve, whether I was learning a new audio engine, exploring cutting-edge sound synthesis techniques, or diving deep into C++ script to set up implementation hooks. For aspiring game developers, prioritize building your learning process and embrace the ever-changing nature of game development! Identify how you absorb new information best—whether through tutorials, hands-on experimentation, or collaboration with peers. Regularly challenge yourself to learn something new, even if it’s outside your immediate area of expertise. This will keep your skills sharp and make you adaptable to the fast-evolving nature of the gaming industry.
Equally important is being open to feedback, which has been crucial to my growth as a professional. In game development, sound design is a deeply collaborative process that involves input from directors, programmers, and even players. Embracing feedback, whether it was on the emotional impact or the realism of sound effects, allowed me to refine my work and contribute more effectively to the overall game experience. It is very important to make feedback an integral part of your creative process. Actively seek out opinions from your peers, supervisors, and even playtesters. View feedback not as criticism, but as a tool for honing your craft. The more you learn to listen and adapt based on feedback, the more your work will resonate with players and meet the high standards of the industry!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
As a video game sound designer, working on complex projects can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling tight deadlines, creativity, and technical precision. When I start to feel that pressure build up, the first thing I do is step away and take a break. It might seem counterintuitive, but stepping away from the project allows me to reset mentally.
Breaks are critical for maintaining perspective. Sound design requires a lot of critical listening, and ears fatigue quickly when you’re working with audio for extended periods. Even a short walk or switching focus to a non-audio task can help reset your ears and give your mind a chance to relax.
I’ve discovered that starting my day by focusing on the most important or challenging tasks, when my mind is at its sharpest, helps me stay ahead of stress as the day progresses. After these concentrated morning sessions, I take deliberate breaks every two hours to recharge. This routine not only keeps my creativity alive but also prevents burnout over time. Staying physically active is another strategy I’ve found effective—whether it’s playing some pickup 5s or swimming some laps, I find exercise to be a great way to relieve stress and reset my mind.
Lastly, I’ve learned that collaborating with the team and communicating when you’re feeling overwhelmed is important. Fresh perspectives can help unlock solutions that might not be clear when you’re deep in the weeds. The key is balance—when you’re well-rested and taking breaks, you can return to the work with fresh ears and sharper creativity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cheungmichael.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-cheung3/
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