Riot Games seems to be developing a League of Legends action role-playing game in secret, according to newly uncovered job listings posted to the company’s careers page. Two temporary roles at Riot’s Shanghai studio—one for a Combat Game Designer and another for a CG animator—indicate an early-stage research and development project is underway, with both roles highlighting familiarity with the League of Legends IP as a preferred requirement. Whilst the company has not formally revealed the project, the postings indicate a compact team is building fighting mechanics from the beginning using Unreal Engine. The discovery comes as Riot concurrently pushes its long-troubled League of Legends MMO into full development, signalling an significant growth of the franchise throughout multiple gaming genres.
Shanghai Studio Hidden Venture Comes to Light
The two job listings discovered on Riot’s careers page reveal that the Shanghai studio is hiring for an unreleased action game set within the League of Legends world. The Combat Designer role particularly highlights developing and refining combat systems from scratch, with candidates expected to show extensive expertise of action games and ARPGs. The position underscores the significance of combat feel, mechanics and artificial intelligence—core elements that would shape how players engage in any action-focused game. Meanwhile, the CG animator position seeks experts in experience in stylised character work, suggesting Riot intends to maintain visual consistency with League’s distinctive art direction.
Whilst neither position advertisement explicitly references the project, both positions highlight League of Legends IP familiarity as a added advantage, firmly positioning Runeterra as the expected backdrop. The contract nature of these roles usually points to preliminary creation stages, meaning the action role-playing game could still be some time before public reveal or publication. This revelation underscores Riot’s wider approach to broaden the League series outside its primary MOBA game, after periods of prosperous ventures into animation projects, collectible card games and mobile games. The concurrent creation of both an MMO and an action role-playing game illustrates the company’s commitment to investigating various game types within the Runeterra universe.
- Action Game Designer role focuses on action/ARPG mechanics creation
- CG animator position highlights stylised character animation proficiency
- Project uses Unreal Engine for game creation
- Contract roles suggest early-stage R&D phase currently underway
What the Position Advertisements Demonstrate
Fighting Mechanics at the Heart
The Combat Game Designer role forms the foundation of Riot’s action RPG ambitions, with the position directly charged with building and iterating on combat mechanics from scratch. The role specification emphasises candidates must possess deep expertise in action games and action RPGs, with particular focus on how combat feels to players, the core systems that foster player engagement, and the artificial intelligence systems that govern enemy behaviour. This degree of detail indicates Riot is not simply applying existing combat frameworks but rather creating a custom system tailored to deliver a unique action experience within the League universe.
The emphasis on combat feel and mechanics demonstrates that Riot understands the essential value of satisfying, responsive gameplay in the action role-playing genre. By bringing on specialists who understand how to craft engaging combat systems, the company is indicating its plan to establish itself within a saturated market of action-focused titles. The requirement for Unreal Engine proficiency further demonstrates that Riot is leveraging industry-standard technology to realise its goals, permitting the developers to direct creative resources on what sets the game apart rather than developing custom tools from scratch.
Runeterra as the Likely Backdrop
Although neither position announcement explicitly names the project, both postings flag knowledge of League of Legends intellectual property as a desirable qualification, placing Runeterra squarely in the frame as the probable setting. This deliberate approach allows Riot to tap into the established narrative, character roster and worldbuilding that has evolved throughout multiple media formats, including the acclaimed animated series Arcane and the collectible card game Legends of Runeterra. Leveraging established IP reduces the creative burden of world-building whilst providing players with recognisable elements that enhance immersion and commitment to the narrative.
The decision to place the action RPG within Runeterra also aligns with Riot’s broader franchise strategy of developing linked gameplay experiences throughout various gaming genres. By anchoring the new project to the identical universe as the MMO, the card game and the animated series, Riot creates opportunities for cross-promotion and shared narrative threads that reward engaged fans. This strategy maximises the value of the company’s creative efforts whilst positioning Runeterra as a complete entertainment hub comparable to established franchises like The Elder Scrolls or The Witcher.
Growing the League Universe
Riot Games’ apparent development of a League of Legends action RPG constitutes a major broadening of the franchise’s aspirations beyond its beginnings as a competitive multiplayer online battle arena. The company has been systematically broadening the League universe through varied entertainment formats and gaming offerings, from the critically acclaimed Arcane animation to the Legends of Runeterra card game. This multi-pronged strategy converts League from a standalone game property into a expansive entertainment platform, positioning Runeterra as a world worthy of exploration across multiple genres and platforms. The action RPG integrates seamlessly into this growth plan, offering players an entirely different way to engage with the cherished game world.
The scheduling of this project initiative demonstrates particularly noteworthy given Riot’s existing commitments to other League-related projects. With the MMO continuing development following its 2024 reset and the hiring of ex-World of Warcraft director Raymond Bartos, the company is displaying remarkable confidence in the franchise’s ability to support multiple major releases simultaneously. This two-project strategy mirrors successful strategies employed by leading gaming studios with sprawling universes. By developing games across different genres in parallel, Riot can maintain player engagement through diverse gameplay whilst generating excitement for each individual release. The Shanghai studio’s involvement suggests the company is distributing development resources strategically across its global operations.
| Project | Status |
|---|---|
| League of Legends MMO | Active production with new leadership |
| Action RPG (Unannounced) | Early-stage R&D at Shanghai studio |
| Arcane animated series | Established franchise component |
| Legends of Runeterra card game | Ongoing live service title |
- Several League titles in progress simultaneously across different studios and categories
- Runeterra universe expanding via interconnected interactive experiences and cross-media expansions
- Existing IP enables Riot to make use of established storyline and roster of characters effectively
Timeline and Future Outlook
The contract nature of the advertised roles suggests this action RPG remains in its early stages, probably several years before any official announcement or release. Preliminary research and development initiatives at major studios typically require substantial time before reaching playable prototypes, let alone market readiness. Riot’s willingness to hire for such preliminary work demonstrates real dedication to exploring the ARPG category within the League universe, though restraint will be necessary from eager fans. The Shanghai studio’s participation in this foundational phase enables the team to experiment with gameplay mechanics, combat design and visual direction without the burden of immediate deadlines or audience demands.
Looking ahead, the convergence of multiple League projects creates an intriguing development landscape for Riot Games. Should both the MMO and action RPG progress successfully, the publisher could establish itself as a dominant force in multi-genre franchise development during the latter half of this decade. The hiring of Raymond Bartos to the MMO reflects Riot’s serious investment in delivering quality experiences rather than accelerating release timelines. Similarly, the careful, measured approach to the ARPG’s development implies the company has learned from past missteps and now emphasises sustainable, adequately resourced production cycles across its portfolio of ambitious titles.
