Riot Games appears to be developing a League of Legends action role-playing game in secret, based on newly uncovered job listings published on the company’s recruitment page. Two temporary roles at Riot’s Shanghai studio—one for a Combat Systems Designer and another for a character animator—indicate an early-phase R&D 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 suggest a small 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 active production, indicating an ambitious expansion of the franchise throughout multiple gaming genres.
Shanghai Studio’s Hidden Venture Comes to Light
The two job listings found on Riot’s recruitment page reveal that the Shanghai studio is actively recruiting for an unreleased action game set within the League of Legends world. The Combat Designer role particularly highlights building and iterating on combat systems from the ground up, with candidates required to show extensive expertise of action games and ARPGs. The position underscores the significance of combat feel, game mechanics and AI—fundamental components that would shape how players engage in any action-focused game. Meanwhile, the CG animator vacancy seeks professionals with background in stylised character work, suggesting Riot intends to maintain visual consistency with League’s distinctive art direction.
Whilst neither job posting explicitly identifies the project, both positions emphasise League of Legends IP familiarity as a bonus qualification, strongly suggesting Runeterra as the likely setting. The temporary structure of these roles generally suggests preliminary creation stages, meaning the action role-playing game could still be some time before formal declaration or launch. This finding reinforces Riot’s broader strategy to diversify the League franchise outside its primary MOBA game, subsequent to successful expansions into animation projects, collectible card games and mobile titles. The concurrent creation of both an MMO and an action role-playing game showcases the firm’s resolve to examining multiple genres within the Runeterra universe.
- Combat Game Designer role focuses on action role-playing game mechanics creation
- CG animator position highlights stylised character animation expertise
- Project utilises Unreal Engine for game development
- Contract roles suggest early-stage research and development phase currently underway
What the Position Advertisements Show
Combat Systems at the Heart
The Action Game Combat Designer role forms the cornerstone of Riot’s action RPG ambitions, with the role directly charged with developing and refining combat mechanics from the ground up. The job description emphasises candidates must possess extensive experience in action games and action RPGs, with particular focus on how combat feels to players, the underlying mechanics that drive engagement, and the artificial intelligence systems that govern enemy behaviour. This level of specificity suggests Riot is not merely implementing established combat systems but rather developing a bespoke system tailored to deliver a distinctive action experience within the League universe.
The priority placed on combat feel and mechanics suggests that Riot acknowledges the critical importance of engaging, responsive gameplay in the action role-playing genre. By hiring experts who know how to develop compelling combat mechanics, the company is demonstrating its commitment to compete seriously within a saturated market of action-oriented titles. The need for Unreal Engine proficiency further demonstrates that Riot is utilising industry-standard technology to accomplish its objectives, permitting the developers to concentrate creative effort on the game’s distinctive elements rather than building proprietary tools from scratch.
Runeterra as the Likely Location
Although neither position announcement explicitly identifies the project, both postings highlight familiarity with 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 leverage the existing lore, character roster and world creation that has evolved throughout multiple media formats, including the award-winning animation Arcane and the trading card game Legends of Runeterra. Leveraging established IP reduces the creative burden of world-building whilst providing players with recognisable elements that deepen engagement and commitment to the narrative.
The decision to place the action RPG in Runeterra also aligns with Riot’s broader strategic approach of developing interconnected experiences across different gaming genres. By tying the new project to the identical universe as the MMO, the card game and the animated series, Riot creates opportunities for cross-promotional activities and interconnected storylines that reward engaged fans. This approach maximises the value of the company’s creative investments whilst establishing Runeterra as a comprehensive entertainment destination similar to well-known franchises like The Elder Scrolls or The Witcher.
Expanding the League Universe
Riot Games’ apparent work on a League of Legends action RPG represents a significant expansion of the franchise’s ambitions beyond its beginnings as a competitive team-based online game. The company has been progressively expanding the League universe through diverse media and gaming experiences, from the highly praised Arcane animated series to the Legends of Runeterra collectible card game. This multifaceted approach transforms League from a standalone game property into a expansive entertainment platform, positioning Runeterra as a setting deserving exploration throughout multiple different genres and mediums. The action RPG fits naturally into this expansion strategy, providing players an completely new way to engage with the cherished game world.
The timing of this development effort proves particularly noteworthy given Riot’s current obligations to other League-connected projects. With the MMO still in active production following its 2024 reset and the hiring of ex-World of Warcraft director Raymond Bartos, the company is demonstrating remarkable confidence in the franchise’s ability to support several significant launches simultaneously. This dual-project approach mirrors successful strategies employed by other major gaming publishers with sprawling universes. By creating titles across varied genres in parallel, Riot can maintain player engagement through varied experiences whilst generating excitement for each individual release. The Shanghai studio’s involvement suggests the company is allocating 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 |
- Multiple League titles in progress at the same time throughout diverse studios and types
- Runeterra world growing via interconnected game offerings and media adaptations
- Established IP allows Riot to utilise existing narrative and character rosters successfully
Development Timeline and Prospects
The contract nature of the advertised roles suggests this action RPG remains in its infancy, probably several years before any official announcement or release. Preliminary research and development projects at large development houses typically require considerable duration before reaching playable prototypes, let alone market readiness. Riot’s decision to recruit for such foundational projects demonstrates real dedication to investigating the ARPG category within the League universe, though restraint will be necessary from enthusiastic players. The Shanghai studio’s participation in this initial stage enables the team to experiment with gameplay mechanics, combat design and visual direction without the burden of tight schedules or public expectations.
Looking ahead, the convergence of multiple League projects generates an compelling development landscape for Riot Games. Should both the MMO and action RPG advance favourably, the publisher could position itself as a dominant force in multi-genre franchise development across the latter half of this decade. The hiring of Raymond Bartos to the MMO demonstrates Riot’s substantial dedication in creating quality products rather than rushing products to market. Similarly, the measured, restrained approach to the ARPG’s development suggests the company has learned from past missteps and now emphasises sustainable, properly funded production cycles across its portfolio of ambitious titles.
