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 careers 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 flagging familiarity with the League of Legends IP as a desirable qualification. Whilst the company has not officially announced the project, the postings indicate a small team is building combat systems from the ground up using Unreal Engine. The discovery comes as Riot simultaneously pushes its long-troubled League of Legends MMO into full development, signalling an ambitious expansion of the franchise throughout various game categories.
Shanghai Studio’s Secret Project Emerges
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 specifically emphasises building and iterating on combat systems from the ground up, with candidates expected to demonstrate deep knowledge of action games and ARPGs. The position highlights the importance of combat feel, mechanics and artificial intelligence—fundamental components that would shape how players engage in any action-oriented title. Meanwhile, the animation specialist vacancy seeks professionals with experience in stylised character work, suggesting Riot intends to preserve visual coherence with League’s signature visual style.
Whilst neither job posting explicitly identifies the project, both positions highlight League of Legends IP familiarity as a bonus qualification, strongly suggesting Runeterra as the likely setting. The fixed-term character of these roles usually points to early-stage development, meaning the action RPG could still be years away from formal declaration or launch. This revelation highlights Riot’s overarching plan to expand the League franchise away from its main MOBA game, after periods of prosperous ventures into animated series, collectible card games and mobile titles. The parallel production of both an MMO and an action role-playing game showcases the company’s commitment to examining various game types within the Runeterra universe.
- Action Game Designer role focuses on action role-playing game mechanics creation
- CG animator role highlights stylised character animation expertise
- Project uses Unreal Engine for game development
- Contract roles indicate early-stage research and development phase presently underway
What the Job Postings Demonstrate
Combat Systems at the Heart
The Combat Game Designer posting represents the core pillar of Riot’s action RPG aspirations, with the role explicitly tasked with developing and refining combat systems from scratch. The role specification highlights candidates must possess extensive experience in action games and action RPGs, with particular focus on the player experience of combat, the underlying mechanics that foster player engagement, and the artificial intelligence systems that control enemy actions. This degree of detail suggests Riot is not simply applying existing combat frameworks but rather creating a custom system tailored to deliver a distinctive action experience within the League universe.
The priority placed on combat feel and mechanics suggests that Riot understands the vital significance of satisfying, responsive gameplay in the action role-playing genre. By recruiting specialists who know how to develop immersive combat systems, the company is indicating its plan to compete seriously within a saturated market of action-oriented titles. The demand for Unreal Engine expertise additionally shows that Riot is utilising established industry tools to realise its goals, enabling the team to focus creative energy on what sets the game apart rather than developing custom tools from scratch.
Runeterra as the Likely Backdrop
Although neither job posting explicitly identifies the project, both postings flag knowledge of League of Legends intellectual property as a preferred requirement, placing Runeterra firmly in focus as the likely backdrop. This strategic positioning allows Riot to leverage the existing lore, cast of characters and worldbuilding that has developed across 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 investment in the narrative.
The choice to place the action RPG in Runeterra also supports Riot’s broader strategic approach of developing interconnected experiences across different gaming genres. By anchoring the new project to the same universe as the MMO, the card game and the animated series, Riot generates possibilities for cross-promotion and shared narrative threads that reward engaged fans. This strategy enhances the value of the company’s creative efforts whilst establishing Runeterra as a complete entertainment hub similar to well-known franchises like The Elder Scrolls or The Witcher.
Growing the League Universe
Riot Games’ reported work on a League of Legends action RPG constitutes 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 varied entertainment formats and gaming offerings, from the highly praised Arcane animation to the Legends of Runeterra collectible card game. This multi-pronged strategy transforms League from a standalone game property into a expansive entertainment platform, positioning Runeterra as a world worthy of exploration across multiple different genres and mediums. The action RPG fits naturally into this growth plan, offering players an entirely different way to engage with the beloved intellectual property.
The scheduling of this development effort proves notably noteworthy given Riot’s existing commitments 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 displaying remarkable confidence in the franchise’s ability to support multiple major releases simultaneously. This dual-project approach mirrors successful strategies employed by other major gaming publishers with sprawling universes. By developing games across different genres in parallel, Riot can maintain player engagement through diverse gameplay whilst building anticipation 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 initiatives in development at the same time across different studios and types
- Runeterra setting extending by means of linked interactive experiences and media adaptations
- Well-established IP allows Riot to make use of current narrative and character rosters successfully
Timeline and Future Outlook
The contractual status of the advertised roles suggests this action RPG remains in its infancy, probably several years before any public reveal or release. Early-stage research and development projects at major studios typically require substantial time before achieving playable prototypes, let alone commercial viability. Riot’s decision to recruit for such preliminary work indicates genuine commitment to exploring the ARPG genre within the League universe, though patience will be required from enthusiastic players. The Shanghai studio’s involvement in this initial stage 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 advance favourably, the publisher could position itself as a dominant force in multi-genre franchise development across the latter half of this decade. The appointment of Raymond Bartos to the MMO reflects Riot’s serious investment in creating quality products rather than accelerating release timelines. Similarly, the measured, restrained approach to the ARPG’s development implies the company has learned from past missteps and now emphasises sustainable, well-resourced production cycles throughout its portfolio of major projects.
