Riot Games seems to be developing a League of Legends action RPG behind closed doors, according to newly discovered job listings posted to the company’s careers page. Two contract positions at Riot’s Shanghai studio—one for a Combat Game Designer and another for a CG animator—suggest an early-stage project is taking shape, with both roles highlighting familiarity with the League of Legends IP as a sought-after requirement. Neither listing officially names the project, but the emphasis on action gameplay mechanics and Runeterra expertise strongly indicates the title will be set within the League universe. The discovery arrives as Riot continues expanding the franchise beyond its original MOBA roots, having recently recruited Raymond Bartos, a former World of Warcraft lead producer, to oversee its long-delayed League MMO.
Shanghai Studio’s Secret Project Emerges
The two contract postings found on Riot’s careers page unveil intriguing details about the Shanghai-based studio’s secret project. The Combat Game Designer role specifically seeks someone with extensive knowledge of action games and ARPGs, with specific focus on developing compelling combat feel, responsive controls, and responsive artificial intelligence systems. This indicates Riot is building something mechanically sophisticated from scratch, using Unreal Engine as the core technology. The posting shows the team is still in initial phases, actively iterating on core systems rather than refining an existing foundation.
Alongside the designer role, Riot is recruiting a CG animator experienced in stylised character work—a recruitment decision that hints at the artistic trajectory the project may take. Given League of Legends’ unique visual aesthetic, this animator would probably help create a cohesive aesthetic for the action RPG. Whilst temporary positions at this early phase typically signal projects remain some distance from launch, the pairing of these roles suggests Riot has invested significant effort to investigating what an action-focused League experience might entail. The recruitment approach indicates the studio is assembling a dedicated, albeit small, core team to prototype and validate core gameplay concepts.
- Action Game Designer role focuses on action-RPG systems development
- CG animator contributes stylized character animation expertise to project
- Early-stage R&D suggests considerable time remains before possible launch
- Unreal Engine selected as main development platform for title
Combat Mechanics and Technical Specifications
What Job Postings Show
The Combat Game Designer posting provides crucial insight into the project’s mechanical ambitions. Candidates must demonstrate extensive knowledge in action-based games and ARPGs, with particular emphasis on creating engaging combat feel—a hallmark of acclaimed games in the genre. The role explicitly requires building and iterating on combat mechanics from scratch using Unreal Engine, suggesting Riot intends to develop something fundamentally distinct from League of Legends’ turn-based MOBA mechanics. The focus on AI development indicates the studio is designing sophisticated enemy behaviour systems, potentially for single-player and co-operative experiences rather than purely competitive gameplay.
The technical requirements outlined in the listings reveal a methodical, systems-focused development approach. Candidates are expected to work within a compact, nascent team where personal input carry substantial weight. The focus on “combat feel” rather than merely mechanical balance indicates Riot prioritises player sensation and responsiveness—qualities vital for contemporary action role-playing games. This hiring strategy indicates the Shanghai studio is avoiding hasty moves toward production but rather investing time in prototyping and validating fundamental gameplay mechanics before scaling the project further.
- Extensive knowledge in action games and ARPG design mechanics needed
- Combat sensation and player responsiveness prioritised over mechanical balance
- AI systems development suggests likely single-player or co-op focus
- Unreal Engine selected as primary technical development platform
- Early prototyping phase indicates considerable time until market launch
Growing the League of Legends World
Riot Games has long positioned League of Legends as the foundation of an sprawling multimedia franchise, yet the company’s game development goals have traditionally centred on the original MOBA title itself. The revelation of a undisclosed action RPG project in production marks a major pivot in strategy, suggesting Riot intends to diversify its game catalogue across different gameplay styles rather than depending exclusively on League’s esports infrastructure. This approach echoes established series like The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy, where a main entry coexists alongside spin-offs that delve into different play mechanics. By creating an ARPG situated in Runeterra, Riot can tap into the deep storytelling and established character base whilst attracting players who prefer single-player or co-operative experiences over competitive online play.
The timing of these developments is particularly noteworthy given Riot’s broader franchise expansion efforts. Alongside the action RPG initiative, the company has committed substantial resources in the long-in-development League of Legends MMO, bringing on Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to speed up development following a substantial restructuring in 2024. This dual-track approach suggests Riot is pursuing an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s interactive landscape. Rather than directly competing with one another, these initiatives appear created to address different audience segments—the MMO targeting persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG serves players pursuing compelling story-based action gameplay. Together, they embody Riot’s most ambitious growth of the League franchise past its MOBA foundations.
| Project Type | Current Status |
|---|---|
| League of Legends ARPG | Early-stage R&D at Shanghai studio |
| League of Legends MMO | Active production with new leadership |
| Original League of Legends MOBA | Ongoing development and seasonal updates |
| Runeterra IP Expansion | Multiple projects across different genres |
Project Timeline and Outlook
Whilst the position listings provide compelling evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has maintained strict silence concerning an public statement or launch timeframe. The contract positions listed on the company’s careers page suggest the project continues in foundational development stages, implying it could be years distant from launch. Industry observers experienced in game development cycles note that hiring for essential positions such as Combat Game Designer commonly represents the initial stages of production rather than an imminent release. This careful tempo allows Riot to develop strong combat mechanics and gameplay systems prior to scaling the team further, a practical strategy given the intense competition of action RPGs.
The Shanghai studio’s participation in this project reflects Riot’s global development infrastructure and the studio’s proven expertise in developing immersive gameplay. By placing the ARPG project at this site rather than concentrating resources at a sole headquarters, Riot showcases its support for distributed team structures that have produced successful outcomes across its range of titles. The company’s history with League of Legends suggests audiences should anticipate a polished, technically proficient offering whenever the ARPG eventually emerges. However, with the MMO also consuming considerable resources and effort, the ARPG could not launch until 2027 or later, based on project milestones and the company’s strategic priorities.
What Participants Should Anticipate
Should the ARPG reach completion, players can anticipate a single-player or co-operative action experience set within the expansive universe of Runeterra, utilising the world’s existing lore and beloved champions. The spotlight on character design and combat feel suggests Riot aims to deliver intense, mechanically demanding gameplay rather than a straightforward dungeon crawler. Fans of character-rich action titles and those pursuing a fresh approach of League engagement may discover the ARPG especially compelling, providing an contrast with the pvp-focused focus that has shaped the franchise since its inception.
