Riot Games seems to be developing a League of Legends action RPG behind closed doors, based on 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—indicate an early-stage project is taking shape, with both roles highlighting familiarity with the League of Legends IP as a desirable qualification. Neither listing officially names the project, but the emphasis on action gameplay mechanics and Runeterra expertise strongly indicates the title will be situated in 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 listings found on Riot’s careers page reveal tantalising details about the Shanghai-based studio’s mysterious undertaking. The Game Combat Designer role actively looks for someone with deep expertise of action games and action RPGs, with specific focus on developing compelling combat feel, intuitive mechanics, and responsive artificial intelligence systems. This indicates Riot is building something mechanically sophisticated from the ground up, using Unreal Engine as the core technology. The posting shows the team is still in initial phases, continuously refining core systems rather than refining an established base.
Alongside the designer role, Riot is recruiting a CG animator with expertise in stylised character work—a hiring choice that hints at the visual direction the project may take. Given League of Legends’ unique visual aesthetic, this animator would probably help establish a unified visual approach for the action RPG. Whilst temporary positions at this developmental stage generally indicate projects remain years away from launch, the pairing of these roles suggests Riot has committed meaningful resources to exploring what an action-focused League experience might entail. The recruitment approach indicates the studio is building 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 stylised character animation expertise to project
- Early-stage R&D suggests years remain before possible launch
- Unreal Engine selected as main development platform for title
Combat Design and Technical Specifications
What the Vacancies Indicate
The Combat Game Designer job listing provides crucial insight into the project’s mechanical ambitions. Candidates need to show deep expertise in action games and ARPGs, with particular emphasis on creating engaging combat feel—a defining characteristic of successful titles in the genre. The role clearly demands building and iterating on combat mechanics from scratch using Unreal Engine, suggesting Riot plans to create something fundamentally distinct from League of Legends’ turn-based MOBA mechanics. The emphasis on AI development indicates the studio is designing sophisticated enemy behaviour systems, possibly intended for single-player and co-operative experiences rather than purely competitive gameplay.
The specification details outlined in the listings reveal a methodical, systems-focused production strategy. Candidates are expected to work within a small, early-stage team where personal input hold significant importance. The focus on “combat feel” rather than merely mechanical balance suggests Riot places value on player sensation and responsiveness—qualities essential to modern action RPGs. This hiring strategy demonstrates the Shanghai studio is not rushing to production but rather investing time in testing and refining core gameplay loops before expanding operations further.
- Extensive knowledge in action games and ARPG design mechanics required
- Combat feel and player feedback emphasised over balance mechanics
- AI systems development points to likely single-player or cooperative emphasis
- Unreal Engine selected as main development platform
- Early-stage prototyping stage indicates years before commercial release
Growing the League of Legends World
Riot Games has traditionally positioned League of Legends as the cornerstone of an sprawling multimedia franchise, yet the company’s gaming ambitions have traditionally centred on the original MOBA title itself. The announcement of a secret action RPG in production marks a significant shift in strategy, suggesting Riot intends to diversify its gaming portfolio across different gameplay styles rather than depending exclusively on League’s esports infrastructure. This approach mirrors successful franchises like The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy, where a main entry coexists alongside supplementary titles that delve into different gaming experiences. By creating an ARPG situated in Runeterra, Riot can capitalise on the deep storytelling and established character base whilst attracting players who prefer single-player or co-operative experiences over competitive online play.
The pacing of these initiatives is particularly noteworthy given Riot’s broader franchise expansion efforts. Alongside the action RPG initiative, the company has poured significant investment in the long-gestating 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 working towards an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s interactive landscape. Rather than directly competing with one another, these endeavours appear intended to cater to different audience segments—the MMO serving persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG serves players looking for story-driven, action-focused adventures. Together, they constitute Riot’s most aggressive expansion 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 |
Timeline and Development Outlook
Whilst the job postings provide compelling evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has preserved absolute silence regarding an official announcement or release window. The contract positions advertised on the company’s careers page indicate the project remains in foundational development stages, indicating it could be a considerable time from launch. Industry observers versed in game development cycles point out that hiring for foundational roles such as Combat Game Designer commonly represents the initial stages of production rather than an upcoming release. This careful tempo allows Riot to create solid combat mechanics and gameplay systems ahead of growing the team further, a practical strategy given the competitive landscape of action RPGs.
The Shanghai studio’s contribution in this project reflects Riot’s international development framework and the studio’s demonstrated proficiency in creating compelling interactive experiences. By positioning the ARPG project at this location rather than consolidating efforts at a sole headquarters, Riot showcases its commitment to distributed development practices that have yielded positive results across its range of titles. The company’s experience developing League of Legends suggests gamers will receive a polished, mechanically sound experience whenever the ARPG ultimately launches. However, with the MMO also consuming considerable resources and effort, the ARPG may not materialise until 2027 or later, based on project milestones and Riot’s internal priorities.
What Gamers Should Be Prepared For
Should the ARPG be finished, players can look forward to a solo or multiplayer cooperative action experience set within the expansive universe of Runeterra, utilising the universe’s established lore and fan-favourite champions. The emphasis on character design and gameplay feel suggests Riot seeks to create intense, mechanically demanding gameplay rather than a straightforward dungeon crawler. Fans of story-focused action titles and those pursuing a different flavour of League engagement may discover the ARPG notably attractive, offering an contrast with the pvp-focused focus that has shaped the franchise since its inception.
