Riot Games appears to be developing a League of Legends action RPG in secret, 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—indicate an early-stage project is taking shape, with both roles flagging 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 clearly suggests 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 Confidential Initiative Emerges
The two contract postings discovered on Riot’s jobs page unveil intriguing details about the Shanghai studio’s secret project. The Combat Game Designer role specifically seeks someone with deep expertise of action games and ARPGs, with specific focus on developing engaging combat experience, intuitive mechanics, and responsive artificial intelligence systems. This indicates Riot is developing something technically complex from the ground up, using Unreal Engine as the development platform. The job description indicates the team is still in initial phases, actively iterating on core systems rather than polishing an existing foundation.
Alongside the design position, Riot is hiring a CG animator with expertise in stylised character work—a hiring choice that hints at the artistic trajectory the project may take. Given League of Legends’ unique visual aesthetic, this animator would probably help create a unified visual approach for the action RPG. Whilst temporary positions at this early phase generally indicate projects remain years away from launch, the pairing of these roles suggests Riot has invested significant effort to exploring what an action-focused League experience might entail. The hiring strategy indicates the studio is building a dedicated, albeit small, core team to prototype and validate core gameplay concepts.
- Combat Game Designer role focuses on action/ARPG mechanics development
- CG animator contributes stylized character animation expertise to project
- Initial research and development indicates considerable time remains before potential release
- Unreal Engine chosen as primary development platform for title
Combat Mechanics and Technical Specifications
What the Vacancies Indicate
The Combat Game Designer posting provides crucial insight into the project’s mechanical ambitions. Candidates need to show extensive knowledge in action games and ARPGs, with specific focus on crafting satisfying 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 plans to create something fundamentally distinct from League of Legends’ turn-based MOBA mechanics. The emphasis on AI development suggests the studio is designing sophisticated enemy behaviour systems, possibly intended for single-player or co-operative experiences rather than exclusively competitive gameplay.
The technical requirements presented within the listings paint a picture of a methodical, systems-focused production strategy. Candidates are expected to work within a compact, nascent team where individual contributions hold significant importance. The emphasis on “combat feel” rather than simply mechanical balance indicates Riot places value on user experience and feedback—qualities essential to contemporary action role-playing games. This hiring strategy indicates the Shanghai studio is avoiding hasty moves toward production but rather dedicating resources to testing and refining fundamental gameplay mechanics before scaling the project further.
- Extensive knowledge in action games and ARPG game mechanics needed
- Combat sensation and player responsiveness prioritised over mechanical balance
- Development of AI systems points to likely single-player or cooperative focus
- Unreal chosen as primary technical development engine
- Early prototyping phase indicates considerable time until market launch
Expanding the League of Legends Franchise
Riot Games has traditionally positioned League of Legends as the foundation of an expansive multimedia franchise, yet the company’s game development goals have historically centred on the original MOBA title itself. The revelation of a secret action RPG in production marks a notable change in strategy, suggesting Riot aims to diversify its game catalogue across different gameplay styles rather than depending exclusively on League’s competitive ecosystem. This approach reflects established series like The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy, where a main entry coexists alongside secondary games that venture into different gameplay styles. By creating an ARPG set within Runeterra, Riot can leverage the deep storytelling and established character base whilst reaching players who prefer solo or cooperative gameplay over multiplayer competition.
The timing of these developments is particularly noteworthy given Riot’s wide-ranging franchise expansion strategy. Alongside the action RPG project, the company has invested heavily in the long-gestating League of Legends MMO, recruiting Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to expedite the production process following a substantial restructuring in 2024. This dual-track approach suggests Riot is working towards an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s digital ecosystem. Rather than directly competing with one another, these endeavours appear designed to serve different audience segments—the MMO catering to persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG appeals to players looking for compelling story-based action gameplay. Together, they constitute Riot’s boldest 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 reveal tantalising evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has upheld complete silence about an official announcement or release window. The contract positions listed on the company’s careers page point to the project is still in early-stage research and development, indicating it could be a considerable time from launch. Industry observers familiar with game development cycles note that hiring for essential positions such as Combat Game Designer commonly represents the beginning stages of production rather than an imminent release. This deliberate approach allows Riot to develop strong combat mechanics and gameplay systems ahead of growing the team further, a practical strategy given the intense competition of action RPGs.
The Shanghai studio’s participation in this project reflects Riot’s international development framework and the studio’s demonstrated proficiency in creating compelling interactive experiences. By situating the ARPG project at this facility rather than concentrating resources at a sole headquarters, Riot showcases its dedication to decentralised development approaches that have produced successful outcomes across its product lineup. The company’s history with League of Legends suggests audiences should anticipate a refined, well-designed experience whenever the ARPG eventually emerges. However, with the MMO also consuming considerable resources and effort, the ARPG might not arrive until 2027 or later, depending on completion targets and Riot’s resource allocation decisions.
What Participants Should Anticipate
Should the ARPG reach completion, players can expect a solo or multiplayer cooperative action experience set within the expansive universe of Runeterra, leveraging the universe’s established lore and beloved champions. The emphasis on character design and combat feel suggests Riot aims to deliver visceral, skill-based gameplay rather than a conventional dungeon crawler. Fans of character-rich action titles and those looking for a different flavour of League engagement may consider the ARPG particularly appealing, offering an contrast with the pvp-focused focus that has shaped the franchise from its launch.
