Riot Games appears to be developing a League of Legends action RPG in secret, 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 sought-after requirement. 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 keeps broadening 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 Comes to Light
The two contract listings found on Riot’s careers page unveil intriguing 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 particular emphasis on crafting compelling combat feel, intuitive mechanics, and advanced AI systems. This suggests Riot is building something technically complex from the ground up, using Unreal Engine as the core technology. The job description shows the team is still in early stages, continuously refining core systems rather than polishing an existing foundation.
Alongside the design position, Riot is recruiting a CG animator with expertise 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 likely help create a cohesive aesthetic for the action RPG. Whilst contract roles at this early phase generally indicate projects remain years away from launch, the pairing of these roles suggests Riot has invested significant effort to investigating what an action-focused League experience might entail. The hiring strategy indicates the studio is assembling a dedicated, albeit small, core team to prototype and validate fundamental gameplay mechanics.
- Combat Game Designer role concentrates on action/ARPG mechanics development
- CG animator contributes stylized character animation expertise to project
- Initial research and development indicates years remain before possible launch
- Unreal Engine selected as primary development platform for title
Combat Design 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 deep expertise in action-based 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 systems from scratch using Unreal Engine, indicating 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 advanced enemy AI systems, potentially for single-player and co-operative experiences rather than purely competitive gameplay.
The technical requirements presented within the listings reveal a systematic, process-driven development approach. Candidates are expected to work within a compact, nascent team where personal input hold significant importance. The emphasis on “combat feel” rather than merely mechanical balance indicates Riot prioritises player sensation and responsiveness—qualities essential to contemporary action role-playing games. This recruitment approach indicates the Shanghai studio is not rushing to production but rather dedicating resources to prototyping and validating core gameplay loops before expanding operations further.
- Strong proficiency in action games and ARPG game mechanics needed
- Combat feel and player responsiveness given priority over balance mechanics
- AI systems development indicates potential single-player or cooperative focus
- Unreal Engine chosen as main development engine
- Early prototyping stage indicates years before commercial release
Broadening the League of Legends World
Riot Games has long positioned League of Legends as the foundation of an expansive multimedia franchise, yet the company’s game development goals have traditionally centred on the original MOBA title itself. The disclosure of a secret action RPG in production marks a major pivot in strategy, suggesting Riot aims to diversify its game catalogue across multiple genres rather than relying solely on League’s competitive ecosystem. This approach reflects successful franchises like The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy, where a flagship title coexists alongside supplementary titles that venture into different play mechanics. By creating an ARPG set within Runeterra, Riot can leverage the deep storytelling and established character base whilst appealing to players who prefer single-player or co-operative experiences over competitive multiplayer.
The scheduling of these initiatives is notably important given Riot’s extensive franchise growth plans. Alongside the action RPG initiative, the company has committed substantial resources in the long-in-development League of Legends MMO, hiring Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to expedite the production process following a significant reset in 2024. This two-pronged strategy suggests Riot is pursuing an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s gaming environment. Rather than directly competing with one another, these projects appear created to address different market segments—the MMO serving persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG appeals to players seeking narrative-driven action experiences. 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 |
Project Timeline and Outlook
Whilst the vacancy announcements provide compelling evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has upheld complete silence about an formal reveal or release window. The contract positions listed on the company’s careers page indicate the project is still in early-stage research and development, indicating it could be a considerable time from launch. Industry observers versed in game development cycles observe that hiring for foundational roles such as Combat Game Designer generally indicates the beginning stages of production rather than an near-term launch. This measured pace allows Riot to create solid combat mechanics and gameplay systems prior to scaling the team further, a sound method given the intense competition of action RPGs.
The Shanghai studio’s participation in this initiative reflects Riot’s worldwide development capabilities and the studio’s established track record in crafting engaging gameplay experiences. By placing the ARPG project at this location rather than concentrating resources at a single headquarters, Riot demonstrates its dedication to decentralised development approaches that have yielded positive results across its product lineup. The company’s experience developing League of Legends suggests audiences should anticipate a polished, technically proficient offering whenever the ARPG finally releases. However, with the MMO also demanding significant resources and attention, the ARPG might not arrive until 2027 or later, based on completion targets and Riot’s internal priorities.
What Participants Should Anticipate
Should the ARPG be finished, players can expect a single-player or co-operative action experience placed in the vibrant world of Runeterra, drawing upon the world’s existing lore and beloved champions. The spotlight on visual character craftsmanship and gameplay feel suggests Riot seeks to create intense, mechanically demanding gameplay rather than a conventional dungeon crawler. Fans of narrative-driven action titles and those looking for a different flavour of League engagement may discover the ARPG particularly appealing, offering an contrast with the pvp-focused focus that has shaped the franchise since its inception.
