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—suggest an early-stage project is coming together, with both roles flagging 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 comes 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 Comes to Light
The two contract postings discovered on Riot’s jobs page reveal intriguing details about the Shanghai studio’s secret project. The Game Combat Designer role specifically seeks someone with deep expertise of action games and action RPGs, with specific focus on crafting compelling combat feel, intuitive mechanics, and advanced AI systems. This indicates 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, actively iterating on core systems rather than refining an established base.
Alongside the design position, Riot is hiring 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 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 exploring what an action-focused League experience might entail. The hiring strategy indicates the studio is assembling a focused though modest, core team to test and refine fundamental gameplay mechanics.
- Combat Game Designer role concentrates on action/ARPG mechanics development
- CG animator contributes stylized character animation knowledge to project
- Initial research and development suggests years remain before possible launch
- Unreal Engine chosen as primary development platform for title
Combat Mechanics and Technical Specifications
What the Job Listings Reveal
The Combat Game Designer posting offers crucial insight into the project’s mechanical ambitions. Candidates need to show extensive knowledge in action-based games and ARPGs, with specific focus on creating engaging combat feel—a hallmark of successful titles in the genre. The role clearly demands building and iterating on combat systems from scratch using Unreal Engine, suggesting Riot plans to create something distinctly different from League of Legends’ turn-based MOBA mechanics. The focus 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 specification details outlined in the listings reveal a systematic, process-driven production strategy. Candidates are required to work within a small, early-stage team where individual contributions carry substantial weight. The emphasis on “combat feel” rather than simply mechanical balance indicates Riot prioritises user experience and feedback—qualities critical to modern action RPGs. This hiring strategy indicates the Shanghai studio is not rushing to production but rather dedicating resources to prototyping and validating core gameplay loops before scaling the project further.
- Extensive knowledge in action and ARPG design mechanics needed
- Combat feel and player feedback given priority over mechanical balance
- AI systems development suggests potential single-player or cooperative focus
- Unreal selected as primary technical development platform
- Early-stage prototyping phase indicates years until market launch
Broadening the League of Legends Franchise
Riot Games has consistently positioned League of Legends as the centrepiece of an sprawling multimedia franchise, yet the company’s game development goals have conventionally centred on the original MOBA title itself. The revelation of a undisclosed action RPG project in production marks a notable change in strategy, suggesting Riot aims to diversify its gaming portfolio across different gameplay styles rather than relying solely on League’s esports infrastructure. This approach echoes successful franchises like The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy, where a flagship title coexists alongside spin-offs that delve into different gaming experiences. By creating an ARPG situated in Runeterra, Riot can leverage the extensive mythology and established character base whilst reaching players who prefer solo or cooperative gameplay over competitive online play.
The scheduling of these developments is notably important given Riot’s wide-ranging franchise expansion strategy. Alongside the action role-playing game project, the company has poured significant investment in the extended-development League of Legends MMO, hiring Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to speed up development following a substantial restructuring in 2024. This two-pronged strategy suggests Riot is working towards an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s digital ecosystem. Rather than going head-to-head with one another, these projects appear designed to serve different audience segments—the MMO catering to persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG appeals to players pursuing compelling story-based action gameplay. Together, they constitute Riot’s most aggressive expansion of the League franchise beyond its MOBA origins.
| 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 |
Timeframe and Growth Prospects
Whilst the position listings provide compelling evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has preserved absolute silence regarding an public statement or availability date. The contract positions posted to the company’s careers page point to the project continues in early-stage research and development, indicating it could be several years away from launch. Industry observers versed in game development cycles note that hiring for essential positions such as Combat Game Designer typically signals the beginning stages of production rather than an upcoming release. This careful tempo allows Riot to create solid combat mechanics and gameplay systems prior to scaling the team further, a practical strategy given the demanding market of action RPGs.
The Shanghai studio’s contribution in this initiative reflects Riot’s international development framework and the studio’s proven expertise in creating compelling interactive experiences. By positioning the ARPG project at this site rather than concentrating resources at a single headquarters, Riot illustrates its dedication to decentralised development approaches that have generated favourable results across its range of titles. The company’s history with League of Legends suggests players can expect a polished, mechanically sound experience whenever the ARPG eventually emerges. However, with the MMO also demanding significant resources and attention, the ARPG might not arrive until 2027 or later, contingent upon completion targets and Riot’s resource allocation decisions.
What Gamers Should Be Prepared For
Should the ARPG reach completion, players can expect a solo or multiplayer cooperative action experience set within the expansive universe of Runeterra, utilising the universe’s established lore and iconic champions. The focus 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 looking for a different flavour of League engagement may discover the ARPG notably attractive, providing an departure from the competitive online multiplayer focus that has defined the franchise since its inception.
