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 coming together, with both roles flagging familiarity with the League of Legends IP as a sought-after requirement. Neither listing formally identifies 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 keeps broadening the franchise outside of 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 tantalising details about the Shanghai-based studio’s secret project. The Combat Game Designer role actively looks for someone with deep expertise of action games and ARPGs, with particular emphasis on crafting engaging combat experience, intuitive mechanics, and advanced AI systems. This suggests Riot is building something mechanically sophisticated from scratch, using Unreal Engine as the development platform. The job description indicates the team is still in initial phases, continuously refining core systems rather than polishing 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 artistic trajectory the project may take. Given League of Legends’ unique visual aesthetic, this animator would likely help establish a cohesive aesthetic for the action RPG. Whilst contract roles at this early phase generally indicate projects remain years away from launch, the combination of these two positions suggests Riot has committed meaningful resources to investigating 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 core gameplay concepts.
- Combat Game Designer role concentrates on action-RPG systems development
- CG animator contributes stylized character animation knowledge to project
- Initial research and development indicates considerable time remains before potential release
- Unreal Engine chosen as primary development platform for title
Combat Design and Technical Requirements
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 hallmark of successful titles in the genre. The role explicitly requires 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 building advanced enemy AI systems, possibly intended for single-player and co-operative experiences rather than exclusively competitive gameplay.
The technical requirements presented within the listings paint a picture of a systematic, process-driven production strategy. Candidates are expected to work within a compact, nascent team where personal input carry substantial weight. 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 demonstrates the Shanghai studio is avoiding hasty moves toward production but rather dedicating resources to prototyping and validating core gameplay loops before expanding operations further.
- Deep expertise in action games and ARPG game mechanics needed
- Combat feel and player feedback emphasised over mechanical balance
- Development of AI systems suggests likely single-player or co-op emphasis
- Unreal Engine chosen as primary technical development engine
- Early prototyping phase suggests considerable time until market launch
Broadening the League of Legends World
Riot Games has traditionally positioned League of Legends as the foundation of an extensive multimedia franchise, yet the company’s game development goals have traditionally centred on the original MOBA title itself. The disclosure of a undisclosed action RPG project in development marks a significant shift in strategy, suggesting Riot intends to diversify its game catalogue across various genres rather than depending exclusively on League’s competitive ecosystem. This approach reflects successful franchises like The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy, where a flagship title coexists alongside spin-offs that venture into different gaming experiences. By producing an ARPG situated in Runeterra, Riot can leverage the extensive mythology and established character base whilst attracting players who prefer single-player or co-operative experiences over multiplayer competition.
The timing of these advancements is particularly noteworthy given Riot’s wide-ranging franchise expansion strategy. Alongside the action RPG initiative, the company has invested heavily in the long-in-development League of Legends MMO, recruiting Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to expedite the production process following a major overhaul in 2024. This two-pronged strategy suggests Riot is chasing an expansive vision for Runeterra’s gaming environment. Rather than competing directly with one another, these endeavours appear designed to serve different player demographics—the MMO targeting persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG caters to players seeking narrative-driven action experiences. 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 |
Timeline and Development Outlook
Whilst the position listings provide compelling 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 foundational development stages, suggesting it could be several years away from launch. Industry observers versed in game development cycles note that hiring for foundational roles such as Combat Game Designer generally indicates the initial stages of production rather than an imminent release. This deliberate approach allows Riot to create solid combat mechanics and gameplay systems before expanding the team further, a sensible approach given the intense competition of action RPGs.
The Shanghai studio’s contribution in this initiative reflects Riot’s global development infrastructure and the studio’s demonstrated proficiency in developing immersive gameplay. By situating 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 product lineup. The company’s history with League of Legends suggests gamers will receive a polished, technically proficient offering whenever the ARPG eventually emerges. However, with the MMO also demanding significant resources and attention, the ARPG could not launch until 2027 or later, depending on completion targets and the company’s strategic priorities.
What Participants Should Anticipate
Should the ARPG achieve completion, players can expect a solo or multiplayer cooperative action experience situated in the expansive universe of Runeterra, drawing upon the world’s existing lore and iconic champions. The emphasis on stylised character work and combat feel suggests Riot intends to provide intense, mechanically demanding gameplay rather than a conventional dungeon crawler. Fans of story-focused action titles and those seeking a alternative take of League engagement may consider the ARPG particularly appealing, providing an contrast with the pvp-focused focus that has characterised the franchise from the beginning.
