Riot Games appears to be developing a League of Legends action RPG behind closed doors, 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 coming together, with both roles highlighting 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 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 tantalising details about the Shanghai-based studio’s secret project. The Combat Game Designer role specifically seeks someone with extensive knowledge of action games and action RPGs, with specific focus on crafting engaging combat experience, intuitive mechanics, and responsive artificial intelligence systems. This suggests Riot is building something mechanically sophisticated from scratch, using Unreal Engine as the development platform. The posting shows the team is still in early stages, continuously refining core systems rather than refining an existing foundation.
Alongside the design position, Riot is hiring a CG animator with expertise in stylised character work—a recruitment decision that hints at the visual direction the project may take. Given League of Legends’ distinctive art style, this animator would probably help establish a cohesive aesthetic for the action RPG. Whilst temporary positions at this developmental stage generally indicate projects remain some distance from launch, the pairing of these roles 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 dedicated, albeit small, 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 expertise to project
- Early-stage R&D indicates considerable time remains before possible launch
- Unreal Engine selected as main development platform for title
Combat Mechanics and Technical Specifications
What the Vacancies Indicate
The Combat Game Designer job listing provides crucial insight into the project’s mechanical ambitions. Candidates must demonstrate deep expertise in action-based games and ARPGs, with specific focus on crafting satisfying combat feel—a hallmark of acclaimed games in the genre. The role explicitly requires developing and refining on combat mechanics from scratch using Unreal Engine, suggesting Riot intends to develop 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 illustrate a systematic, process-driven development approach. Candidates are required to work within a small, early-stage team where individual contributions carry substantial weight. The focus on “combat feel” rather than merely mechanical balance suggests Riot places value on user experience and feedback—qualities vital for modern action RPGs. This hiring strategy indicates the Shanghai studio is not rushing to production but rather investing time in prototyping and validating core gameplay loops before scaling the project further.
- Deep expertise in action and ARPG design mechanics needed
- Combat feel and player responsiveness given priority over mechanical balance
- AI systems development suggests potential single-player or cooperative focus
- Unreal chosen as primary technical development engine
- Early prototyping stage indicates considerable time until commercial release
Expanding the League of Legends Universe
Riot Games has long positioned League of Legends as the cornerstone of an sprawling multimedia franchise, yet the company’s game development goals have conventionally centred on the original MOBA title itself. The disclosure of a undisclosed action RPG project in development marks a notable change in strategy, suggesting Riot plans to diversify its gaming portfolio across multiple genres 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 supplementary titles that delve into different gameplay styles. By producing an ARPG set within Runeterra, Riot can tap into the rich lore and established character base whilst attracting players who prefer solo or cooperative gameplay over competitive multiplayer.
The timing of these advancements is especially significant given Riot’s wide-ranging franchise expansion strategy. Alongside the action RPG project, the company has invested heavily in the extended-development League of Legends MMO, bringing on Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to accelerate production following a significant reset in 2024. This parallel development path suggests Riot is pursuing an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s interactive landscape. Rather than directly competing with one another, these endeavours appear designed to serve different audience segments—the MMO targeting persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG caters to players pursuing story-driven, action-focused adventures. Together, they constitute Riot’s most ambitious growth 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 offer intriguing evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has preserved absolute silence about an official announcement or launch timeframe. The contract positions posted to the company’s careers page suggest the project continues 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 essential positions such as Combat Game Designer typically signals the beginning stages of production rather than an imminent release. This measured pace allows Riot to develop strong combat mechanics and gameplay systems prior to scaling the team further, a sensible approach given the competitive landscape of action RPGs.
The Shanghai studio’s participation in this initiative reflects Riot’s international development framework and the studio’s established track record in crafting engaging gameplay experiences. By situating the ARPG project at this site rather than consolidating efforts at a unified central hub, Riot demonstrates its dedication to decentralised development approaches that have yielded positive results across its portfolio. The company’s track record with League of Legends suggests players can expect a polished, technically proficient offering whenever the ARPG finally releases. However, with the MMO also consuming considerable resources and effort, the ARPG could not launch until 2027 or afterwards, depending on project milestones and Riot’s resource allocation decisions.
What Participants Should Anticipate
Should the ARPG reach completion, players can anticipate a single-player or co-operative action experience situated in the vibrant world of Runeterra, leveraging the world’s existing lore and beloved champions. The spotlight on character design and combat mechanics suggests Riot intends to provide intense, mechanically demanding gameplay rather than a conventional dungeon crawler. Fans of narrative-driven action titles and those looking for a fresh approach of League engagement may discover the ARPG especially compelling, offering an alternative to the competitive online multiplayer focus that has characterised the franchise from the beginning.
