Riot Games seems 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 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 comes 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 Confidential Initiative Comes to Light
The two contract postings found on Riot’s jobs page unveil tantalising details about the Shanghai studio’s mysterious undertaking. The Combat Game Designer role actively looks for someone with deep expertise of action games and ARPGs, with particular emphasis on developing compelling combat feel, intuitive mechanics, and responsive artificial intelligence systems. This indicates Riot is building something technically complex from scratch, utilising Unreal Engine as the development platform. The job description shows the team is still in early stages, actively iterating on fundamental mechanics rather than refining an existing foundation.
Alongside the design position, Riot is recruiting a CG animator experienced 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 unified visual approach for the action RPG. Whilst temporary positions at this early phase typically signal 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 building a focused though modest, core team to prototype and validate fundamental gameplay mechanics.
- Action Game Designer role concentrates on action/ARPG mechanics development
- CG animator contributes stylized character animation expertise to project
- Initial research and development suggests considerable time remains before possible launch
- Unreal Engine chosen as primary development platform for title
Combat Design and Technical Specifications
What the Vacancies Indicate
The Combat Game Designer posting offers crucial insight into the project’s mechanical ambitions. Candidates must demonstrate extensive knowledge in action games and ARPGs, with particular emphasis on crafting satisfying combat feel—a defining characteristic of successful titles in the genre. The role explicitly requires building and iterating on combat systems from scratch using Unreal Engine, indicating Riot plans to create something distinctly different from League of Legends’ turn-based MOBA mechanics. The focus on AI development suggests the studio is building advanced enemy AI systems, possibly intended for single-player and co-operative experiences rather than exclusively competitive gameplay.
The specification details presented within the listings reveal a systematic, process-driven development approach. Candidates are required to work within a small, early-stage team where personal input carry substantial weight. The focus on “combat feel” rather than simply mechanical balance indicates Riot prioritises player sensation and responsiveness—qualities vital for modern action RPGs. This hiring strategy indicates the Shanghai studio is avoiding hasty moves toward production but rather investing time in testing and refining core gameplay loops before scaling the project further.
- Strong proficiency in action games and ARPG design mechanics needed
- Combat feel and player feedback emphasised over balance mechanics
- Development of AI systems suggests likely single-player or cooperative emphasis
- Unreal chosen as main technical development platform
- Early-stage prototyping stage indicates years before market launch
Broadening the League of Legends World
Riot Games has traditionally positioned League of Legends as the foundation of an expansive multimedia franchise, yet the company’s game development goals have conventionally centred on the original MOBA title itself. The announcement 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 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 secondary games that delve into different play mechanics. By producing 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 competitive multiplayer.
The pacing of these developments is notably important given Riot’s broader franchise expansion efforts. Alongside the action RPG project, the company has poured significant investment in the long-in-development League of Legends MMO, recruiting Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to speed up development following a major overhaul in 2024. This two-pronged strategy suggests Riot is working towards an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s digital ecosystem. Rather than competing directly with one another, these initiatives appear intended to cater to different player demographics—the MMO catering to persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG caters to players pursuing story-driven, action-focused adventures. 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 |
Project Timeline and Outlook
Whilst the position listings provide compelling evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has preserved absolute silence regarding an formal reveal or launch timeframe. The contract positions advertised on the company’s careers page indicate the project continues in foundational development stages, implying it could be years distant from launch. Industry observers versed in game development cycles point out that hiring for core positions such as Combat Game Designer commonly represents the initial stages of production rather than an near-term launch. 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 worldwide development capabilities and the studio’s established track record in developing immersive gameplay. By positioning the ARPG project at this site rather than concentrating resources at a unified central hub, Riot demonstrates its commitment to distributed development practices that have produced successful outcomes across its portfolio. The company’s experience developing League of Legends suggests players can expect a polished, mechanically sound experience 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 completion targets and Riot’s resource allocation decisions.
What Participants Should Anticipate
Should the ARPG be finished, players can look forward to a single-player or co-operative action experience placed in the expansive universe of Runeterra, leveraging the universe’s established lore and fan-favourite champions. The focus on character design and gameplay feel suggests Riot intends to provide intense, mechanically demanding gameplay rather than a straightforward dungeon crawler. Fans of story-focused action titles and those looking for a fresh approach of League engagement may discover the ARPG particularly appealing, offering an departure from the competitive online multiplayer focus that has characterised the franchise since its inception.
