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 sought-after requirement. Neither listing officially names the project, but the emphasis on action gameplay mechanics and Runeterra expertise strongly indicates the title will be set within 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 Confidential Initiative Emerges
The two contract listings discovered on Riot’s jobs page reveal intriguing details about the Shanghai-based studio’s secret project. The Game Combat Designer role specifically seeks someone with deep expertise of action games and ARPGs, with particular emphasis on developing compelling combat feel, responsive controls, and advanced AI systems. This indicates Riot is developing something technically complex from the ground up, using Unreal Engine as the development platform. The job description shows the team is still in early stages, continuously refining fundamental mechanics rather than refining an existing foundation.
Alongside the design position, Riot is recruiting a CG animator experienced in stylised character work—a recruitment decision that hints at the visual direction the project may take. Given League of Legends’ unique visual aesthetic, this animator would probably help establish a cohesive aesthetic for the action RPG. Whilst temporary positions at this early phase generally indicate projects remain years away from launch, the combination of these two positions suggests Riot has invested significant effort to exploring what an action-focused League experience might entail. The recruitment approach 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 brings stylised character animation knowledge to project
- Early-stage R&D indicates considerable time remains before possible launch
- Unreal Engine chosen as main development platform for title
Combat Mechanics and Technical Requirements
What the Vacancies Indicate
The Combat Game Designer job listing offers valuable perspective into the project’s mechanical ambitions. Candidates must demonstrate 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 explicitly requires building and iterating on combat systems from scratch using Unreal Engine, indicating Riot intends to develop something fundamentally distinct from League of Legends’ turn-based MOBA mechanics. The focus on AI development indicates the studio is designing sophisticated enemy behaviour systems, possibly intended for single-player or co-operative experiences rather than purely competitive gameplay.
The technical requirements outlined in the listings illustrate a systematic, process-driven production strategy. Candidates are required to work within a compact, nascent team where individual contributions carry substantial weight. The emphasis on “combat feel” rather than merely mechanical balance suggests Riot prioritises player sensation and responsiveness—qualities critical to contemporary action role-playing games. This recruitment approach demonstrates the Shanghai studio is not rushing to production but rather investing time in prototyping and validating core gameplay loops before scaling the project further.
- Extensive knowledge in action and ARPG design mechanics required
- Combat feel and player feedback prioritised over mechanical balance
- Development of AI systems indicates potential single-player or co-op emphasis
- Unreal chosen as primary development engine
- Early prototyping phase indicates considerable time before commercial release
Growing the League of Legends Universe
Riot Games has long positioned League of Legends as the centrepiece of an extensive multimedia franchise, yet the company’s game development goals have historically centred on the original MOBA title itself. The announcement of a secret action RPG in development marks a major pivot in strategy, suggesting Riot plans to diversify its game catalogue across multiple genres rather than depending exclusively on League’s esports infrastructure. This approach echoes established series like The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy, where a main entry coexists alongside secondary games that delve into different play mechanics. By producing an ARPG set within Runeterra, Riot can leverage the extensive mythology and established character base whilst attracting players who prefer solo or cooperative gameplay over competitive multiplayer.
The timing of these developments is especially significant given Riot’s wide-ranging franchise expansion strategy. Alongside the action role-playing game project, the company has committed substantial resources in the extended-development League of Legends MMO, recruiting Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to speed up development following a major overhaul in 2024. This dual-track approach suggests Riot is pursuing an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s gaming environment. Rather than going head-to-head with one another, these initiatives appear created to address different player demographics—the MMO serving persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG appeals to players looking for story-driven, action-focused adventures. 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 vacancy announcements reveal tantalising evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has preserved absolute silence regarding an official announcement or release window. The contract positions listed on the company’s careers page suggest the project is still in early-stage research and development, implying it could be several years away from launch. Industry observers experienced in game development cycles observe that hiring for foundational roles such as Combat Game Designer typically signals the beginning stages of production rather than an near-term launch. This deliberate approach allows Riot to establish robust combat mechanics and gameplay systems before expanding the team further, a sound method 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 demonstrated proficiency in creating compelling interactive experiences. By placing the ARPG project at this site rather than consolidating efforts at a single headquarters, Riot illustrates its commitment to distributed development practices that have generated favourable results across its product lineup. The company’s experience developing League of Legends suggests audiences should anticipate a refined, well-designed experience whenever the ARPG ultimately launches. However, with the MMO also consuming considerable resources and effort, the ARPG might not arrive until 2027 or later, depending on development milestones and Riot’s resource allocation decisions.
What Participants Should Anticipate
Should the ARPG achieve completion, players can expect a single-player or co-operative action experience set within the vibrant world of Runeterra, drawing upon the universe’s established lore and iconic champions. The focus on stylised character work and combat feel suggests Riot aims to deliver intense, mechanically demanding gameplay rather than a standard dungeon crawler. Fans of story-focused action titles and those looking for a different flavour of League engagement may consider the ARPG notably attractive, offering an departure from the pvp-focused focus that has shaped the franchise from its launch.
