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—suggest an early-stage project is taking shape, with both roles highlighting 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 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 Secret Project Emerges
The two contract postings found on Riot’s careers page reveal intriguing details about the Shanghai studio’s secret project. The Game Combat Designer role specifically seeks someone with extensive knowledge of action games and action RPGs, with specific focus on developing compelling combat feel, responsive controls, and responsive artificial intelligence systems. This indicates Riot is building something mechanically sophisticated from scratch, using Unreal Engine as the development platform. The posting shows the team is still in initial phases, actively iterating on core systems rather than polishing an existing foundation.
Alongside the design position, Riot is recruiting a CG animator with expertise in stylised character work—a recruitment decision that hints at the artistic trajectory the project may take. Given League of Legends’ unique visual aesthetic, this animator would likely help create a unified visual approach for the action RPG. Whilst contract roles at this early phase typically signal projects remain years away from launch, the combination of these two positions suggests Riot has invested significant effort to investigating what an action-focused League experience might entail. The recruitment approach indicates the studio is building a focused though modest, core team to prototype and validate core gameplay concepts.
- Combat Game Designer role concentrates on action-RPG systems development
- CG animator contributes stylised character animation knowledge to project
- Early-stage R&D indicates years remain before potential release
- Unreal Engine selected as primary development platform for title
Combat Design and Technical Requirements
What the Job Listings Reveal
The Combat Game Designer job listing offers 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 successful titles in the genre. The role explicitly requires developing and refining on combat systems from scratch using Unreal Engine, suggesting Riot intends to develop something fundamentally distinct 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 purely competitive gameplay.
The specification details outlined in the listings paint a picture of a systematic, process-driven development approach. Candidates are expected to work within a small, early-stage team where personal input hold significant importance. The focus on “combat feel” rather than merely mechanical balance suggests Riot places value on user experience and feedback—qualities essential 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.
- Deep expertise in action and ARPG design mechanics required
- Combat sensation and player responsiveness given priority over balance mechanics
- Development of AI systems suggests likely single-player or cooperative focus
- Unreal Engine selected as main development platform
- Early prototyping phase suggests considerable time until market launch
Growing the League of Legends World
Riot Games has traditionally positioned League of Legends as the centrepiece of an extensive multimedia franchise, yet the company’s gaming ambitions have traditionally centred on the original MOBA title itself. The revelation of a undisclosed action RPG project in production marks a major pivot in strategy, suggesting Riot plans to diversify its game catalogue 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 secondary games that venture into different gaming experiences. By producing an ARPG based in Runeterra, Riot can capitalise on the extensive mythology and established character base whilst appealing to players who prefer solo or cooperative gameplay over multiplayer competition.
The timing of these developments is especially significant given Riot’s wide-ranging franchise expansion strategy. Alongside the action RPG initiative, the company has poured significant investment in the long-gestating League of Legends MMO, bringing on Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to accelerate production following a significant reset in 2024. This two-pronged strategy suggests Riot is pursuing an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s gaming environment. Rather than directly competing with one another, these endeavours appear designed to serve different market segments—the MMO targeting persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG appeals to players looking for compelling story-based action gameplay. Together, they constitute Riot’s most aggressive expansion 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 job postings reveal tantalising evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has maintained strict silence regarding an formal reveal or launch timeframe. The contract positions advertised on the company’s careers page point to the project continues in early-stage research and development, implying it could be several years away from launch. Industry observers familiar with game development cycles observe that hiring for foundational roles such as Combat Game Designer commonly represents the beginning stages of production rather than an imminent release. This careful tempo allows Riot to establish robust combat mechanics and gameplay systems ahead of growing the team further, a practical strategy 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 developing immersive gameplay. By situating the ARPG project at this site rather than centralising operations at a single headquarters, Riot showcases its dedication to decentralised development approaches that have generated favourable results across its range of titles. The company’s track record with League of Legends suggests players can expect a refined, well-designed experience whenever the ARPG finally releases. However, with the MMO also requiring substantial investment and focus, the ARPG may not materialise until 2027 or later, based on completion targets 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 situated in the rich tapestry of Runeterra, drawing upon the world’s existing lore and fan-favourite champions. The spotlight on stylised character work and combat mechanics suggests Riot aims to deliver intense, mechanically demanding gameplay rather than a conventional dungeon crawler. Fans of story-focused action titles and those pursuing a alternative take of League engagement may consider the ARPG particularly appealing, presenting an alternative to the pvp-focused focus that has defined the franchise from the beginning.
