Riot Games appears to be developing a League of Legends action RPG behind closed doors, 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—suggest an early-stage project is taking shape, 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 strongly indicates the title will be set within the League universe. The discovery comes as Riot continues expanding 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 Comes to Light
The two contract listings discovered on Riot’s careers page reveal tantalising details about the Shanghai studio’s mysterious undertaking. The Game Combat Designer role actively looks for someone with extensive knowledge of action games and ARPGs, with specific focus on developing engaging combat experience, 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 posting shows the team is still in initial phases, actively iterating on core systems rather than polishing an existing foundation.
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 temporary positions at this early phase generally indicate projects remain years away 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 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 brings stylised character animation expertise to project
- Initial research and development indicates years remain before possible launch
- Unreal Engine chosen as main development platform for title
Combat Design and Technical Specifications
What the Job Listings Reveal
The Combat Game Designer job listing provides crucial insight into the project’s mechanical ambitions. Candidates must demonstrate extensive knowledge in action-based games and ARPGs, with particular emphasis on crafting satisfying combat feel—a hallmark of successful titles in the genre. The role clearly demands developing and refining on combat systems from scratch using Unreal Engine, suggesting Riot plans to create something fundamentally distinct from League of Legends’ turn-based MOBA mechanics. The focus on AI development suggests the studio is building sophisticated enemy behaviour systems, potentially for single-player or co-operative experiences rather than exclusively competitive gameplay.
The technical requirements outlined in the listings illustrate a systematic, process-driven production strategy. 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 indicates Riot places value on user experience and feedback—qualities essential to modern action RPGs. This recruitment approach demonstrates the Shanghai studio is not rushing to production but rather dedicating resources to prototyping and validating core gameplay loops before expanding operations further.
- Extensive knowledge in action and ARPG game mechanics needed
- Combat sensation and player responsiveness prioritised over balance mechanics
- Development of AI systems suggests likely single-player or co-op focus
- Unreal Engine chosen as main development platform
- Early prototyping stage indicates years before market launch
Expanding the League of Legends World
Riot Games has traditionally 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 secret action RPG in development marks a significant shift in strategy, suggesting Riot plans to diversify its game catalogue across various genres rather than depending exclusively on League’s competitive ecosystem. This approach mirrors established series like The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy, where a main entry coexists alongside supplementary titles that explore different gameplay styles. By developing an ARPG based in Runeterra, Riot can leverage the extensive mythology and established character base whilst appealing to players who prefer single-player or co-operative experiences over competitive online play.
The scheduling of these initiatives is particularly noteworthy given Riot’s broader franchise expansion efforts. Alongside the action RPG project, the company has invested heavily in the long-in-development League of Legends MMO, recruiting Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to speed up development following a significant reset in 2024. This parallel development path suggests Riot is working towards an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s gaming environment. Rather than going head-to-head with one another, these endeavours appear designed to serve different audience segments—the MMO serving persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG serves players looking for compelling story-based action gameplay. Together, they represent Riot’s boldest 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 |
Timeframe and Growth Prospects
Whilst the position listings offer intriguing evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has upheld complete silence regarding an public statement or availability date. The contract positions advertised on 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 familiar with game development cycles point out that hiring for essential positions such as Combat Game Designer commonly represents the beginning stages of production rather than an upcoming release. This deliberate approach allows Riot to establish robust combat mechanics and gameplay systems before expanding the team further, a sound method given the demanding market of action RPGs.
The Shanghai studio’s participation in this project reflects Riot’s worldwide development capabilities and the studio’s proven expertise in creating compelling interactive experiences. By positioning the ARPG project at this site rather than concentrating resources at a unified central hub, Riot illustrates its dedication to decentralised development approaches that have yielded positive results across its range of titles. The company’s history with League of Legends suggests gamers will receive a refined, well-designed experience whenever the ARPG eventually emerges. However, with the MMO also requiring substantial investment and focus, the ARPG might not arrive until 2027 or later, depending on development milestones and Riot’s internal priorities.
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, utilising the universe’s established lore and beloved champions. The emphasis on character design and combat mechanics suggests Riot intends to provide visceral, skill-based gameplay rather than a straightforward dungeon crawler. Fans of character-rich action titles and those looking for a different flavour of League engagement may discover the ARPG notably attractive, providing an departure from the competitive online multiplayer focus that has characterised the franchise since its inception.
