Riot Might Be Creating A New LoL RPG Game

League of Legends may be expanding beyond its traditional MOBA roots, as new contract roles point to an action RPG in development.

Riot’s Shanghai studio is hiring for multiple positions on an unannounced project, including a Combat Game Designer and a CG Animator. Both listings emphasize familiarity with the League of Legends universe as a bonus.

The Combat Game Designer role focuses on building and iterating combat systems from the ground up in Unreal Engine, with a strong emphasis on action/ARPG mechanics, AI, and player feel.

Context Within Riot’s LoL Plans

The CG Animator position seeks someone with experience in stylized character work, likely to bring LoL champions or other Runeterra-based characters to life.

Earlier this year, Riot appointed Raymond Bartos as Senior Game Producer for the long-in-development LoL MMO.

While that project has been underway, the Shanghai studio’s hiring suggests Riot is quietly branching into a separate LoL-adjacent action title.

Neither posting names the project explicitly, and as contract roles, the game could still be years away from release.

However, the combination of talent recruitment and IP focus indicates Riot is serious about exploring new gameplay experiences in the Runeterra setting.

What This Could Mean

• Riot is diversifying the LoL franchise beyond MOBA and card-based games like Legends of Runeterra
• Early-stage hiring for combat-focused roles suggests a strong ARPG/action emphasis
• Fans can expect potential new LoL experiences alongside the ongoing MMO development

The project remains unannounced, but the signs point to Riot quietly expanding the Runeterra universe into uncharted genres.