Riot might be cooking up a LoL action RPG

Riot’s careers page just served up a couple of job listings that strongly suggest a League of Legends action RPG is in the very early stages. The roles are contract positions at Riot’s Shanghai studio and they specifically call for experience building action combat and stylized character animation.

What the job postings actually say

  • One role is for a Combat Game Designer, expected to design, build, and iterate combat systems from the ground up in Unreal Engine. The listing emphasizes combat feel, mechanics, and AI, which are the nuts and bolts of any action RPG.
  • The other role is for a CG Animator with experience in stylized character work. That fits with Riot’s usual visual approach and suggests work on playable characters rather than background assets.

Both listings flag familiarity with the League of Legends IP as a bonus, which puts Runeterra front and center as the likely setting.

Why this matters now

Earlier this year Riot moved Raymond Bartos, a former Lead Producer on World of Warcraft, into the Senior Game Producer role on its long-gestating LoL MMO. That hire signaled the MMO had recovered from its 2024 reset and was moving toward active production.

Add a Shanghai team quietly building combat systems and character animation for an action title, and you have more than one LoL-shaped project in the works. In short, Riot appears to be branching the franchise beyond its MOBA roots.

Caveats and reality check

  • These are contract, early-stage R&D postings. That means the project could still be years away or might never reach players.
  • Riot has not officially announced any LoL-adjacent action RPG. Job listings hint at intent but are not confirmations of a finished plan.

Bottom line

Riot’s hiring in Shanghai lines up with a broader push to expand the League franchise. Between the MMO leadership change and these combat-focused roles, Riot looks like it is quietly exploring action RPG territory in Runeterra. Keep expectations measured, but keep an eye on the careers page if you want the first signs of what could become the next LoL spin-off.