A few years ago, Riot Games announced the development of an MMORPG set in Runeterra, the universe of its ultra-popular MOBA League of Legends.
We haven't heard much since, and today we learn why thanks to a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) by co-founder and co-chairman Marc Merrill, who revealed that the project's development has been reset some time ago.
That being said, he also confirmed that the game is still in the works.
We hear that the developer has taken the difficult decision to go back to the drawing board because the initial vision didn't do enough to differentiate itself from other MMORPG that already exist on the market.
The aim is to achieve something that would bring a "significant evolution of the genre" and this new direction will be led by executive producer Fabrice Condominas, who worked on Star Wars: Squadrons at EA, and Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect Andromeda at Bioware.
The previous executive producer, Vijay Thakkar, will remain on the project and revert to his previous role as Technical Director.
Unfortunately, this also means that we won't hear any news about this project for a long time. According to Merrill, it could take "several years," as you can see in the full message below.
Hey all - We know many of you are hungry for news about the Riot Games MMO project, and we really appreciate your patience and the incredible support you've shown us so far. I’m writing to update you today on where we’re at. And before anyone panics: yes, we are still working on the game.
After a lot of reflection and discussion, we've decided to reset the direction of the project some time ago. This decision wasn't easy, but it was necessary. The initial vision just wasn’t different enough from what you can play today.
We don’t believe you all want an MMO that you’ve played before with a Runeterra coat of paint; to truly do justice to the potential of Runeterra and to meet the incredibly high expectations of players around the world, we need to do something that truly feels like a significant evolution of the genre.
This is a huge challenge, but one that our team of deeply passionate MMO players and game development veterans is incredibly motivated to pursue.
With this new direction, I'm excited to introduce @Faburisu as the new Executive Producer of the MMO. Fabrice's experience as a player and passion for creating immersive worlds is extraordinary. Having led big projects at Riot, BioWare, and EA, he brings a fresh perspective and a shared commitment to excellence that will guide our team as they continue on this difficult journey.
We started laying the groundwork for this pivot some time ago and over the last year under Vijay Thakkar’s management, we built key components of the technical foundation to create the kind of ambitious game we’re talking about. We’re grateful for Vijay’s leadership and that he’ll be part of the game leadership team going forward as our Technical Director.
Resetting our development path also means we will be "going dark" for a long time—likely several years. This silence will help provide space for the team to focus on the incredible amount of work ahead of them. We understand the excitement and anticipation that surrounds new information, but we ask for your trust during this silent phase.
Remember, 'no news is good news,' as it means we're hard at work, pouring our hearts and souls into making something that we hope you’ll love.
Thank you for believing in us and for your patience. We’re incredibly committed to this mission and we look forward to the adventure ahead and the stories we'll tell together.
The project survived a massive wave of layoffs at Riot Games that saw the departure of about 530 employees. Unfortunately, this resulted in the elimination of the Riot Forge label, which has allowed external developers to expand the League of Legends lore and world.
The charming Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is the last game for Riot Forge, as the developer refocuses its resources on its core games. Yet, the League of Legends fighting game 2XKO is also moving forward.
