Riot’s League of Legends MMO Is Being ‘Reset,’ Likely Going Dark for ‘Several Years’ [IGN]

Riot Games’ highly anticipated MMO project has been “reset” and likely won’t appear for “several years.”

Riot co-founder Marc Merrill updated players with a thread on X/Twitter, letting them know that the team made the decision to go back to the drawing board “some time ago.” He explains that the “initial vision just wasn’t different enough from what you can play today,” so while the currently unnamed MMORPG is absolutely still in development, major changes behind the scenes will keep it under wraps for quite a while longer.

“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,” Merrill said. “This is a huge challenge, but one that our team of deeply passionate MMO players and game development veterans is incredibly motivated to pursue.”

To help maintain a smooth transition, the League of Legends developer has brought on Fabrice Condominas as executive producer. In a separate post, Condominas expressed his excitement while addressing the undeniable challenge the team faces, saying, “The road ahead is long, and we are still in the first few miles of a marathon. But I’m confident in our journey and excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.”

Excited and humbled to join this incredibly talented team and take on the huge responsibility of leading a game with such high expectations.
Developing an MMO is a monumental undertaking, and while I am eager to dive into the work, I am also mindful of the patience and… https://t.co/FKJhg7lPSR

— Fabrice Condominas (@Faburisu) March 20, 2024

The League of Legends studio has prepared for a switch-up for some time and seems confident in its ability to build an ambitious MMO. As former executive producer Vijay Thakkar moves out from the spot, he’ll remain on the leadership team as technical director.

Merrill understands the fans who don’t want to wait to see what a full-fledged Riot MMO would look like but says the time spent in the dark will “help provide space for the team to focus on the incredible amount of work ahead of them.”

“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.

— Tryndamere (@MarcMerrill) March 20, 2024

Longtime League of Legends fans might be worried after hearing Riot is changing course, but today’s update seems to point toward a more positive direction after a few years of distressing news. The studio remained mostly quiet after the MMO project was unceremoniously announced in 2020. That is until 2022, when then-Executive Producer Greg Street warned fans that there is “no guarantee this game will ship.” The lead then went on to announce his departure from Riot in early 2023.

Riot has laid the groundwork to create what it says will be a better game, and it’s taking the steps to make it happen. While we begin the long wait for more news, be sure to check out nwes on some of the studio’s other upcoming projects, such as first information on Arcane Season 2 or the reveal of 2XKO.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.