Why Riot Games' MMO might not see the light for years — Marc Merrill gives major update

Marc Merrill, President of Riot Games, gave an update on what the community calls the “Riot MMO” — Riot Games’ upcoming massive multiplayer online game — that was first announced in 2019 during their 10th year anniversary celebration.

The game company recently streamlined their workforce in January 2024, laying off 11% of their workforce globally. In the same vein, they reiterated their commitment to investing in League of Legends, Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift without any mention of the Riot MMO.

On March 20 in a series of tweets on X, Marc Merrill confirmed that the project hasn’t been cancelled. However, while they’re still working on the game, there’s been changes ongoing in the background that impacts its timeline.

President of Riot Games Marc Merrill gives detailed update on Riot MMO

“After a lot of reflection and discussion, we’ve decided to reset the direction of the project some time ago,” wrote Marc. “This decision wasn’t easy, but it was necessary. The initial vision just wasn’t different enough from what you can play today.”

He believes that the market doesn’t want another MMO with a “Runeterra coat of paint,” but rather one that fully realizes Runeterra’s potential. To meet the high expectations of players worldwide, Riot Games aims to create an experience that truly represents a substantial evolution of the genre.

The Riot Games President further revealed that the change in direction occurred “some time ago.” Vijay Thakkar, the previous Technical Director of Wild Rift and current Technical Director of the Riot MMO, has developed essential elements of the technical foundation to realize the company’s ambitious vision.

The new Executive Producer of the MMO is Fabrice “Faburisu” Condominas who previously worked as a Lead Producer with EA. He was also a Lead Producer at Bioware (Mass Effect 3), and spent time at EA Mobile and DC Studios.

“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,” Marc stated.

“We understand the excitement and anticipation that surrounds new information, but we ask for your trust during this silent phase.”

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