Indications suggest that the developers at Riot Games are working on an MMORPG. It could be called Legends of Runeterra. We will show you what supports this claim.
What is it about? Since the founder of League of Legends asked in a tweet what players think of a LoL MMO, speculation in the gaming community has been rampant. Although Riot quickly backtracked, stating that it wasn’t an announcement, much speaks in favor of a LoL MMORPG.
Riot Games hires people with MMO background
Between 2014 and 2016, Riot Games hired employees with extensive knowledge of MMORPGs (via Reddit).
- Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street: Worked for five years at Blizzard Entertainment and was the Lead Systems Designer on World of Warcraft
- Began working at Riot Games as a Game Designer for LoL, was then reassigned for an unknown project and is now in Creative Development.
- Nicholas Konkle: Now works as Design Lead at Riot Games after previously working for ZeniMax for seven years
- Anana Gupta: Now Principal Game Designer at Riot Games, previously worked for three years at ZeniMax, including on The Elder Scrolls Online
During this time, Riot Games hired more employees with backgrounds in MMORPG development.
More focus on Lore – Building a solid background?
When new employees were hired in 2014, League of Legends also saw an increased focus on lore. This focus is still present today.
The backstories of the champions were revised and refreshed on the LoL websites. Events on Bilgewater and Mount Targon were launched, introduced with stories. Slowly, the world of League of Legends became more defined for the players.
- In 2015, there was an event for the Night of Shadows in LoL with a lot of reading material
- At the beginning of 2016 during the Targon event, LoL also focused heavily on backstory
- In 2018, an interactive map of League of Legends was introduced, where you can explore the world “Runeterra” with all its stories
- In addition, comics were announced in 2018. They are now being released in 2019 and shed light on the backstories of the champions. The first LoL comic is about Ashe.
That’s why lore is important: Through events, maps, and even comics, players are now brought closer to the lore of the characters and the world of Runeterra. Riot invests a lot of employee time here. If an MMORPG really emerges, a solid foundation with character and world stories is extremely important.
Employees comment in 2018 on a LoL MMORPG
The most direct shot towards an MMO came from Riot founder Marc Merrill himself. On Twitter, he asked whether Riot Games should build an MMO. Yes or No. Attached to the tweet was the aforementioned interactive map of Runeterra.
Just the hint about an MMO from the LoL creators sparked a huge hype in the community. Players are eager to experience the deep lore of League of Legends in a different game, like an MMORPG.
Quickly the US PR chief of Riot Games backtracked and said that Marc Merrill was just being playful with his tweet because he was excited about the release of the new map.
However, people wanted to talk to Marc Merrill again and asked him about his tweet and a LoL MMO. It became clear that the topic is not off the table yet. Merrill said that the reactions and interest in a LoL MMO were surprising for the studio. Then he dodged the question of whether they are currently working on it. They don’t want to compete with WoW, said Merrill. So that’s neither a yes nor a no.
World of Warcraft seems to be the big competitor for many, but why is that?
When it became known that Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street was stepping down as Design Director for LoL and is now Head of Creative Development, fans looked closer. What did it mean that the guy with the WoW knowledge was no longer working on LoL but on a new, unknown project?
Ghostcrawler himself then wrote on Reddit: “If I were working on an MMO (which I’m not), I would make the fights more enjoyable. More tactical and responsive. WoW felt at times like you were just watching the cooldowns in the UI and not the action.”
Securing the brand Legends of Runeterra
In November 2018, it was revealed that Riot Games secured the trademark rights for “Legends of Runeterra.” Speculation rose about a mobile game. LoL was supposed to be released as a mobile version, but Riot refused. Now a LoL clone on mobile is a hit.
Others say: Legends of Runeterra – that already sounds like an MMORPG. And all the preparation with the new employees and the lore development could suggest that a LoL MMO has been in the works for some years. In 2017, Riot’s heads explained that they want to give meaning to the “S” in Riot Games and LoL should not be the only flagship.
Are you looking for a new MMORPG but can’t wait for the LoL MMO? Then there are these MMORPGs in 2019:
