Untitled Runeterra MMO

The Announcement and Early Vision

Riot Games publicly announced its intention to create a League of Legends MMO in December 2020. The reveal was made by Greg Street, a veteran of the genre who had previously worked on World of Warcraft. The announcement signaled Riot's expansion beyond its core multiplayer online battle arena game into a persistent online world.

Initial statements from the company outlined a broad vision for the project. The game was described as having a very large open world designed as a persistent sandbox. Riot emphasized a philosophy of respecting player time, suggesting the MMO would require a lower time commitment and feature less fear of missing out compared to other titles in the genre. The company also confirmed it would feature third-person perspective and action-oriented combat, moving away from traditional tab-targeting systems.

Early research and development for a League of Legends MMO had actually begun as early as 2016, four years before the public announcement. Following the 2020 reveal, other Riot employees used social media to state they were searching for MMO veterans to join the growing team. In the months after the announcement, Riot provided only limited public updates about the project's progress.

A Major Reset and New Direction

Development took a dramatic turn in early 2024. Riot co-founder Marc Merrill confirmed the project had undergone a significant reset some time earlier. The core reason was that the existing version of the game was judged to be too similar to other MMORPGs already on the market. Riot stated it did not want to merely copy established games with a Runeterra theme, but instead aimed to create a significant evolution of the genre.

This reset coincided with leadership changes. Greg Street departed Riot in March 2023, citing personal and professional reasons. He was temporarily replaced by Vijay Thakkar, who focused on preparing the technical foundations for future development due to his previous experience as the game's technical director. The decision to reset the MMO was made around the time of Street’s departure.

Following the reset announcement, Fabrice Condominas was named the new executive producer. Merrill declared that the project would now go dark, entering a period of limited public communication for several years, advising fans that no news was good news as the team worked. Vijay Thakkar, who had been leading the technical preparation, later left Riot in December 2024.

Building the Team with Genre Veterans

Since the reset, Riot has steadily recruited experienced talent from the MMO industry, particularly from World of Warcraft. In January 2026, Raymond Bartos, a former lead producer on that game, joined as a senior game producer. This was followed in April by Orlando Salvatore, a former software engineer, taking a role as senior engineer manager.

The most notable combat design hire came in June 2026, when Brian Holinka joined as a principal game designer. Holinka was previously the lead combat designer for World of Warcraft, responsible for class design and player versus player content. These hires signal a concerted effort to build a team with deep genre expertise to execute on Riot's new vision.

The game will be part of Riot's new unified Runeterra canon, which includes all Runeterra content released after October 13, 2023, such as the Arcane series and Legends of Runeterra. This ensures narrative consistency across Riot's expanding portfolio of games and media set in this world.

Internal Challenges and External Scrutiny

Development has not been without external pressures. In August 2026, Riot's decision to wind down development on another project, 2XKO, raised questions about the company's commitment to long-term, expensive game development. Industry media outlets like PC Gamer expressed concern that the lengthy cycles and high costs associated with MMOs could make the Runeterra project vulnerable.

This prompted some skepticism within gaming communities, including the fighting game community, regarding whether Riot would see the MMO through to completion. IGN later stated that sentiment among fans had a healthy dose of skepticism regarding Riot's commitment to the MMO following the 2XKO news.

The company has also explored external opportunities, confirming in April 2026 that it had previously considered investing in or acquiring Intrepid Studios, the developer of another MMO in development called Ashes of Creation, but ultimately chose not to proceed with a deal.

The Grail Quest

At the PAX West event in September 2026, Marc Merrill offered a candid look at the project's internal status. He revealed that the team jokingly refers to the MMO as The Grail, acknowledging the difficulty of the undertaking but also its ultimate value. Merrill stated that many a brave knight will die on the grail quest, but that the goal was worth the effort.

He addressed player expectations directly, stating Riot was aware of them and that the challenge was in the execution. Despite the difficulties and reset, Merrill asserted the project's future was bright and that Riot was more committed than ever to its development. He remains heavily involved in supervising the new direction under executive producer Fabrice Condominas.

Merrill explained that the game is a major long-term project for Riot. He emphasized that the internal name reflects the difficulty of the task, but also the company's determination to pursue what it sees as a worthwhile and major goal for the MMO genre.

Anticipation in a Shifting Market

Despite the complete absence of released gameplay footage, screenshots, or even an official title, the Untitled Runeterra MMO maintains a position as one of the most anticipated upcoming games in its genre. This is largely due to the massive global popularity of the League of Legends intellectual property and Riot Games' reputation as a developer.

Interest has been sustained even as other MMOs launched in 2025 and 2026 failed to find a sustainable audience. The combination of Riot's resources, the rich lore of Runeterra, and the promise of a genre evolution continues to fuel significant player and industry attention, waiting for the moment Riot breaks its silence.

The project is frequently cited among the most anticipated upcoming MMORPGs. This anticipation persists specifically because several other MMOs released in the mid-2020s did not manage to attract a lasting player base, leaving a perceived opening for a major new entry.

Current Status and Known Details

As of late 2026, the game remains in active development with no official release date or title. Marc Merrill has stated it is expected to be released before 2030. The business model is unlikely to be pay to play or subscription based, aligning with Riot's history of creating free-to-play games supported by cosmetic microtransactions. Greg Street had previously stated this model was unlikely, citing Riot's typical approach.

No MMO exclusive artwork, trailers, or leaks have reached the public. The game will exist within Riot's unified Runeterra canon, which includes all related content released after October 2023 such as Arcane and Legends of Runeterra. The team continues its work on what they internally call The Grail, building towards a reveal they hope will justify the long wait.

Riot has confirmed the game will have innovative gameplay concepts and action RPG elements alongside its persistent sandbox world. Beyond the confirmed details of third-person perspective and action combat, specific features remain undisclosed. The project is in active development under Fabrice Condominas, with Marc Merrill heavily involved in the new direction.