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    Riot MMO: What Happened to the League of Legends MMORPG?

    One of gaming's most anticipated MMORPGs has been in development for over seven years, but you've barely heard anything about it. Here's everything we know about Riot Games' League of Legends MMO, why it went dark, and the latest 2025 updates on this ambitious project.

    Quick Answer

    Is the Riot MMO Cancelled?

    The short answer you're looking for

    No, the Riot MMO is NOT cancelled. As of December 2025, the League of Legends MMO is still in active development, though it underwent a major design reset in March 2024. Riot co-founder Marc Merrill confirmed in February 2025 that the MMO is "probably the project I personally spend the most time on" and that "the team has a great direction now and is making a lot of momentum."

    However, the project has "gone dark" for several years while the team rebuilds from scratch. Don't expect any major announcements or a release date anytime soon - this is a long-term project that likely won't surface publicly until late 2026 at the earliest.

    Development Timeline

    The Riot MMO Journey So Far

    Seven years of development, from announcement to reset

    December 2020

    The Announcement

    Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street, former World of Warcraft lead designer, confirmed on Twitter that Riot Games was working on a League of Legends MMO set in the Runeterra universe. The announcement generated massive hype - Riot had the resources, the IP, and one of gaming's most respected MMO designers.

    March 2023

    Ghostcrawler Departs

    Greg Street left Riot Games to found his own studio, Fantastic Pixel Castle, to work on a new MMO called "Ghost." His departure raised questions about the Riot MMO's direction, though development continued under new leadership with Fabrice Condominas (ex-BioWare, EA) becoming Executive Producer.

    March 2024

    The Design Reset

    On March 20, 2024, Marc Merrill announced a major shift: "After reflection and discussion, we decided to reset the direction of the project... The initial vision just wasn't different enough from what you can play today."

    Rather than ship a generic MMO with a League of Legends skin, Riot chose to start over and create something genuinely innovative. Merrill warned the team would be "going dark" for likely several years.

    November 2024

    Still in Development

    At the League of Legends Worlds 2024 finals, Merrill confirmed: "We're working hard on it, and it's the project I spend personally the most amount of time on, but I really think the team has a great direction now and is making a lot of momentum."

    October 2025

    Seeking Top Talent

    Following Amazon Games' layoffs affecting New World developers, Merrill publicly stated Riot was interested in hiring displaced MMO talent: "We're always on the lookout for S-tier talent who want to take on some of the hardest challenges." This suggests active expansion of the MMO team.

    Analysis

    Why Did Riot Reset the MMO?

    The challenges that led to starting over

    Not Different Enough

    After years of development, Riot's leadership determined the game felt too similar to existing MMOs. They didn't want to ship "World of Warcraft with League of Legends characters" - they wanted something that genuinely evolved the genre.

    Leadership Turnover

    Greg Street's departure in 2023 meant losing the original vision holder. New leadership under Fabrice Condominas brought fresh perspective but also meant reevaluating core design decisions made under the previous regime.

    Evolving MMO Market

    Between 2020 and 2024, the MMO landscape changed dramatically. New World stumbled, Final Fantasy XIV thrived, and player expectations shifted. What seemed innovative in 2020 felt derivative by 2024.

    Riot's 2024 Restructuring

    Riot laid off over 500 employees in early 2024 as part of company-wide refocusing. Rather than cancel the MMO, leadership doubled down on quality over speed, accepting that a longer timeline was necessary to deliver something special.

    Confirmed Details

    What We Know About the Riot MMO

    The few concrete facts available

    Setting: Runeterra
    The MMO will take place in Runeterra, the world of League of Legends. This gives Riot decades of established lore, iconic champions and regions like Demacia, Noxus, Piltover, Zaun, Ionia, and the Shadow Isles to draw from.

    Not a League of Legends Port
    This isn't League translated to MMO format. It's a new game that happens to share the same universe. Expect different gameplay, different champions appearing as NPCs, and a fresh take on Runeterra's conflicts.

    Genre Evolution Focus
    Merrill's comments about wanting to "significantly evolve the genre" suggest Riot isn't aiming for a traditional quest-hub MMO. Expect experimental mechanics, possibly drawing from League's emphasis on PvP, teamwork, and strategic combat.

    No Release Window
    Riot has given zero indication of a release timeframe. Given the 2024 reset and "several years" of radio silence, educated guesses place a potential launch no earlier than 2027-2028, with 2029-2030 more realistic.

    Active Hiring
    Riot continues posting MMO job listings and recruiting experienced developers, indicating serious investment and expansion of the team despite going dark publicly.

    Context

    Riot's Other Ambitious Projects

    The MMO isn't the only Riot game with a complicated history

    It's worth noting that Riot has had mixed success with projects beyond League of Legends:

    Successful Expansions:

    • Valorant: Massive FPS hit that successfully competed with Counter-Strike and Overwatch
    • Teamfight Tactics: Auto-battler spinoff that became hugely popular
    • Legends of Runeterra: Card game that carved out a niche despite Hearthstone's dominance
    • Arcane: Netflix series that became a cultural phenomenon, proving Runeterra's storytelling potential

    Troubled Projects:

    • Hytale: Riot acquired Hypixel Studios (Minecraft server creators) in 2020 to develop a voxel sandbox MMO. After 10+ years of development and over $100 million invested, Riot cancelled Hytale in June 2025. The original founders bought back the IP in November 2025 and are launching Early Access independently on January 13, 2026.
    • Riot Forge: Publishing label for single-player games shut down in 2024 despite releasing well-received titles
    • Project L: Fighting game announced in 2019, still in development with minimal updates

    The pattern? Riot is ambitious and willing to invest heavily, but also willing to cancel or dramatically pivot projects that aren't meeting their quality bar. The MMO receiving a reset rather than cancellation suggests leadership still believes in its potential.

    While You Wait

    What to Play Instead

    Great multiplayer games available now

    Final Fantasy XIV

    The current gold standard for story-driven MMORPGs. With expansions through 2024's Dawntrail, FFXIV offers hundreds of hours of content, deep job systems, and one of gaming's best communities.

    Guild Wars 2

    No subscription fee, dynamic events, and excellent world design. Guild Wars 2 pioneered many innovations that modern MMOs still copy, and receives regular content updates.

    Hytale (Jan 13, 2026)

    Originally a Riot project, now independent and launching soon. Block-based sandbox RPG combining Minecraft-style building with adventure content and modding. PebbleHost offers Hytale hosting at launch.

    Lost Ark

    Korean action MMO with excellent combat, raids, and progression systems. Free-to-play with regular content updates and a massive player base.

    Looking for sandbox alternatives? Check out our guide to games like Minecraft for creative multiplayer experiences.

    Love Multiplayer Games?

    While we wait for the Riot MMO, PebbleHost offers premium game server hosting for Minecraft, Hytale (launching January 2026), and more. Ryzen 7900 CPUs, 99.99% uptime, 72-Hour refunds.

    View Hytale Hosting
    FAQ

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about the Riot MMO

    Is the Riot MMO cancelled?

    No. The Riot MMO underwent a design reset in March 2024 but remains in active development. Marc Merrill confirmed in February 2025 it's "the project I personally spend the most time on."

    When will the Riot MMO release?

    No release date has been announced. Given the 2024 reset and Merrill's statement about going dark for "several years," expect no major news until late 2026 at earliest, with launch likely 2027-2030.

    What happened to Greg Street (Ghostcrawler)?

    Greg Street left Riot in March 2023 to found Fantastic Pixel Castle and develop his own MMO called "Ghost." That studio closed in November 2025 after losing NetEase funding. Fabrice Condominas is now the Riot MMO's Executive Producer.

    Why did Riot reset the MMO's design?

    Marc Merrill stated "the initial vision just wasn't different enough from what you can play today." Rather than ship a generic MMO with League branding, Riot chose to rebuild from scratch to create something genuinely innovative.

    What is the Riot MMO's setting?

    The MMO takes place in Runeterra, the world of League of Legends. This includes iconic regions like Demacia, Noxus, Piltover, Zaun, Ionia, and the Shadow Isles, with decades of established lore to draw from.

    What happened to Hytale?

    Riot's voxel MMO Hytale was cancelled in June 2025 after 10+ years of development. The original founders bought back the IP and are launching Early Access independently on January 13, 2026. Read the full story.