We've got an update on the "League of Legends MMO" from Riot's Cofounder and Cochairman, Marc Merrill.
The MMO is still being actively developed, but he has announced that some time ago they reset the direction of the game because it "wasn't different enough". Their goals are to significantly evolve the genre of MMORPGs and with that, they have announced their new Executive Producer, Fabrice Condominas, who was previously at EA/Bioware working on Rockband, the Mass Effect series, Star Wars: Squadrons, and other unannounced games.
Fabrice Condominas joined Riot a little over 3 years ago.
Could this be the reason that Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street, the previous Executive Producer of the MMO, left Riot Games and formed his own studio, Fantastic Pixel Castle, to work on an MMO?
"Ghostcrawler" lead Riot's MMO previously.
This unfortunately means that they are "going dark" and we shouldn't expect any updates on the MMO, "likely [for] several years". While we are disappointed to hear this, we do want Riot to release a game that they are proud of and we can enjoy playing so until then, we'll be scratching our MMO itch with World of Warcraft's recent "Plunderstorm" Pirate Update and the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV expansion, Dawntrail. You can read Marc's full post from Twitter down below.
Quote From Marc Merrill Hey all - We know many of you are hungry for news about the @riotgames #MMO project, and we really appreciate your patience and the incredible support you've shown us so far. I’m writing to update you today on where we’re at. And before anyone panics: yes, we are still working on the game. #Leagueoflegends
After a lot of reflection and discussion, we've decided to reset the direction of the project some time ago. This decision wasn't easy, but it was necessary. The initial vision just wasn’t different enough from what you can play today.
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.
This is a huge challenge, but one that our team of deeply passionate MMO players and game development veterans is incredibly motivated to pursue
With this new direction, I'm excited to introduce @Faburisu as the new Executive Producer of the MMO. Fabrice's experience as a player and passion for creating immersive worlds is extraordinary. Having led big projects at Riot, BioWare, and EA, he brings a fresh perspective and a shared commitment to excellence that will guide our team as they continue on this difficult journey.
We started laying the groundwork for this pivot some time ago and over the last year under Vijay Thakkar’s management, we built key components of the technical foundation to create the kind of ambitious game we’re talking about. We’re grateful for Vijay’s leadership and that he’ll be part of the game leadership team going forward as our Technical Director.
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. We understand the excitement and anticipation that surrounds new information, but we ask for your trust during this silent phase.
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.
Comments
Oof, switching gears and going silent for a long time is usually not a good look, in games, movies, or whatever really.