Stephen "Mortdog" Mortimer, the beloved face of Teamfight Tactics, announced today that his time at Riot Games has officially come to an end. In a heartfelt farewell posted to X, the developer revealed he's stepping away after nearly a decade at the studio, roughly seven of those years spent on TFT.
If you've followed TFT at all, you know Mortdog. He didn't just design and balance the game - he became its community, streaming, casting, teaching, and showing up at events kinda guy. And now, as he put it himself, he's heading out the door proud of everything he helped build.
What did Mortdog say about leaving Riot?
Mortdog didn't hold back on the emotion in his goodbye. He shared that he'd expected his run at Riot to last longer, but that "sometimes things change." Over just under 10 years, he says he got to live out a dream career and accomplish more than he could have imagined.
My time at Riot and on TFT as a Game Designer has come to an end. Just under 10 years, and to be honest I thought it was going to be longer, but sometimes things change.
He reflected on the "crazy 7 years" on TFT, where his job spanned everything from designing and balancing to teaching and leading a team - all while building a community around the game on the side. He also gave a nod to going out on recent work like the Unlock system, saying it's part of why he's leaving proud.
To everyone who supported TFT or him personally, Mortdog said they have no idea what it means to him, and that he cherishes the moments from over the years. He thanked the people he worked with, expressing hope that he taught them something or brought them joy, and that their paths cross again someday.
So what is Mortdog doing next?
Mortdog is making his own game. He revealed that, being someone who's "terrible at relaxing," he started building a small indie title during his sabbatical. He's about two months into development and has already had folks playtesting some early builds.
Where things stand on the project right now:
He's roughly two months into development
Early builds are already in the hands of playtesters
He estimates the game is around 20-30% done
His goal is to release it as a full game and share it with everyone someday
Beyond the indie project, Mortdog says he's keeping his options open. He's already had a few conversations during his sabbatical and is weighing whether his next step is joining another studio's game or continuing with his own thing. He acknowledged it's "a brutal industry right now," so he's taking things one day at a time.
He also floated another possibility that TFT fans will love the sound of: finding a space to do content creation and share his knowledge of game development, though he admits that may take time to figure out how to do right.
Mortdog says he is nervous about the big change but hopeful it all works out. Thanks for everything, Mortdog.
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