League of Legends MMO shows signs of life as Riot adds a former World of Warcraft lead producer to its roster

You'd be forgiven for forgetting about the League of Legends MMO in development at Riot Games. More than five years after it was first revealed, it still remains the stuff of imagination: It's been three years since Greg Street, the then-VP who announced the project, left Riot, and two years since Riot "reset" development, and we still have nothing to show for it but promises that yes, it is still happening.

It might look from the outside like the whole thing is floundering, but it appears that the wheels are turning, or at least that someone is revving the engine with intent: Riot has now added former World of Warcraft lead producer Raymond Bartos to its MMO development team.

"From my very first conversation with Riot, I immediately gravitated toward their values—and I was genuinely impressed by how clearly those values showed up throughout the interview process," Bartos wrote on LinkedIn (via MassivelyOP). "It made it obvious that kindness, respect, and care aren’t just words here, but something the team truly lives by.

"I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to join such an inspiring group of people, and I can’t wait to get started—showing up every day to provide value for Riot gamers and help deliver an MMO experience players truly enjoy."

Bartos also expressed excitement at rejoining his "longtime duo partner" Orlando Salvatore, a former World of Warcraft lead software engineer who moved from Blizzard to Riot in October 2024: "Given our track record on World of Warcraft, I have a feeling we’ll be moving fast on day one."

Signs of life are good, although I don't think I'm quite ready to buy into the "moving fast" thing just yet. The most recent ETA on the LoL MMO, delivered in early 2025, is "hopefully before we go to Mars," which isn't the most clearly delineated release target I've ever seen. Riot has other pressing matters on its hands as well: A major overhaul of the aging League of Legends aimed at getting new players into the notoriously unforgiving game is reportedly in the works for 2027.