Riot Boss: 'Smart Reasons' Not to Make LoL MMO, But We're Doing It Anyway

Riot co-founder Marc Merrill admits there are 'smart reasons' to avoid making a League of Legends MMO, but he's confident the studio's huge fanbase and 20 years of world-building make it worth the risk.

Ever wondered why Riot Games is still pushing forward with a League of Legends MMO when the odds seem stacked against it? Studio co-founder Marc Merrill has some thoughts—and they're surprisingly candid.

Speaking on the Lemonade Stand podcast, Merrill acknowledged the many hurdles facing the project. "I don't disagree with a bunch of your concerns," he said. "There's all sorts of smart reasons as to why we shouldn't do what we're doing." He pointed out that MMO fans are often older with less free time, and giants like World of Warcraft already dominate the space. "MMOs are insane," he added. "The scope, the expectations, the challenge… the argument that they're niche."

So why bother? For Merrill, it comes down to Runeterra. "We've been building this world of Runeterra for 20 years, and pouring our hearts and soul into it," he explained. "There's an awful lot of players around the world that have developed a deep affinity and love for these characters, this world, for our factions." That fandom, he says, stretches across League of Legends, the upcoming fighting game Riftbound, and other projects. "People want to live in that world, and we want to deliver the ability for people to do that."

But Riot didn't want to jump into the MMO space prematurely. Merrill revealed the studio waited until it had a global fanbase of hundreds of millions, solid revenue streams, and a strong team before even attempting it. Now that those pieces are in place, the focus shifts to execution. "The challenge is around, can we do justice [to the IP], and if so, how?" he said. "It's a mistake to try to make absolutely something for everybody, because you often end up making something for nobody by trying to make it too watered down."

Despite the tough problems, Merrill sees them as worth solving. He noted that everything he's helped build—from League of Legends to Riot itself to the Arcane TV show—"all felt crazy and stupid" at the time. That perspective fuels his confidence, even if fans remain cautious. After all, just last August, Riot announced that its fighting game 2XKO is ending active development in December, following its full console launch in January. The studio said it "hadn't seen enough players stick with the game to get to a path toward sustainability" and couldn't see "any viable future."

Given that recent history, it's no wonder some fans are worried the MMO might meet a similar fate. But Merrill's message is clear: the challenges are real, but so is Riot's commitment. "There are some really hard problems," he admitted, "but they're the sort of problems that are worth getting out of bed for every day to solve."

Will the League of Legends MMO actually see the light of day, or will it become another cautionary tale? Only time will tell—but for now, Riot seems determined to try. What do you think? Are you excited for the MMO, or are you taking a wait-and-see approach? Let us know in the comments!