Can we pause for a second to contemplate how blissful it will be when we actually get a real title for Riot Games’ MMORPG? No longer will we have to call it “that Riot MMO” or “the Runeterra MMO.” It shall have a name, and humanity will be ushered into a new age of prosperity when it arrives.
In any case, the head of the upcoming Riot Games MMO, Greg Street, gave a lengthy explanation on Twitter why the studio decided to reveal the game in such an unorthodox fashion and why it hasn’t made a full-blown announcement yet.
“So the reason we announced kind of low key this way is we knew it would predominantly reach actual fans and not go too mainstream,” Street posted. “It’s easier for the industry and mainstream media to ignore the ramblings of a few developers than it is a constant barrage of screenshots and feature announcements.”
Readers will recall that the “low-key” reveal Street is referring to was actually started with a 2018 tweet from Marc Merrill asking gamers whether Riot should build an MMO, then a follow-up tweet mocking gamers and telling them he was just joking, followed by continuing teases and more denials, with Greg Street finally confirming the MMO for Riot on Twitter in 2020.
Street also explained that Riot Games is holding back from a more splashy announcement to give the team leeway to make design shifts: “We know when we start releasing actual information, such as features, the story, a look at the art, shit is going to get much more real. And it will also make it harder to undo those features, change the story, or update the art.”
So when will Riot present the Riot MMO to the world? “We will do big announcements and answer big questions when we have more confidence that the direction will stick. We don’t need 100% confidence. But we need more than we have today […] I have a lot of empathy for you. We want to talk about the game more. We are very proud of it and we think we have something truly special. But we know it’s not time yet.”
One of the most common questions we get is why we announced the League MMO in such a weird way and when we will provide more real information. There was actually a strategy in place here!
— Greg Street (@Ghostcrawler) August 1, 2022
