Riot Games discusses MMO progress and potential premium game models

At PAX West, Riot Games Chief Product Officer Marc Merrill provided updates regarding the studio's future development strategy. He revealed that the highly anticipated Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game set in the League of Legends universe is being referred to internally as “the Grail,” reflecting the immense scale and ambition of the project.

Development of the MMO was previously “reset” in March 2024 to ensure the experience would be distinct from existing market titles, a move that extended the development timeline. While no specific gameplay or release dates were shared, Merrill expressed optimism about the project's future.

Additionally, Merrill indicated that Riot Games is considering moving away from a strict free-to-play model for all future titles. He noted that while free-to-play works well for long-term live service games, it can present design challenges for other genres. The studio is exploring the possibility of developing premium games to better compete for player attention and maintain experience integrity.