Riot Forge Logo graphic
Riot is opening the door for third-party developers to create games set in the League of Legends universe through a new Riot Forge publishing group.
“We are humbled by our partner developers who are so passionate to work on games set in the LoL IP, which offers limitless potential with its expansive world and deep champion pool,” said Leanne Loombe, Head of Riot Forge.
“We are sincerely committed to our developers’ long term success and together we aim to deliver great experiences for players of all types.”
Leanne says that Riot will "take a number of things into account when selecting new partner studios. One of the key elements we often look for is the studio having previously shipped a great game or games."
"We are also extremely interested in partnering with studios who have a unique identity, whether this comes from an art style, certain game mechanics or design, something that makes the studio stand out and provides a unique way to represent League of Legends."
Interestingly, something that's currently off the table here is tabletop or board games.
According to Leanne, "As of now, Riot Forge does not cover things like tabletop and board gaming. At least for the immediate future, Riot Forge will focus on making bespoke, completable games set in the League of Legends Universe."
Credit: Riot The news comes weeks after Riot announced a slew of new titles including Legends of Runeterra and the mysterious tactical shooter Project A. In some ways, it sounds similar to the partnerships that Nintendo have inked around letting third-party developers access its IP in recent years.
“We are always looking for new ways to bring the World of Runeterra and its champions to new and existing audiences around the world,” said Greg Street, VP of IP and Entertainment at Riot Games.
“There are so many talented game studios around the world that have exceptional experience and craft skills in all areas of game development, and we are really excited to work together to bring the LoL IP to new game experiences.”
Riot aren't yet ready to announce who or what studios they're looking to partner with through the Riot Forge program but they say they have "multiple titles in development" which will complement the new titles announced during the company's recent 10th anniversary live-stream.
