Riot Games is considering making premium titles, says co-founder

Riot Games, the developer widely known for free-to-play powerhouses like League of Legends and Valorant, is considering moving into the space of premium, non-free-to-play titles. Speaking during a fireside chat at PAX West to commemorate the company's 20-year anniversary, co-founder and chief product officer Marc Merrill teased elements of the studio's future strategy, noting that "not every game needs to be infinite."

While Riot has built its success on free-to-play models that monetize through optional cosmetics, Merrill explained that there is "no strategic imperative" forcing every future project to follow that monetization method. According to Merrill, the studio is currently working on games that are not free-to-play, emphasizing that whatever business model the company selects must align with the creative vision of the game itself.

Elaborating on the decision in a follow-up interview, Merrill noted that free-to-play structures work exceptionally well for long-term engaging games with optional cosmetics where players invest substantial time. However, he cautioned that in many other game types, free-to-play mechanics create design challenges that can impact the integrity of the player experience.

The shift comes as the free-to-play market faces intense competition. Merrill pointed to the performance of 2XKO, noting that the fighting game failed to connect with a large enough audience to build a sustainable long-term community. He stressed that developers face immense pressure not just from weekly game releases, but from the near-infinite volume of social media content competing for consumer attention.

Riot is no stranger to premium games, having previously published titles under the Riot Forge banner before winding down that initiative in 2024 amid layoffs affecting 530 employees. However, those games were developed externally by partner studios like Digital Sun, Airship Syndicate, and Double Stallion primarily to acquire new customers and tell stories. By contrast, Merrill's comments suggest a broader philosophical shift in how Riot approaches design and development moving forward, alongside ongoing efforts toward its long-awaited massively multiplayer online role-playing game.