Raymond Bartos, a longtime producer on World of Warcraft, has moved to Riot Games to work on its upcoming massively multiplayer online game. His departure highlights ongoing talent shifts from Blizzard to competitors in the MMO space. Bartos expressed enthusiasm about Riot's company culture in a LinkedIn announcement.
Raymond Bartos, who served as a producer on Blizzard's World of Warcraft team, has announced his new position at Riot Games. He will contribute to the development of Riot's highly anticipated but secretive MMO, set in the Runeterra universe shared by many of the studio's titles.
In a LinkedIn post, Bartos shared his impressions from the hiring process: "From my very first conversation with Riot, I immediately gravitated toward their values--and I was genuinely impressed by how clearly those values showed up throughout the interview process. It made it obvious that kindness, respect, and care aren't just words here, but something the team truly lives by." He added, "I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to join such an inspiring group of people, and I can't wait to get started--showing up every day to provide value for Riot gamers and help deliver an MMO experience players truly enjoy."
During his time at Blizzard, Bartos helped launch the Plunderstorm mode, several limited-time remix events, and the game's 20th anniversary celebration. At Riot, he will collaborate with Orlando Salvatore, a fellow World of Warcraft veteran who joined the team late last year. The project already includes other former Blizzard employees, such as Natalia Leenhardt, who moved from Amazon Game Studios to Riot in 2023 after 11 years at Blizzard; Kevin Carter, who arrived in 2017 following over a decade at the company; and Greg Street, the former executive producer who departed in 2023 after a storied career on World of Warcraft.
Details on the Riot MMO remain scarce. The game underwent a directional reset several years ago, and public information is limited to a 2023 interview with League of Legends lore creator Necrit. No release date or reveal has been announced, though the influx of experienced hires suggests active progress.