Riot Games is shaking things up with the introduction of a new chief product officer (CPO) role, and co-founder Marc Merrill will be at the helm.
In his new position, Merrill will be responsible for overseeing all of the developer’s product communities, including League of Legends, Valorant, and their various spin-offs. He will also be tasked with shaping the future of these games’ ecosystems and driving broader research and development at Riot.
The decision to create the CPO role reflects Riot’s expansion of products over the last five years. Following the launch of Valorant in 2020 and the increasing focus on mobile games, Riot and Studio Fortiche also released the Arcane series for Netflix, with a second season set for fall 2024.
“Our goal is to double-down on our mission for players and to evolve from delivering games as a service to delivering games as an experience for players,” said CEO Dylan Jadeja. “Marc is incredibly well suited to drive this enhanced focus on behalf of players.”
As described in Riot’s blog, Merrill has worn many hats at Riot Games since co-founding the company in 2006. In addition to shaping Riot’s esports and entertainment divisions, he served as its first president and executive producer for League before becoming co-CEO.
“Marc shares our strategic vision to unify games, esports, and entertainment into an experience for players that transcends the sum of its parts,” Jadeja added. “We wouldn’t be the company we are today without his leadership, and I am honored and excited to have him step into this critical role.”
Riot has only just begun to expand its portfolio, with several games developed by smaller or external teams. The next big project on the horizon is the fighting game currently known as Project L.