Riot is working on an MMORPG set in Runeterra. Unfortunately, we don't have much information on the game yet, but thanks to the extensive lore behind League of Legends we can already imagine which species will be playable in the upcoming MMO.
Riot is working on an MMORPG. That much is known. But the release date and content of the game are still a complete mystery. However, we can already make some educated guesses as to what can be playable within the game. Riot has created an extensive world thanks to the in-game League of Legends lore of champions, items and other in-game content.
So, with what we know of the World of Runeterra and the creatures living within it, let's try to guess which species and races will be playable in the upcoming Riot MMO.
Riot MMORPG: Creatures You Can Potentially Play As
1. Humans
This one is a no-brainer. You will most definitely be able to create a human character if you choose to do so. Humans inhabit all of Runeterra, no matter which country, continent or part of the Runeterran plane you move to, there are humans.
You will likely be able to choose a country or a starting point, though, making your human stand out from others. Whether you play someone from Ixtal or Demacia is going to make a big difference in your character's motivations and attributes so the region you choose will impact your MMO protagonist.
2. Yordle
We have a lot of human champions in League of Legends. But Yordles are the second most common specific species in LoL, so we do think that you will be able to play as a Yordle in the upcoming League of Legends MMORPG.
It's also convenient that Yordles appear in every nook and corner of Runeterra, even though their home, Bandle City, is in another magical plane of existence. But, Yordles can freely move around Runeterra and while they do use magic to disguise themselves in the lore, we believe you'll be able to scuttle around as a cute little Yordle if you so wish to do so.
3. Vastaya
Vastaya are a magical chimeric race that is also found in various shapes and sizes. They're also some of the most popular champions in League of Legends with Ahri being a Vastaya, as well as Rengar, Wukong and Xayah & Rakan. Hell, we even have half-Vastaya like Sett in the game!
Since Vastaya are unique from tribe to tribe, we do have to differentiate between the ones we will likely be able to play and some which are unlikely to appear as playable species. Marai Vastaya, like Nami, are sea creatures so them being playable could be a bit difficult while Oovi-Kat and Vesani, which are basically non-existant in canon with Ahri and Neeko being the last known of their tribes, also seem like unlikely candidates.
There are many other Vastaya tribes to choose from when making a character, though, so we do think Lhotlan, Shimon, Ottrani and Kiilash Vastaya, as well as some others whom we haven't met yet through LoL Champions, could be playable species.
4. Minotaurs
Minotaurs could also make a lot of sense. They aren't overly huge with some being just a bit bigger than humans or other creatures. They're also found in various places in Runeterra, which could make for a great addition to the cast of playable species in the Riot MMORPG.
They would be easy to integrate and add into the game, and we have enough lore to know about the minotaurs and where they're from and how they live, making it easy to integrate them into the game.
With the introduction of the Legends of Runeterra Card game, Riot has added many more species and creatures to the lore of League of Legends. The Riot MMORPG will also create some new introductions and will be part of the canon Runeterran lore, so we can expect even a few more playable species to be added, besides the ones mentioned above.