Game developer Riot Games has named Andrei van Roon as the Head of League Studios.
As a result, van Roon will head the development of League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and League of Legends: Wild Rift.
Van Roon becomes the Head of League Studios following a three-year spell as League of Legends’ Game Director. He joined the company in August 2011 as an Associate Designer before entering a range of roles for Riot Games, including Champion Designer.
In his role, van Roon will be responsible for overseeing all League Studios development teams in addition to driving decisions that will decide the future of the three titles. This also includes developing narratives for champion characters and the world’s lore. He will report to Marc Merrill, President of Games and Co-founder of the publisher.
The appointment follows the promotion of Michael Sherman, who became the Global Head of Esports for TFT, Legends of Runeterra, and Project L, the company’s unreleased fighting game.
In recent weeks, Riot Games continues to consolidate its position as one of the leading game and esports publishers. In July, it revealed the inaugural College VALORANT season in addition to partnering with jeweller Tiffany & Co. to redesign the Summoner’s Cup ahead of the 2022 League of Legends World Championship.
Van Roon spoke on the appointment: “I’m really excited to take on this role and very grateful to Riot for the opportunity. I’ve been a huge fan of League from closed beta onwards and have loved all the different ways I’ve had a chance to contribute to the game.
“I’m looking forward to supporting League in a new way while also getting a lot more involved with TFT and Wild Rift as we continue to attempt to deliver great experiences to players!”
