After six years as CEO of Riot Games, Nicolo Laurent has announced that he will be stepping down later this year. Laurent, who has spent 14 years in leadership positions at Riot, will be succeeded by A. Dylan Jadeja, the current global president of the company.
Background
Riot Games, a subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate Tencent, is a video game developer and publisher known for the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, League of Legends. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Riot Games has experienced significant growth since the release of League of Legends in 2009, with the game becoming a global phenomenon and spawning a competitive esports scene. In recent years, the company has expanded its portfolio to include other games such as Valorant, Legends of Runeterra, Wild Rift, and Teamfight Tactics.
Leadership Transition
In an email to Riot employees, Laurent explained that he will be stepping down as CEO to spend more time with his family. However, he will remain with the company in an advisory role after the handover to Jadeja is complete. Jadeja, who has been with Riot since 2011, was named president in 2017 and has been instrumental in shaping the company’s strategy and culture.
The Next Chapter for Riot
Jadeja affirmed his commitment to the company and its goals in a message to employees, stating that he will be spending the next few months engaging with different departments to “take stock” of what’s working and what could be improved. While he acknowledged that he may do things differently than his predecessor, he assured Rioters that he will still be pursuing the same goal.
Riot’s Portfolio
Riot Games has expanded its portfolio in recent years to include a variety of games set in the same universe as League of Legends. These include:
- Valorant: A free-to-play tactical shooter game released in 2020.
- Legends of Runeterra: A free-to-play digital collectible card game released in 2020.
- Wild Rift: A mobile and console version of League of Legends released in 2020.
- Teamfight Tactics: An auto battler game released in 2019.
Riot also recently released the animated series, Arcane, a collaboration with Netflix, which has been well received by fans. The company has hinted at more content to come in its cinematic universe, including a fighting game, an action RPG, and an MMORPG.
Conclusion
Nicolo Laurent’s departure as CEO of Riot Games marks the end of an era for the company, which has seen significant growth under his leadership. The handover to Dylan Jadeja is expected to take place over the coming months, with the process set to be fully complete by the end of the year. The future looks bright for Riot, with a diverse portfolio of games and content in the works.
