The long-running Ashes of Creation saga just picked up another unexpected twist. Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill has now confirmed that Riot did, in fact, explore the idea of investing in Intrepid Studios or even acquiring it outright a few years ago. But after those talks, Riot decided not to move forward.
What started as chatter around court filings and community speculation now has a direct statement from one of Riot’s top executives. It is the kind of reveal that immediately makes you wonder what could have been.
Marc Merrill confirms Riot looked at Intrepid Studios
Marc Merrill addressed the situation publicly, saying Riot had looked at making an investment or even acquiring Intrepid a few years ago, but ultimately chose not to continue the discussions. He also said Intrepid shared Riot’s goal of building the next great MMO, though combining efforts “didn’t make sense” for Riot in the end. PCGamesN later updated its reporting to include Merrill’s statement.
That line is the biggest takeaway here. Riot was interested enough to at least explore the possibility. This was not some random internet rumor with no basis. There were real discussions, but they never turned into a deal.
The Ashes of Creation rumor
The conversation around Riot and Intrepid gained steam after fresh legal filings and public statements tied to the ongoing Ashes of Creation dispute. According to a recent report, Steven Sharif referenced a proposal from Riot that contemplated a major investment tied to a possible acquisition, with the cited range sitting around $250 million to $500 million, though parts of the proposal were redacted.
That context is important because it explains why the story spread so fast. Once legal documents and public statements started circulating, the old speculation around Riot and Intrepid suddenly looked much more believable. Merrill’s response did not confirm the exact financial figures, but it did confirm the core idea that Riot explored a deal and then stepped back.
Riot decided against the move
Merrill did not go into deep detail, but his wording says a lot. He made it clear that Riot and Intrepid were aligned on the dream of creating a major MMO, yet he also said joining forces did not make sense for Riot. That suggests the issue was less about ambition and more about fit, structure, timing, or long-term strategy.
And honestly, that is not too surprising. Buying or investing in an MMO studio is never a small bet. MMO development is expensive, slow, and brutally difficult even when things are going well. If Riot felt the partnership would create more complications than momentum, walking away was probably the safer call.
Riot is still chasing its own MMO dream
What makes this even more interesting is that Riot has not backed away from MMOs at all. Merrill said in 2024 that Riot was still working hard on its own MMO and that the project had a “great direction” with real momentum. Riot also said in its 2024 company update that it was refocusing on fewer, higher-impact projects while continuing to prioritize long-term bets that matter most.
So this is not a story about Riot losing faith in the genre. It is the opposite. Riot still clearly wants to build a genre-defining MMO. It just decided Intrepid was not the vehicle to get there.
Riot’s confirmation puts an end to the guessing game. Talks happened, interest was real, and the deal never came together. If anything, this makes the wait for Riot’s own MMO even more interesting. Because now we know just how seriously the company has been thinking about the future of the genre.
