Riot Games Alum Named AGBO’s Senior VP of Story

AGBO has tapped Ryan Verniere, former creative director for franchises at Riot Games, as senior VP of story.

Verniere will join the senior team, which includes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, co-presidents of story, in developing original film and television IP. Led by Angela Russo-Otstot, chief creative officer, the internal creative team will work at ushering in a new era of fantasy and science-fiction storytelling.

Verniere comes to AGBO after nearly a decade at Riot Games, where he began as a senior writer and rose to the position of creative director of franchises. He led the development of over 40 League of Legends champions who appear in Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra and League of Legends: Wild Rift.

He began his career in games working on CCP’s EVE Online, which was inducted into The Museum of Modern Art (NYC) in the applied design artistic category as one of the first 14 inaugural video games added to the permanent collection, alongside Pac-Man, Tetris, The Sims and more. He is also the creator of the Blackbirds RPG.

“Ryan is an innovative world-builder of the highest order,” Markus and McFeely said. “He has both a deep well of esoteric knowledge and the storytelling skills to transform it into popular entertainment. His facility with mythology, character and genre will make him an incredibly valuable addition to AGBO and all we’re trying to create.”

Verniere said, “I spent the last two decades working on digital toys as a Geppetto of sorts. All my years as a narrative designer have uniquely prepared me for this opportunity. AGBO is an innovative company with passionate storytellers, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the team. Together we’ll bring new characters to life and undiscovered worlds will manifest.”