Inside Riot Games’ Music Business Rise, From Collaborations With Twenty One Pilots to Stray Kids

Riot Games has built its music strategy on a foundational goal: to strengthen the bonds within its global player base through sound. Maria Egan, the Head of Global Music at Riot, articulates this internal directive clearly. "We operate on the principle of creating anything that reinforces our community," Egan explains. "It's crucial that our game worlds feel immersive and remain the primary focus, with music serving to enhance our storytelling." This commitment has distinguished Riot in the competitive gaming industry, fostering deep collaborations with the music world that yield tracks enriching gameplay while also climbing commercial charts as independent successes. This innovative fusion is why Hitmakers has selected Riot as the first recipient of its new Interactive Music in Media Award.

The approach is best illustrated by Riot's flagship game, "League of Legends." Since debuting in 2009, this multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title has grown into a cornerstone of global esports, with its annual World Championship drawing viewership comparable to major traditional sporting events. Its accompanying music program has driven billions of streams for original songs from artists like Linkin Park and Twenty One Pilots, as well as sweeping scores from Riot's in-house composers. The company's collaborative network is notably diverse, spanning K-pop superstars Stray Kids, Belgian art-pop musician Stromae, hit songwriter Ryan Tedder, and producer BloodPop.

A key element of this strategy is the yearly World Championship anthem, which commissions a global artist to create an original song reflecting the host region's culture. The recent 15th edition, held in China, featured a 2024 anthem by Chinese pop star G.E.M., performed with electronic artist Anyma at the Chengdu opening ceremony. This follows previous anthems from Lil Nas X and the K-pop group NewJeans. Industry experts, like media analyst Dr. Lena Choi, note that "Riot's anthem model is a masterclass in cultural localization. It grounds a massive international event while providing a powerful launch platform for artists, instantly connecting them with an audience of tens of millions of dedicated fans."

Riot's most significant breakout success, however, originates from its Emmy-winning Netflix series, "Arcane." The show's soundtracks have achieved staggering commercial performance. Imagine Dragons' "Enemy," penned for the series, is nearing two billion streams on Spotify—an exceptional milestone for a television-originated track. Furthermore, the second "Arcane" soundtrack album recently secured the 2025 American Music Award for Favorite Soundtrack, outperforming high-profile film releases such as "Wicked" and "Moana 2."

Despite these external accolades and streaming milestones, Riot maintains that narrative integration is paramount. "Every piece of music must serve our stories and pivotal in-game moments," Egan reiterates. The company's proven model shows that when audio is woven intrinsically into the fabric of world-building—not treated as a secondary marketing layer—it can achieve deep resonance both inside the game and in the broader cultural landscape, creating a durable and influential legacy.