Ryan Verniere has been named Senior Vice President of Story at AGBO, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Co-Presidents of Story at AGBO announced on Wednesday.
Verniere will be part of the senior team developing original film and television IP, ushering in a new era of fantasy and science fiction storytelling with the Russo’s internal creative team led by Angela Russo-Otstot, Chief Creative Officer at AGBO.
“Ryan is an innovative worldbuilder of the highest order. He has both a deep well of esoteric knowledge and the storytelling skills to transform it into popular entertainment,” Markus and McFeely said in a statement. “His facility with mythology, character, and genre will make him an incredibly valuable addition to AGBO and all we’re trying to create.”
Verniere added: “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.”
Verniere joins AGBO after almost a decade of experience with Riot Games, where he started as a Senior Writer and rose through the ranks to Creative Director for Franchises. Riot Games debut title, “League of Legends,” received worldwide acclaim and has gone on to be the most-played PC game in the world and a key driver of the explosive growth of esports.
Ryan’s focus went from games to Riot’s Film & TV department where he worked alongside Jane Chung Hoffacker, Executive Producer of “Arcane.” He led the development of over forty “League of Legends” champions who appear in “Teamfight Tactics,” “Legends of Runeterra,” and “League of Legends: Wild Rift.” “League of Legends” was awarded a BAFTA for Persistent Game in 2015 for League of Legends.
Verniere started 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.
Verniere is the creator of the critically acclaimed “Blackbirds” RPG.