Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill is the company's new president of games. 

Merrill previously served as co-CEO but stepped down in 2017 to become co-chairman, and prior to that held the role of company president. 

Announcing the appointment on social media, Riot CEO Nicolo Laurent said Merrill will now oversee franchises like League of Legends, Valorant, Legends of Runeterra, Wild Rift, and Teamfight Tactics.

Merrill will also take charge of Riot's upcoming R&D projects.

"It’s already a privilege to work at a company where the founders are still deeply engaged years after they've passed the baton on leading day-to-day operations," said Laurent. "Now it's such an honor to see Marc Merrill step into the most critical leadership role in Riot’s new chapter."

The news comes as Riot prepares to implement significant strategic changes to refocus around five key operating groups: games, esports, entertainment, publishing, and enterprise.