Humans in Runeterra are a versatile and omnipresent race. Notable regions where human inhabit include, 
Demacia, 
Piltover & 
Zaun, 
Shurima, Ionia, 
Noxus, and more.
Humans are likely to be a playable race in the upcoming Riot MMO because that is traditionally the case with fantasy-based MMORPGs. Furthermore, the lore of Runeterra heavily leans on humans. Humans are a relatable and core race that we are confident will be included in the game. What is up for speculation is discussing which classes humans will be privy to. Assuming Riot’s unpublished MMO will utilize a class-based game.
Furthermore, modeling clothing and armor is a simpler task for humans. Human bodies and limbs lack protrusions such as horns and tails. We are confident at this stage that gear progression will be a core feature in the MMO. Firstly, because on Riot’s recruiting MMO page, a hint at greens, but writing, “we’re just gearing up for the journey (and need to replace our greens first)” Also, in KanonXO’s interview with Greg Street (VP and EP of Unpublished MMO) he states he is a fan of this game mechanic. Of course tempered with a tweet Greg made posting that his game development ideas aren’t guaranteed to be adopted and the team will ultimately decided which features are implements.
Former Riot MMO Vice President, Greg Street stated the traditional direction of the Riot MMO. Reading between the lines, we can see there is a proclivity towards a general and casual audience mostly. That combined with the ease of art and modeling for humans and there integral role in Runeterra lore, we feel confident in stating Riot’s upcoming MMO will likely feature humans as a playable race.
Vastaya
The next most likely playable race is the Vastaya. The Vastaya race contains numerous tribes. Appearances between tribes can appear dramatically different from another. This is because the Vastayan race is the result of humans mating with magical animals of Runeterra. Given the incredible variety of magical animals, the Vastayan race will likely have the most flexibility in appearance.
Traditional fantasy MMORGs almost always include a fantasy type humanoid. The Vastayan race will likely take that role. We may not have traditional orc, elves, goblins, nagas, etc. to choose from. If you wan to play as a fantasy humanoid in the Riot MMO, the Vastaya race will likely be your main option.
Due to their mostly humanoid form, creating gear for this potential playable race would be within the realm of possibility. Although Vastaya tend to have more protrusions, such as tails, wings, and long ears, there would likely be some limitations in the character customization of the Vastaya race, if they were to be implemented. For example, imagine the difficulty developers would have when modeling gear for a mermaid bottom. Even feline based Vastaya like Rengar, are trouble enough considering the feline neck is parallel with its frontal plane unlike humans where our heads are parallel with our transverse plane. Anatomy aside, gear for feline and canines would need unique gear modeling. Therefore, it would unwise to expect the Vastaya race to allow customization beyond humanoid forms.
The Vastaya and humans share a similar aspect in terms of immersion and usefulness. Vastaya and humans essentially scattered throughout Runeterra. Demacia could be an exception since it is an anti-magic region. Riot can give their players the agency to combine races, classes, and origins almost seamlessly with respect to the lore when creating humans and Vastaya. Given that Riot appears to be targeting this game at a large audience and somewhat casual gamers, humans and Vastaya fit well into that goal.
Yordles
It is almost expected that a traditional fantasy-based MMORPG will include small characters. For example, World of Warcraft’s Gnomes, and Final Fantasy 14’s Lalafell. Not to be confused with the Poro race, which is smaller, Yordles are magical creatures originating from Bandle City. While tiny races seem to be considerably less popular, it appears fans of tiny characters enjoy the immersive experience these races can provide. Runeterra is no exception. One of the smallest races that exist in Runeterra are the Yordles.
Yordles are similar to humans and Vastaya in that they are spread throughout Runeterra. Exceptions include The Freljord and Targon due to their incredibly cold climates. Once again, players could choose a Yordle alongside numerous classes and regions of birth without breaking lore or immersion. The Yordle bodies are mostly similar to each other. They have big heads, small bodies, no unusual appendages. Size aside, they are universally humanoid in shape. This consistency is attractive to the cost of developers. Their clothing could possibly be scaled down versions of human and Vastaya gear.
Why Humans, Vastaya, and Yordles are in
Hopefully, this answers the question, which races can we play in the riot MMO. We do not know for sure. Eve Riot’s MMO development team may not have decided yet or at all on playable races. This page will be updated as more information comes out.
For now, humans, Vastaya, and Yordles are the most likely playable races in the Riot MMO. They are versatile, omnipresent, consistently humanoid in shape, and rich with lore. Combinations of combat classes, professions, and origins come naturally with these races without contradicting the lore too much. Although we do wonder if we could play a Vastaya from Demacia or The Freljord.
These Races are Versatile
The races are versatile because within the lore, humans, Vastaya, and Yordles use a variety of combat styles. There are fighters, archers, mages, assassins, and more. These races possess the potential to fight in many ways and the developers would probably feel comfortable allowing players to create a Yordle Marksman, perhaps inspired by Teemo. Maybe a Vastaya healer like Nami, or a human mage like Lux.
The body of the races are important because there are suspicions that a development team would spent too much unnecessarily on gear models, that time could be spent on more productive areas.
Questionable Riot MMO Races
Minotaurs
This may come to a surprise to many, but minotaurs have a somewhat of a presence in Runeterra. Although it’s most notable in Noxus.
Several reasons exists why minotaurs could be a playable race in the Riot MMO. For one, the hybrid creature is a well-known fantasy creature. Additionally, there bodies would be fairy easy to create armor and other gear for the purposes of game development. Moreover, they have some deep lore that can be leverage and would allow to character to be personally invested in the race. What is more, Legends of Runeterra players will be familiar with some of the Minotaur cards.
An additional fact is, because we suspect Noxus will be a playable region at launch, that gives Minotaurs a more meaningful presence in the world of Runeterra.
Lastly, Riot Games is going to want the Riot MMO to include a physically dominating class. Something akin to a warrior. A playable class where players weaponize their unmatched strength in combat. Hence, Minotaurs fit well into that class quite well. In fact, much the Minotaur’s lore plays into this facet of their racial talents.
