League of Legends
{{Short description|Multiplayer video game developed by Riot Games}}
{{Redirect|LoL|the expression|LOL|other uses|Lol (disambiguation)}}
{{Featured article}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = League of Legends
| image = League of Legends 2019 vector.svg
| alt = Game logo reading "League of Legends" in gold text
| caption = Logo variant from 2019
| developer = Riot Games
| publisher = Riot Games
| producer = Jeff Jew
| released = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|October 27, 2009}}|Microsoft Windows|October 27, 2009|OS X|March 1, 2013}}
| genre = MOBA
| modes = Multiplayer
| platforms = {{ubl|Microsoft Windows|macOS}}
}}
League of Legends (LoL), commonly referred to as League, is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by Defense of the Ancients, a custom map for Warcraft III, Riot's founders sought to develop a stand-alone game in the same genre. Since its release in October 2009, League has been free-to-play and is monetized through purchasable character customization. The game is available for Microsoft Windows and macOS.
In the game, two teams of five players battle in player-versus-player combat, each team occupying and defending their half of the map. Each of the ten players controls a character, known as a "champion", with unique abilities and differing styles of play. During a match, champions become more powerful by collecting experience points, earning gold, and purchasing items to defeat the opposing team. In League{{'}}s main mode, Summoner's Rift, a team wins by pushing through to the enemy base and destroying their "Nexus", a large structure located within.
League of Legends has received generally positive reviews, which have highlighted its accessibility, character designs, and production value. The game's long lifespan has resulted in a critical reappraisal, with reviews trending positively; it is widely considered one of the greatest video games ever made. However, negative and abusive in-game player behavior, criticized since the game's early days, persists despite Riot's attempts to fix the problem. In 2019, League regularly peaked at eight million concurrent players, and its popularity has led to tie-ins such as music, comic books, short stories, and the animated series Arcane. Its success has spawned several spin-off video games, including a mobile version, a digital collectible card game, and a turn-based role-playing game, among others. A massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the property is in development.
League of Legends is the world's largest esport, with an international competitive scene consisting of multiple regional leagues that culminate in an annual League of Legends World Championship. The 2019 event registered over 100 million unique viewers, peaking at a concurrent viewership of 44 million during the finals. Domestic and international events have been broadcast on livestreaming websites such as Twitch, YouTube, Bilibili, and the cable television sports channel ESPN.
Gameplay
File:League of Legends Screenshot 2018.png
League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game in which the player controls a character ("champion") with a set of unique abilities from an isometric perspective.{{cite web|last=Blue|first=Rosario|date=July 18, 2020|title=League of Legends: a beginner's guide|url=https://www.techradar.com/how-to/league-of-legends-a-beginners-guide|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904082305/https://www.techradar.com/how-to/league-of-legends-a-beginners-guide|archive-date=September 4, 2020|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=TechRadar}}{{Cite journal|last=Watson|first=Max|date=Summer 2015|title=A medley of meanings: Insights from an instance of gameplay in League of Legends|url=http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Compaso2015-61-Watson.pdf|journal=Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology|volume=6.1|issue=2068–0317|page=233|quote=Similar to an RTS, players control the action from an isometric perspective, however, instead of controlling multiple units, each player only controls a single champion.|access-date=December 26, 2020|archive-date=December 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229190622/http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Compaso2015-61-Watson.pdf|url-status=live}} {{As of|2025|post=,}} there are 170 champions available to play.{{cite web|last=Kahlert|first=Henriette|title=League Of Legends Progression System Nerfed 2025|website=lolnow.gg|publisher=MediaTing ApS|date=January 13, 2025|url=https://lolnow.gg/lol-progression-system-2025/|access-date=February 6, 2025}} Over the course of a match, champions gain levels by accruing experience points (XP) through killing enemies.{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Jacob|date=September 18, 2020|title=League 101: A League of Legends beginner's guide|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111024534/https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|archive-date=January 11, 2021|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=ESPN}} Items can be acquired to increase champions' strength, and are bought with gold, which players accrue passively over time and earn actively by defeating the opposing team's minions, champions, or defensive structures.{{cite web|title=League of Legends translated|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5JmFyM5T8VkFpjdgDkzNrN9/league-of-legends-translated|access-date=July 20, 2020|publisher=BBC Sport|archive-date=July 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719064325/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5JmFyM5T8VkFpjdgDkzNrN9/league-of-legends-translated|url-status=live}} In the main game mode, Summoner's Rift, items are purchased through a shop menu available to players only when their champion is in the team's base. Each match is discrete; levels and items do not transfer from one match to another.{{Cite journal|last=Watson|first=Max|date=Summer 2015|title=A medley of meanings: Insights from an instance of gameplay in League of Legends|url=http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Compaso2015-61-Watson.pdf|journal=Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology|volume=6.1|issue=2068–0317|page=225|quote=[...] all champion experience, gold, and items are lost after an individual match is over [...]|access-date=December 26, 2020|archive-date=December 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229190622/http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Compaso2015-61-Watson.pdf|url-status=live}}
=Summoner's Rift=
Summoner's Rift is the flagship game mode of League of Legends and the most prominent in professional-level play.{{cite web|last=Rand|first=Emily|date=September 17, 2019|title=How the meta has evolved at the League of Legends World Championship|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29906442/how-meta-evolved-league-legends-world-championship|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112065155/https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29906442/how-meta-evolved-league-legends-world-championship|archive-date=January 12, 2021|access-date=January 10, 2021|website=ESPN}}{{Cite news|date=March 25, 2020|title=Esports primer: League of Legends|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/esports-lol-primer-idUSFLM1tj2jd|url-status=live|access-date=January 10, 2021|archive-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112020811/https://www.reuters.com/article/esports-lol-primer-idUSFLM1tj2jd}}{{cite web|last=Barrabi|first=Thomas|date=December 3, 2019|title=Saudi Arabia to host 'League of Legends's esports competition with Riot Games|url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/saudi-arabia-league-of-legends-riot-games|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112093709/https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/saudi-arabia-league-of-legends-riot-games|archive-date=January 12, 2021|access-date=January 10, 2021|website=Fox Business}} The mode has a ranked competitive ladder; a matchmaking system determines a player's skill level and generates a starting rank from which they can climb. There are ten tiers; the least skilled are Iron, Bronze, and Silver, and the highest are Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger.{{Cite conference|last1=Kou|first1=Yubo|last2=Gui|first2=Xinning|date=October 2020|title=Emotion Regulation in eSports Gaming: A Qualitative Study of League of Legends|doi=10.1145/3415229|book-title=Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction|volume=4|page=158:4 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343696773 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121050619/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343696773_Emotion_Regulation_in_eSports_Gaming_A_Qualitative_Study_of_League_of_Legends |url-status=live |access-date=January 20, 2021 |archive-date=January 21, 2021}}{{efn|Earlier, there were seven tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, and Challenger. Iron and Grandmaster were added in 2018, and Emerald (a tier between Platinum and Diamond) in 2023.{{cite conference |last1=Gao |first1=Gege |last2=Min |first2=Aehong |last3=Shih |first3=Patrick C. |date=November 28, 2017 |title=Gendered design bias: gender differences of in-game character choice and playing style in league of legends |book-title=Proceedings of the 29th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction |conference=OZCHI '17 |place=Brisbane, Australia |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |page=310 |doi=10.1145/3152771.3152804 |isbn=978-1-4503-5379-3}}{{cite web |url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/what-is-league-of-legends-new-emerald-rank |title=What is LoL's new Emerald rank? |date=July 19, 2023 |first1=Isaac |last1=McIntyre |first2=Alex |last2=Tsiaoussidis |website=Dot Esports}}}}
Two teams of five players compete to destroy the opposing team's "Nexus", which is guarded by the enemy champions and defensive structures known as "turrets".{{Cite news|title=League of Legends terminology explained|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/53182554|url-status=live|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200907094003/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/53182554|archive-date=September 7, 2020}} Each team's Nexus is located in their base, where players start the game and reappear after death. Non-player characters known as minions are generated from each team's Nexus and advance towards the enemy base along three lanes guarded by turrets: top, middle, and bottom.{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Jacob|date=September 18, 2020|title=League 101: A League of Legends beginner's guide|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111024534/https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|archive-date=January 11, 2021|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=ESPN|quote=Each team has 11 turrets. Every lane features two turrets in the lane, with a third at the end protecting the base and one of the three inhibitors. The last two turrets guard the Nexus and can only be attacked once an inhibitor is destroyed.}} Each team's base contains three "inhibitors", one behind the third tower from the center of each lane. Destroying one of the enemy team's inhibitors causes stronger allied minions to spawn in that lane, and allows the attacking team to damage the enemy Nexus and the two turrets guarding it.{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Jacob|date=September 18, 2020|title=League 101: A League of Legends beginner's guide|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107173424/https://www.espn.co.uk/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|archive-date=January 7, 2021|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=ESPN|quote=The last two turrets guard the Nexus and can only be attacked once an inhibitor is destroyed. Remember those minions? Take down an inhibitor and that lane will begin to spawn allied Super Minions, who do extra damage and present a difficult challenge for the enemy team.}} The regions in between the lanes are collectively known as the "jungle", which is inhabited by "monsters" that, like minions, respawn at regular intervals. Like minions, monsters provide gold and XP when killed.{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Jacob|date=September 18, 2020|title=League 101: A League of Legends beginner's guide|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|access-date=December 25, 2020|website=ESPN|quote=...{{nbsp}}a jungler kills various monsters in the jungle, like the Blue Buff, the Red Buff, Raptors, Gromps, Wolves and Krugs. Like minions, these monsters grant you gold and experience.|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111024534/https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|url-status=live}} Another, more powerful class of monster resides within the river that separates each team's jungle.{{Cite journal|last=Watson|first=Max|date=Summer 2015|title=A medley of meanings: Insights from an instance of gameplay in League of Legends|url=http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Compaso2015-61-Watson.pdf|journal=Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology|volume=6|issue=1|page=233|issn=2068-0317|quote=After a champion or neutral monster is killed, a period of time must pass before it can respawn and rejoin the game.|access-date=December 26, 2020|archive-date=December 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229190622/http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Compaso2015-61-Watson.pdf|url-status=live}} These monsters require multiple players to defeat and grant special abilities to their slayers' team. For example, teams can gain a powerful allied unit after killing the Rift Herald, permanent strength boosts by killing dragons, and stronger, more durable minions by killing Baron Nashor.{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Jacob|date=September 18, 2020|title=League 101: A League of Legends beginner's guide|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026003958/https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|archive-date=October 26, 2020|access-date=December 25, 2020|website=ESPN}}
Summoner's Rift matches can last from as little as 15 minutes to over an hour.{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Jacob|date=September 18, 2020|title=League 101: A League of Legends beginner's guide|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=ESPN|quote=Getting strong enough to destroy the enemy Nexus comes with time. Games last anywhere from 15 minutes to, at times, even hours, depending on strategy and skill.|archive-date=January 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107173424/https://www.espn.co.uk/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|url-status=live}} Although the game does not enforce where players may go, conventions have arisen over the game's lifetime: typically one player goes in the top lane, one in the middle lane, one in the jungle, and two in the bottom lane.{{Cite web|last=Gilliam|first=Ryan|date=September 29, 2016|title=The complete beginner's guide to League of Legends|url=https://www.riftherald.com/2016/9/29/13027318/lol-guide-how-to-watch-play-intro|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113002809/https://www.riftherald.com/2016/9/29/13027318/lol-guide-how-to-watch-play-intro|archive-date=January 13, 2021|access-date=January 17, 2021|website=The Rift Herald}} Players in a lane kill minions to accumulate gold and XP (termed "farming") and try to prevent their opponent from doing the same. A fifth champion, known as a "jungler", farms the jungle monsters and, when powerful enough, assists their teammates in a lane.{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Jacob|date=September 18, 2020|title=League 101: A League of Legends beginner's guide|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026003958/https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29915901/league-101-league-legends-beginner-guide|archive-date=October 26, 2020|access-date=December 25, 2020|website=ESPN|quote=Junglers start in the jungle, with the sole goal of powering up their characters to become strong enough to invade one of the three lanes to outnumber the opponents in that lane.}}
=== Other modes ===
Besides Summoner's Rift, League of Legends has two other permanent game modes. ARAM ("All Random, All Mid") is a five-versus-five mode like Summoner's Rift, but on a map called Howling Abyss with only one long lane, no jungle area, and with champions randomly chosen for players.{{cite web|last=Cameron|first=Phil|date=May 29, 2014|title=What is ARAM and why is it brilliant? Harnessing the chaos of League of Legend's new mode|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/leagueoflegends/what-aram-and-why-it-brilliant-harnessing-chaos-league-legends-new-mode|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010110343/https://www.pcgamesn.com/leagueoflegends/what-aram-and-why-it-brilliant-harnessing-chaos-league-legends-new-mode|archive-date=October 10, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2020|website=PCGamesN|language=en-GB}}{{cite web|last=LeJacq|first=Yannick|date=May 1, 2015|title=League of Legends's 'For Fun' Mode Just Got A Lot More Fun|url=https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-for-fun-mode-just-got-a-lot-more-fun-1701575232|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112060354/https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-for-fun-mode-just-got-a-lot-more-fun-1701575232|archive-date=January 12, 2021|access-date=January 10, 2021|website=Kotaku}}{{Cite news|last=Talbot|first=Carrie|date=June 11, 2021|title=League of Legends gets some ARAM balance tweaks next patch|work=PCGamesN|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/aram-changes-2021|access-date=October 13, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029173519/https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/aram-changes-2021|url-status=live}} Given the small size of the map, players must be vigilant in avoiding enemy abilities.{{Cite journal|last=Donaldson|first=Scott|date=July 1, 2017|title=Mechanics and Metagame: Exploring Binary Expertise in League of Legends|url=https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412015590063|journal=Games and Culture|language=en|volume=12|issue=5|pages=426–444|doi=10.1177/1555412015590063|s2cid=147191716|issn=1555-4120|access-date=December 29, 2020|archive-date=January 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104195444/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1555412015590063|url-status=live}}
Teamfight Tactics is an auto battler released in June 2019 and made a permanent game mode the following month.{{cite web|last=Goslin|first=Austen|date=July 31, 2019|title=Teamfight Tactics is now a permanent mode of League of Legends|url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/7/31/20748488/teamfight-tactics-permanent-league-of-legends|access-date=September 7, 2020|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108003349/https://www.polygon.com/2019/7/31/20748488/teamfight-tactics-permanent-league-of-legends|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last1=Gilroy|first1=Joab|title=An Introduction to Auto Chess, Teamfight Tactics and Dota Underlords|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/07/04/a-guide-to-auto-chess-tft-league-of-legends-teamfight-tactics-dota-underlords|access-date=July 10, 2019|website=IGN|date=July 4, 2019|archive-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704045655/https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/07/04/a-guide-to-auto-chess-tft-league-of-legends-teamfight-tactics-dota-underlords|url-status=live}} As with others in its genre, players build a team and battle to be the last one standing. Players do not directly affect combat but position their units on a board for them to fight automatically against opponents each round.{{cite web|last=Palmer|first=Philip|date=March 9, 2020|title=Teamfight Tactics guide: How to play Riot's autobattler|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/how-to-play-teamfight-tactics/|access-date=September 7, 2020|website=PC Gamer|language=en-US|archive-date=November 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120221557/https://www.pcgamer.com/how-to-play-teamfight-tactics/|url-status=live}} Teamfight Tactics is available for iOS and Android and has cross-platform play with the Windows and macOS clients.{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Olivia|date=March 19, 2020|title=Teamfight Tactics Is Out Now For Free On Mobile With Cross-Play|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/teamfight-tactics-is-out-now-for-free-on-mobile-wi/1100-6475009/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806165041/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/teamfight-tactics-is-out-now-for-free-on-mobile-wi/1100-6475009/|archive-date=August 6, 2020|access-date=January 10, 2021|website=GameSpot}}
Other game modes have been made available temporarily, typically aligning with in-game events.{{cite web|last=Carter|first=Chris|date=9 April 2016|title=League of Legends' rotating game mode system is live|url=https://www.destructoid.com/stories/league-of-legends-rotating-game-mode-system-is-live-354274.phtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419135027/https://www.destructoid.com/stories/league-of-legends-rotating-game-mode-system-is-live-354274.phtml|work=Destructoid|access-date=19 April 2021|archive-date=19 April 2021}}{{cite web|last=Talbot|first=Carrie|date=31 March 2021|title=League of Legends patch 11.7 notes – Space Groove skins, One for All|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-patch-117|url-status=live|work=PCGamesN|access-date=19 April 2021|archive-date=31 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331122343/https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-patch-117}} Ultra Rapid Fire (URF) mode was available for two weeks as a 2014 April Fools Day prank. In the mode, champion abilities have no resource cost, significantly reduced cooldown timers, increased movement speed, reduced healing, and faster attacks.{{cite web|last=Plunkett|first=Luke|date=April 2, 2014|title=Riot Broke League Of Legends, And Fans Love It|url=http://kotaku.com/riot-broke-league-of-legends-and-fans-love-it-1557292936|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404073054/http://kotaku.com/riot-broke-league-of-legends-and-fans-love-it-1557292936|archive-date=April 4, 2014|access-date=December 29, 2020|work=Kotaku}}{{cite web|last=Sanchez|first=Miranda|date=April 1, 2014|title=League of Legends Releases Ultra Rapid Fire Mode|url=http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/04/01/league-of-legends-releases-ultra-rapid-fire-mode|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140403042645/http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/04/01/league-of-legends-releases-ultra-rapid-fire-mode|archive-date=April 3, 2014|access-date=December 29, 2020|work=IGN}} A year later, in April 2015, Riot disclosed that they had not brought the mode back because its unbalanced design resulted in player "burnout". The developer also said the costs associated with maintaining and balancing URF were too high.{{cite web|last=LeJacq|first=Yannick|date=April 2, 2015|title=League Of Legends Should Keep Its Ridiculous April Fool's Joke Going|url=https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-should-keep-its-ridiculous-april-fool-1695410106|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200831155421/https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-should-keep-its-ridiculous-april-fool-1695410106|archive-date=August 31, 2020|access-date=December 29, 2020|website=Kotaku}} Other temporary modes include One for All and Nexus Blitz. One for All has players pick a champion for all members of their team to play.{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-one-for-all|title=League of Legends' hilarious One for All mode is back|first=Carrie|last=Talbot|date=5 March 2020|access-date=19 April 2021|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127110318/https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-one-for-all|url-status=live|work=PCGamesN}}{{cite web|last=Savage|first=Phil|date=27 May 2014|title=League of Legends' new One For All: Mirror Mode gives all ten players the same champion|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/league-of-legends-new-one-for-all-mirror-mode-gives-all-ten-players-the-same-champion/|url-status=live|work=PC Gamer|publisher=Future plc|archive-date=19 April 2021|access-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419134005/https://www.pcgamer.com/league-of-legends-new-one-for-all-mirror-mode-gives-all-ten-players-the-same-champion/}} In Nexus Blitz, players participate in a series of mini-games on a compressed map.{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Ali|date=3 August 2018|title=League of Legends is adding Nexus Blitz, a lightning-fast "experimental" game mode|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-nexus-blitz|url-status=live|work=PCGamesN|access-date=19 April 2021|archive-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419134331/https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-nexus-blitz}}
Development
= Pre-release =
File:Riot Games Headquarters 2023.jpg
Riot Games' founders Brandon Beck and Marc Merill had an idea for a spiritual successor to Defense of the Ancients, known as DotA. A mod for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, DotA required players to buy Warcraft III and install custom software; The Washington Post{{'s}} Brian Crecente said the mod "lacked a level of polish and was often hard to find and set up".{{cite news|last=Crecente|first=Brian|date=October 27, 2019|title=The origin story of League of Legends|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2019/10/27/league-legends-is-now-years-old-this-is-story-its-birth/|url-status=live|url-access=limited|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026104433/https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2019/10/27/league-legends-is-now-years-old-this-is-story-its-birth/|archive-date=October 26, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post}} Phillip Kollar of Polygon noted that Blizzard Entertainment supported Warcraft III with an expansion pack, then shifted their focus to other projects while the game still had players. Beck and Merill sought to create a game that would be supported over a significantly longer period.{{cite web|last=Kollar|first=Philip|date=September 13, 2016|title=The past, present and future of League of Legends studio Riot Games|url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/9/13/12891656/the-past-present-and-future-of-league-of-legends-studio-riot-games|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612194103/https://www.polygon.com/2016/9/13/12891656/the-past-present-and-future-of-league-of-legends-studio-riot-games|archive-date=June 12, 2018|access-date=January 10, 2021|website=Polygon}}
Beck and Merill held a DotA tournament for students at the University of Southern California, with an ulterior goal of recruitment. There they met Jeff Jew, later a producer on League of Legends. Jew was very familiar with DotA and spent much of the tournament teaching others how to play. Beck and Merill invited him to an interview, and he joined Riot Games as an intern. Beck and Merill recruited two figures involved with DotA: Steve Feak, one of its designers, and Steve Mescon, who ran a support website to assist players.{{cite web|last=Augustine|first=Josh|date=August 17, 2010|title=Riot Games' dev counter-files "DotA" trademark|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/riot-games-dev-counter-files-dota-trademark/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112044204/https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/riot-games-dev-counter-files-dota-trademark/|archive-date=January 12, 2021|access-date=January 10, 2021|website=PC Gamer}}{{cite web|last=Remo|first=Chris|date=May 22, 2009|title=Interview: Riot Games On The Birth Of League Of Legends|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/114499/Interview_Riot_Games_On_The_Birth_Of_League_Of_Legends.php|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306075912/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/114499/Interview_Riot_Games_On_The_Birth_Of_League_Of_Legends.php|archive-date=March 6, 2016|access-date=January 10, 2021|website=Gamasutra}} Feak said early development was highly iterative, comparing it to designing DotA.{{cite web|last=Perez|first=Daniel|date=January 16, 2009|title=League of Legends Interview|url=http://www.1up.com/previews/league-of-legends|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130044838/http://www.1up.com/previews/league-of-legends|archive-date=November 30, 2011|access-date=December 27, 2020|website=1UP}}
A demonstration of League of Legends built in the Warcraft III game engine was completed in four months and then shown at the 2007 Game Developers Conference. There, Beck and Merill had little success with potential investors. Publishers were confused by the game's free-to-play business model and lack of a single-player mode. The free-to-play model was untested outside of Asian markets, so publishers were primarily interested in a retail release, and the game's capacity for a sequel. In 2008, Riot reached an agreement with holding company Tencent to oversee the game's launch in China.
League of Legends was announced October 7, 2008, for Microsoft Windows.{{Cite web|last=Park|first=Andrew|date=July 14, 2009|title=League of Legends goes free-to-play|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/league-of-legends-goes-free-to-play/1100-6233754/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117093114/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/league-of-legends-goes-free-to-play/1100-6233754/|archive-date=January 17, 2021|access-date=January 17, 2021|website=GameSpot}} Closed beta-testing began in April 2009.{{cite web|last=Meer|first=Alec|date=October 7, 2008|title=League Of Legends: DOTA Goes Formal|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/10/07/league-of-legends-dota-goes-formal/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720172434/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/10/07/league-of-legends-dota-goes-formal/|archive-date=July 20, 2020|access-date=September 5, 2020|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|last=Crecente|first=Brian|title=League of Legends is now 10 years old. This is the story of its birth.|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2019/10/27/league-legends-is-now-years-old-this-is-story-its-birth/|url-status=live|url-access=limited|access-date=September 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200831171858/https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2019/10/27/league-legends-is-now-years-old-this-is-story-its-birth/|archive-date=August 31, 2020|issn=0190-8286|quote=League of Legends was announced on Oct. 7, 2008 and went into closed beta in April 2009.}} Upon the launch of the beta, seventeen champions were available.{{cite web|last=Kollar|first=Philip|date=December 9, 2015|title=A look back at all the ways League of Legends has changed over 10 years|url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9882366/a-look-back-at-all-the-ways-league-of-legends-has-changed-over-10|access-date=September 5, 2020|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=July 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720081943/https://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9882366/a-look-back-at-all-the-ways-league-of-legends-has-changed-over-10|url-status=live}} Riot initially aimed to ship the game with 20 champions but doubled the number before the game's full release in North America on October 27, 2009.{{Cite news|last=Crecente|first=Brian|title=League of Legends is now 10 years old. This is the story of its birth.|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2019/10/27/league-legends-is-now-years-old-this-is-story-its-birth/|url-status=live|url-access=limited|access-date=September 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200831171858/https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2019/10/27/league-legends-is-now-years-old-this-is-story-its-birth/|archive-date=August 31, 2020|issn=0190-8286}}{{cite web|last=Kolan|first=Nick|date=July 26, 2011|title=Ten League of Legends Games are Started Every Second|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/07/26/ten-league-of-legends-games-are-started-every-second|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017081437/https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/07/26/ten-league-of-legends-games-are-started-every-second|archive-date=October 17, 2019|access-date=October 17, 2019|website=IGN|quote=The free-to-play DotA-inspired multiplayer online battle arena [...] was released on October 27, 2009 [...]}} The game's full name was announced as League of Legends: Clash of Fates. Riot planned to use the subtitle to signal when future content was available, but decided they were silly and dropped it before launch.
= Post-release =
League of Legends receives regular updates in the form of patches. Although previous games had utilized patches to ensure no one strategy dominated, League of Legends{{'}} patches made keeping pace with the developer's changes a core part of the game. In 2014, Riot standardized their patch cadence to once approximately every two or three weeks.{{cite web|last=Goslin|first=Austen|date=November 6, 2019|title=League of Legends transformed the video game industry over the last decade|url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/6/20949846/league-of-legends-video-game-industry-riot-games|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200912233730/https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/6/20949846/league-of-legends-video-game-industry-riot-games|archive-date=September 12, 2020|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=Polygon|quote=When these patches first started around 2014 [...] Now that players have grown accustomed to Riot's cadence of a patch—more or less—every two weeks, the changes themselves are part of the mastery.}}
The development team includes hundreds of game designers and artists. In 2016, the music team had four full-time composers and a team of producers creating audio for the game and its promotional materials.{{cite web|last1=Blakeley|first1=Lindsay|last2=Helm|first2=Burt|date=December 2016|title=Why Riot Games is Inc.'s 2016 Company of the Year|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/201612/burt-helm-lindsay-blakely/company-of-the-year-riot-games.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180525002802/https://www.inc.com/magazine/201612/burt-helm-lindsay-blakely/company-of-the-year-riot-games.html|archive-date=May 25, 2018|access-date=January 4, 2021|website=Inc.}} {{As of|2025|}}, the game has 170 champions,{{cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/all-league-of-legends-champion-release-dates|title=All League of Legends champion release dates|publisher=Dot Esports|first=Jerome|last=Heath|date=30 November 2021|access-date=4 December 2021|archive-date=November 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120023336/https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/all-league-of-legends-champion-release-dates|url-status=live}} and Riot Games periodically overhauls the visuals and gameplay of the oldest in the roster.{{cite web|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=May 12, 2020|title=How Riot reinvents old League of Legends champions like comic book superheroes|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/12/21255102/riot-league-of-legends-vgu-updates-volibear-fiddlesticks|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018185001/https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/12/21255102/riot-league-of-legends-vgu-updates-volibear-fiddlesticks|archive-date=October 18, 2020|access-date=January 15, 2021|website=The Verge}} Although only available for Microsoft Windows at launch, a Mac version of the game was made available in March 2013.{{Cite web|last=Cocke|first=Taylor|date=March 1, 2013|title=League of Legends Now Available on Mac|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/01/league-of-legends-now-available-on-mac|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121153209/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/01/league-of-legends-now-available-on-mac|archive-date=November 21, 2018|access-date=January 17, 2021|website=IGN}}
Since May 2023, the game uses Riot's custom always-online anti-cheat software, Vanguard, on Microsoft Windows devices.{{Cite news |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=2024-05-03 |title='We have not confirmed any instance of Vanguard bricking anyone's hardware' following its League of Legends rollout, Riot says, but there are definitely problems for some players |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/we-have-not-confirmed-any-instance-of-vanguard-bricking-anyones-hardware-following-its-league-of-legends-rollout-riot-says-but-there-are-definitely-problems-for-some-players/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=PC Gamer |language=}} Originally developed by Riot for their tactical shooter Valorant (2020), Vanguard requires access to the device's kernel, which some users saw as unnecessarily intrusive.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Ali |date=2024-01-05 |title=League of Legends is getting Valorant's always-on Vanguard anti-cheat software |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/league-of-legends-is-getting-valorants-always-on-vanguard-anti-cheat-software/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=gamesradar |language=en}} Vanguard does not collect user data or send it to Riot Games.{{Cite news |last=Wilde |first=Tyler |date=2020-05-08 |title=The controversy over Riot's Vanguard anti-cheat software |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-controversy-over-riots-vanguard-anti-cheat-software-explained/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=PC Gamer}} Following the anti-cheat's deployment, some players said Vanguard bricked their devices. The developer said this was caused by other problems, with only 0.03% of players reporting issues.
=Revenue model=
League of Legends uses a free-to-play business model. Revenue is generated by selling cosmetic goods with no impact to gameplay. Several of these cosmetics—for example, "skins" that change the appearance of champions—can be redeemed after purchasing an in-game currency called Riot Points (RP).{{Cite book |last1=Kordyaka |first1=Bastian |title=Proceedings of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences |last2=Hribersek |first2=Sidney |date=January 8, 2019 |isbn=978-0-9981-3312-6 |page=1508 |chapter=Crafting Identity in League of Legends – Purchases as a Tool to Achieve Desired Impressions |doi=10.24251/HICSS.2019.182 |hdl=10125/59591 |quote=Riot's main source of income is the sale of the in-game currency called Riot Points (RP). Players can buy virtual items using RPs, whereby the majority of them possesses no functional value (champion skins, accessories) and can be considered aesthetic items. |doi-access=free}} Skins have five basic tiers, ranging in cost from $4 to $25.{{cite web |last=Friedman |first=Daniel |date=February 23, 2016 |title=How to get the most out of gambling on League of Legends' Mystery Skins |url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/2/23/11100236/league-of-legends-mystery-skin-chests |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129091346/https://www.polygon.com/2016/2/23/11100236/league-of-legends-mystery-skin-chests/ |archive-date=November 29, 2020 |access-date=January 15, 2021 |website=Polygon}} As virtual goods, they have high profit margins. An Ubisoft analyst estimated in 2014 that only 4% of players were paying customers, significantly lower than the industry standard, and added that optimizing revenue was likely not a high priority to Riot because of the game's large player base.{{cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=August 11, 2014 |title=Ubisoft analyst criticizes League of Legends monetization, warns other studios not to try it |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-analyst-criticizes-league-of-legends-monetization-warns-other-studios-not-to-try-it/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112034851/https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-analyst-criticizes-league-of-legends-monetization-warns-other-studios-not-to-try-it/ |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |access-date=December 23, 2020 |website=PC Gamer |language=en-US}} At the 2024 Summer Game Fest, game director Pu Liu said that revenue is primarily generated by a "single-digit percentage" of players, colloquially known as whales.{{Cite news |last=Gould |first=Elie |date=2024-06-12 |title=According to the game's director, the $500 League of Legends Ahri skin wasn't meant for the average fan, but instead 'players who are willing to spend $200 a month on their hobbies' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/according-to-the-games-director-the-dollar500-league-of-legends-ahri-skin-wasnt-meant-for-the-average-fan-but-instead-players-who-are-willing-to-spend-dollar200-a-month-on-their-hobbies/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}
Riot Games added an additional skin tier to League of Legends in 2024, describing them as a luxury good. These skins cannot be purchased outright: instead, players buy attempts to win the skin via in-game slot machine mechanic.{{cite news |last=Gould |first=Elie |date=October 17, 2024 |title=Riot announces new League of Legends exalted skins tier days after more layoffs, but you can't get it the usual way—instead, you'll have to roll the dice |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/riot-announces-new-exalted-skins-tier-days-after-more-layoffs-but-you-cant-get-it-the-usual-way-instead-youll-have-to-roll-the-dice/ |access-date=October 17, 2024 |website=pcgamer.com}} This was widely identified as a gacha game mechanic,{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Ali |date=2023-08-17 |title=League of Legends players protest new gacha system that puts a recolored cosmetic behind a $200 paywall |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/league-of-legends-players-protest-new-gacha-system-that-puts-a-recolored-cosmetic-behind-a-dollar200-paywall/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=gamesradar |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Marshall |first=Cass |date=2024-12-19 |title=Riot's monetization makes being a free-to-play League of Legends fan feel bad |url=https://www.polygon.com/gaming/499282/league-of-legends-gacha-skins-exalted |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Polygon |language=}} used by the company in Teamfight Tactics since the previous year.{{Cite web |last=Makar |first=Connor |date=2023-06-16 |title=Teamfight Tactics players are furious about gacha-style battle pass |url=https://www.vg247.com/teamfight-tactics-players-are-furious-about-gacha-style-battle-pass |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=VG247}} Players are guaranteed to acquire the skin after a predefined number of failed attempts.{{Cite web |last=Bergin |first=Lauren |date=2024-10-17 |title=League of Legends is getting a new $250 Arcane skin, and it's going down horribly |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-exalted-jinx-skin |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=PCGamesN}} The cost can range from $200 to $430.{{Cite web |last=Bergin |first=Lauren |date=2024-10-17 |title=League of Legends is getting a new $250 Arcane skin, and it's going down horribly |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-exalted-jinx-skin |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=PCGamesN}} Responses to early iterations of the new skin tier divided players.{{Cite web |last=Bergin |first=Lauren |date=2023-10-25 |title=Riot is charging $200 for a League of Legends chroma, again |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-mythic-ekko-chroma |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=PCGamesN |language=}} The first to be revealed, with an upper cost $200, was criticized for being a recolored variants of an existing skin,{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Ali |date=2023-08-17 |title=League of Legends players protest new gacha system that puts a recolored cosmetic behind a $200 paywall |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/league-of-legends-players-protest-new-gacha-system-that-puts-a-recolored-cosmetic-behind-a-dollar200-paywall/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=gamesradar |language=}} known as a "chroma".{{Cite web |last=Bergin |first=Lauren |date=2024-11-07 |title=I spoke to League of Legends players who actually own the $430 Ahri skin |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-faker-ahri-skin-player-interview |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=PCGamesN}} A content creator known for showcasing upcoming skins said the tier was poor value and described them as a "scam".{{Cite web |last=Bergin |first=Lauren |date=2023-10-25 |title=Riot is charging $200 for a League of Legends chroma, again |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-mythic-ekko-chroma |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=PCGamesN}}{{Cite web |last=Bergin |first=Lauren |date=2024-01-12 |title=League of Legends YouTuber SkinSpotlights may ditch LoL for Wild Rift |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-skinspotlights-leave |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=PCGamesN |language=}}
One day after revealing a $430 "Hall of Fame" skin to honor the career of professional gamer Faker,{{Cite web |last=Bergin |first=Lauren |date=2024-10-17 |title=League of Legends is getting a new $250 Arcane skin, and it's going down horribly |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/lol-exalted-jinx-skin |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=PCGamesN |language=en-US}} Riot announced layoffs at the company, impacting Ben Rosado—the cosmetic's designer—and eliciting further negative responses from players.{{Cite web |last=Lewis |first=Catherine |date=2024-10-18 |title=League of Legends fans baffled as Riot lays off more devs, unveils a gacha-fueled $250 Arcane skin 24 hours later |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/league-of-legends/league-of-legends-fans-baffled-as-riot-lays-off-more-devs-including-the-usd500-ahri-skin-designer-only-to-unveil-a-gacha-fuelled-usd250-arcane-skin-24-hours-later/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=gamesradar |language=en}} In early 2025, Riot announced a new skin in the tier that had been long requested by players. PC Gamer{{'s}} Rick Lane described the strategy as "whale chasing" and "psychological manipulation". He said that the skins had been selected to "subtly" entice players into "rolling the dice", at which point the sunk-cost fallacy takes over. Lane described it as the latest in a series of monetization controversies for the developer.{{Cite news |last=Lane |first=Rick |date=2025-02-19 |title=League of Legends is getting a hotly anticipated skin for its lich necromancer Mordekaiser, but fans' joy has been 'obliterated' because it's 'stuck in a $200 fomo gacha store' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/league-of-legends-is-getting-a-hotly-anticipated-skin-for-its-lich-necromancer-mordekaiser-but-fans-joy-has-been-obliterated-because-its-stuck-in-a-usd200-fomo-gacha-store/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}
In November 2024, the studio said they would streamline player rewards in an upcoming patch, describing the game's various progression tracks and currencies as "needlessly complex".{{Cite news |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=2025-02-26 |title=Riot walks back unpopular League of Legends changes: Hextech Chests are coming back, and the Blue Essence cost for new champions will be cut in half |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/riot-walks-back-unpopular-league-of-legends-changes-hextech-chests-are-coming-back-and-the-blue-essence-cost-for-new-champions-will-be-cut-in-half/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}} The announcement caused widespread outrage. A viral Reddit post estimated that free-to-play players must play the game for over 800 hours to unlock a single champion.{{Cite news |last=Gould |first=Elie |date=2025-01-14 |title=League of Legends players are up in arms after an update to get rid of 'unnecessary complexity' makes it a struggle for new players to earn anything |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/league-of-legends-players-are-up-in-arms-after-an-update-to-get-rid-of-unnecessary-complexity-makes-it-a-struggle-for-new-players-to-earn-anything/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}} It was described by GamesRadar+ as the studio's "worst PR disaster in years".{{Cite web |last=Bardhan |first=Ashley |date=2025-02-18 |title=Doubling-down on League of Legends' worst PR disaster in years, developer Riot locks hotly anticipated cosmetic behind $240 gacha wall |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/moba/doubling-down-on-league-of-legends-worst-pr-disaster-in-years-developer-riot-locks-hotly-anticipated-cosmetic-behind-usd240-gacha-wall/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=gamesradar}} In mid-January 2025, game director Andrei van Room said they had "screwed up", explaining that a designer forgot to include the "first win of the day" experience bonus in their calculations, causing unintended consequences.{{Cite news |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=2025-01-15 |title=Riot admits it 'screwed up' League of Legends' new reward system, because somebody forgot to add a big chunk of numbers in the new XP calculations |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/riot-admits-it-screwed-up-league-of-legends-new-reward-system-because-somebody-forgot-to-add-a-big-chunk-of-numbers-in-the-new-xp-calculations/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}} The developer partially reverted some of the changes, including halving the cost of purchasing a champion, and the return of "hextech chests"{{Cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=February 26, 2025 |title=Riot walks back unpopular League of Legends changes: Hextech Chests are coming back, and the Blue Essence cost for new champions will be cut in half |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/riot-walks-back-unpopular-league-of-legends-changes-hextech-chests-are-coming-back-and-the-blue-essence-cost-for-new-champions-will-be-cut-in-half/ |website=PC Gamer}}—a loot box system introduced in 2016. These are purchasable virtual "chests" that provide random cosmetics,{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Julia |date=August 20, 2019 |title=League of Legends fans angry over Riot Games' latest monetization effort |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/20/20808929/league-of-legends-eternals-monetization-riot-games |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108000444/https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/20/20808929/league-of-legends-eternals-monetization-riot-games |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |access-date=January 1, 2021 |website=Polygon}} a practice that has been criticized as a form of gambling.{{Cite journal |last1=Zendle |first1=David |last2=Cairns |first2=Paul |last3=Barnett |first3=Herbie |last4=McCall |first4=Cade |date=January 1, 2020 |title=Paying for loot boxes is linked to problem gambling, regardless of specific features like cash-out and pay-to-win |url=https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/148267/1/CHB_Loot_Box_Features_Accepted.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Computers in Human Behavior |language=en |volume=102 |page=181 |doi=10.1016/j.chb.2019.07.003 |issn=0747-5632 |s2cid=198591367 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802234527/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563219302468 |archive-date=August 2, 2020 |access-date=January 1, 2021}}
=Plot=
{{See also|League of Legends#Spin-offs and other media}}
Before 2014, players existed in-universe as political leaders, or "Summoners", commanding champions to fight on the Fields of Justice—for example, Summoner's Rift—to avert a catastrophic war.{{cite web|last=Gilliam|first=Ryan|date=April 13, 2018|title=The history of the League of Legends|url=https://www.riftherald.com/2018/4/13/17231028/history-lol-league-of-legends-institute-of-war-summoners|access-date=January 15, 2021|website=The Rift Herald|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109021531/https://www.riftherald.com/2018/4/13/17231028/history-lol-league-of-legends-institute-of-war-summoners|url-status=live}} Sociologist Matt Watson said the plot and setting were bereft of the political themes found in other role-playing games, and presented in reductive "good versus evil" terms.{{Cite journal|last=Watson|first=Max|date=Summer 2015|title=A medley of meanings: Insights from an instance of gameplay in League of Legends|url=http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Compaso2015-61-Watson.pdf|journal=Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology|volume=6|issue=1|page=234|quote=Moreover, LoL's content and gameplay lack the [...] strong ties to real world issues [...] LoL does of course have a lore, but it recounts a fantastical alternate world which can often descend into hackneyed good and evil terms.|access-date=December 26, 2020|archive-date=December 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229190622/http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Compaso2015-61-Watson.pdf|url-status=live}} In the game's early development, Riot did not hire writers, and designers wrote character biographies only a paragraph long.
In September 2014, Riot Games rebooted the game's fictional setting, removing summoners from the game's lore to avoid "creative stagnation".{{cite web|last=Gera|first=Emily|date=September 5, 2014|title=Riot Games is rebooting the League of Legends lore|url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/9/5/6109819/riot-games-league-of-legends-lore|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715203604/https://www.polygon.com/2014/9/5/6109819/riot-games-league-of-legends-lore|archive-date=July 15, 2020|access-date=December 25, 2020|website=Polygon}} Luke Plunkett wrote for Kotaku that, although the change would upset long-term fans, it was necessary as the game's player base grew in size.{{cite web|last=Plunkett|first=Luke|date=September 4, 2014|title=League Of Legends Just Destroyed Its Lore, Will Start Over|url=https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-just-destroyed-its-lore-will-start-o-1630783950|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017234202/https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-just-destroyed-its-lore-will-start-o-1630783950|archive-date=October 17, 2020|access-date=September 4, 2020|website=Kotaku|quote=[...] it's a move Riot were always going to have to make. As League grows in popularity, so too do its chances of becoming something larger, something that can translate more easily into things like TV series and movies.}} Shortly after the reboot, Riot hired Warhammer writer Graham McNeill.{{cite web|last=LeJacq|first=Yannick|date=June 4, 2015|title=Riot Games Hires Graham McNeill For League Of Legends|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/06/riot-games-hires-graham-mcneill-for-league-of-legends/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103001044/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/06/riot-games-hires-graham-mcneill-for-league-of-legends/|archive-date=January 3, 2021|access-date=January 4, 2021|website=Kotaku Australia|language=en-AU}} Riot's storytellers and artists create flavor text, adding "richness" to the game, but very little of this is seen as a part of normal gameplay. Instead, that work supplies a foundation for the franchise's expansion into other media, such as comic books and spin-off video games. The Fields of Justice were replaced by a new fictional setting—a planet called Runeterra. The setting has elements from several genres—from Lovecraftian horror to traditional sword and sorcery fantasy.{{cite web|last=Marshall|first=Cass|date=December 5, 2019|title=Riot's new games are League of Legends's best asset (and biggest threat)|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/12/5/20992482/riot-games-announcement-lore-storytelling-legends-of-runeterra-league-of-legends|access-date=September 5, 2020|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=May 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518160105/https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/12/5/20992482/riot-games-announcement-lore-storytelling-legends-of-runeterra-league-of-legends|url-status=live}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| GSpot = 6/10{{cite web|last=VanOrd|first=Kevin|date=October 17, 2013|title=League of Legends – Retail Launch Review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/league-of-legends-retail-launch-review/1900-6239387/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522163943/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/league-of-legends-retail-launch-review/1900-6239387/|archive-date=May 22, 2016|access-date=January 2, 2021|website=GameSpot}} (2009)
9/10{{cite web|last=Hicks|first=Tyler|date=October 10, 2013|title=League of Legends Review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/league-of-legends-review/1900-6415183/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112015144/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/league-of-legends-review/1900-6415183/|archive-date=November 12, 2020|access-date=January 3, 2021|website=GameSpot}} (2013)
| IGN = 8/10{{cite web|last=Butts|first=Steve|date=November 5, 2009|title=League of Legends Review – PC Review at IGN|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/104/1042996p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530002611/http://pc.ign.com/articles/104/1042996p1.html|archive-date=May 30, 2012|access-date=January 2, 2021|website=IGN}} (2009)
9.2/10{{cite web|last=Jackson|first=Leah B.|date=February 13, 2014|title=League of Legends Review|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/02/13/league-of-legends-review-2|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210181536/https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/02/13/league-of-legends-review-2|archive-date=December 10, 2020|access-date=January 2, 2021|website=IGN}} (2014)
}}
League of Legends received generally favorable reviews on its initial release, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Many publications noted the game's high replay value.{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Quintin|date=November 27, 2009|title=League of Legends|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/league-of-legends-review|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120124947/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/league-of-legends-review|archive-date=November 20, 2020|access-date=January 2, 2021|website=Eurogamer}}{{cite web|last=Crecente|first=Brian|date=November 4, 2009|title=League of Legends Review: Free, Addictive, Worthy|url=https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-review-free-addictive-worthy-5396770|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226164518/https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-review-free-addictive-worthy-5396770|archive-date=December 26, 2020|access-date=January 2, 2021|website=Kotaku}} Kotaku reviewer Brian Crecente admired how items altered champion play styles. Quintin Smith of Eurogamer concurred, praising the amount of experimentation offered by champions.{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Quintin|date=November 27, 2009|title=League of Legends|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/league-of-legends-review?page=3|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130021537/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/league-of-legends-review?page=3|archive-date=November 30, 2009|access-date=January 6, 2006|website=Eurogamer}} Comparing it to Defense of the Ancients, Rick McCormick of GamesRadar+ said that playing League of Legends was "a vote for choice over refinement".{{cite web|last=|first=|date=January 23, 2013|title=League of Legends Review|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/league-of-legends-review/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414044248/https://www.gamesradar.com/league-of-legends-review/|archive-date=April 14, 2020|access-date=January 2, 2021|website=GamesRadar+}}
Given the game's origins, other reviewers frequently compared aspects of it to DotA. According to GamesRadar+ and GameSpot, League of Legends would feel familiar to those who had already played DotA.{{cite web|last=VanOrd|first=Kevin|date=October 17, 2013|title=League of Legends – Retail Launch Review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/league-of-legends-retail-launch-review/1900-6239387/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014163133/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/league-of-legends-retail-launch-review/1900-6239387/|archive-date=October 14, 2013|access-date=January 2, 2021|website=GameSpot}} The game's inventive character design and lively colors distinguished the game from its competitors. Smith concluded his review by noting that, although there was not "much room for negativity", Riot's goal of refining DotA had not yet been realized.
Although Crecente praised the game's free-to-play model, GameSpy{{'s}} Ryan Scott was critical of the grind required for non-paying players to unlock key gameplay elements, calling it unacceptable in a competitive game.{{cite web|last=Scott|first=Ryan|date=November 30, 2009|title=GameSpy: The Consensus: League of Legends Review|url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/league-of-legends-clash-of-fates/1050609p1.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426210217/http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/league-of-legends-clash-of-fates/1050609p1.html|archive-date=April 26, 2011|access-date=January 2, 2021|website=GameSpy}}{{efn|Scott's review referenced a now-retired system of in-game bonuses to champions which could be slowly earned while playing or purchased outright with real money.{{Cite web|last=Gilliam|first=Ryan|date=June 19, 2017|title=The new rune system fixes one of League's biggest problems|url=https://www.riftherald.com/lol-gameplay/2017/6/19/15820902/new-rune-system-lol-masteries|access-date=January 17, 2021|website=The Rift Herald|archive-date=January 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117093117/https://www.riftherald.com/lol-gameplay/2017/6/19/15820902/new-rune-system-lol-masteries|url-status=live}}}} Many outlets said the game was underdeveloped. A physical version of the game was available for purchase from retailers; GameSpot{{'s}} Kevin VanOrd said it was an inadvisable purchase because the value included $10 of store credit for an unavailable store.{{cite web|last=VanOrd|first=Kevin|date=October 17, 2013|title=League of Legends – Retail Launch Review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/league-of-legends-retail-launch-review/1900-6239387/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014163133/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/league-of-legends-retail-launch-review/1900-6239387/|archive-date=October 14, 2013|access-date=January 2, 2012|website=GameSpot}} German site GameStar noted that none of the bonuses in that version were available until the launch period had ended and refused to carry out a full review.{{cite web|last=Graf|first=Michael|date=November 5, 2009|title=League of Legends – Angespielt: Kein Test, obwohl es schon im Laden liegt|trans-title=League of Legends – Played: No review, even though it’s available in the store|url=https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/league-of-legends-angespielt-kein-test-obwohl-es-schon-im-laden-liegt,2310305.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114082527/https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/league-of-legends-angespielt-kein-test-obwohl-es-schon-im-laden-liegt,2310305.html|archive-date=January 14, 2021|access-date=January 6, 2021|website=GameStar|language=de}} IGN{{'s}} Steve Butts compared the launch to the poor state of CrimeCraft{{'s}} release earlier in 2009; he indicated that features available during League of Legends{{'s}} beta were removed for the release, even for those who purchased the retail version. Matches took unnecessarily long to find for players, with long queue times,{{cite web|last=Squires|first=Jim|date=March 23, 2010|title=League of Legends Review|url=https://www.gamezebo.com/online-games/league-legends/review|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100823050644/https://www.gamezebo.com/online-games/league-legends/review|archive-date=August 23, 2010|access-date=January 2, 2021|website=Gamezebo}} and GameRevolution mentioned frustrating bugs.{{cite web|title=League of Legends Review|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/league-of-legends|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123221316/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/league-of-legends|archive-date=January 23, 2013|access-date=October 19, 2020|website=GameRevolution}}
Some reviewers addressed toxicity in the game's early history. Crecente wrote that the community was "insular" and "whiney" when losing. Butts speculated that League of Legends inherited many of DotA{{'s}} players, who had developed a reputation for being "notoriously hostile" to newcomers.
= Reassessment =
File:Nidalee (9844717146).jpg of the League of Legends champion Nidalee]]
Regular updates to the game have resulted in a reappraisal by some outlets; IGN
While reviewers were pleased with the diverse array of play styles offered by champions and their abilities, Strom thought that the female characters still resembled those in "horny Clash of Clans clones" in 2018. Two years before Strom's review, a champion designer responded to criticism by players that a young, female champion was not conventionally attractive. He argued that limiting female champions to one body type was constraining, and said progress had been made in Riot's recent releases.{{cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Patricia|date=May 3, 2016|title=League of Legends Champ Designer Gives Some Real Talk On Sexy Characters|url=https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-champ-designer-gives-some-real-talk-o-1774500376|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108175215/https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-champ-designer-gives-some-real-talk-o-1774500376|archive-date=November 8, 2020|access-date=January 4, 2021|website=Kotaku}}
Comparisons persisted between the game and others in the genre. GameSpot{{'s}} Tyler Hicks wrote that new players would pick up League of Legends quicker than DotA and that the removal of randomness-based skills made the game more competitive. Jackson described League of Legends' rate of unlock for champions as "a model of generosity", but less than DotA{{'s}} sequel, Dota 2 (2013), produced by Valve, wherein characters are unlocked by default. Strom said the game was fast-paced compared to Dota 2{{'s}} "yawning" matches, but slower than those of Blizzard Entertainment's "intentionally accessible" MOBA Heroes of the Storm (2015).
=Accolades=
At the first Game Developers Choice Awards in 2010, the game won four major awards: Best Online Technology, Game Design, New Online Game, and Visual Arts.{{cite web|date=October 8, 2010|title=Riot's League of Legends Leads Game Developers Choice Online Award Winners|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/30864/Riots_League_of_Legends_Leads_Game_Developers_Choice_Online_Award_Winners.php|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602132705/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/30864/Riots_League_of_Legends_Leads_Game_Developers_Choice_Online_Award_Winners.php|archive-date=June 2, 2011|access-date=January 5, 2021|website=Gamasutra}} At the 2011 Golden Joystick Awards, it won Best Free-to-Play Game.{{cite web|last=Liebl|first=Matt|date=January 5, 2021|title=League of Legends Wins 2011 Golden Joystick Award for Best Free-to-Play Game|url=https://www.gamezone.com/news/league-of-legends-wins-2011-golden-joystick-award-for-best-free-to-play-game/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023201802/http://www.gamezone.com/news/league-of-legends-wins-2011-golden-joystick-award-for-best-free-to-play-game|archive-date=October 23, 2011|access-date=January 5, 2021|website=GameZone}} Music produced for the game won a Shorty Award,{{cite news|date=April 29, 2019|title=K/DA – POP/STARS – The Shorty Awards|publisher=Shorty Awards|url=https://shortyawards.com/11th/kda-popstars|url-status=live|access-date=August 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508014053/https://shortyawards.com/11th/kda-popstars|archive-date=May 8, 2019}} and was nominated at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards.{{cite web|date=November 5, 2019|title=2019 Music in Visual Media Nominations|url=https://www.hmmawards.com/2019-music-in-visual-media-nominations/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105064436/https://www.hmmawards.com/2019-music-in-visual-media-nominations/|archive-date=November 5, 2019|access-date=November 6, 2019|publisher=Hollywood Music in Media Awards}}
League of Legends has received awards for its contribution to esports. It was nominated for Best Esports Game at The Game Awards in 2017 and 2018,{{cite web|last=Makuch|first=Eddie|date=December 8, 2017|title=The Game Awards 2017 Winners Headlined By Zelda: Breath Of The Wild's Game Of The Year|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-game-awards-2017-winners-headlined-by-zelda-br/1100-6455467/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209043912/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-game-awards-2017-winners-headlined-by-zelda-br/1100-6455467/|archive-date=December 9, 2017|access-date=February 17, 2018|website=GameSpot}}{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/game-awards-tga/2018/12/6/18130000/the-game-awards-winners-2018 |title=The Game Awards 2018: Here are all the winners |last=Grant |first=Christopher |date=December 6, 2018 |website=Polygon |access-date=December 13, 2018 |archive-date=November 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118173632/https://www.polygon.com/2018/11/13/18092186/game-awards-2018-nominees-show-date-start-time |url-status=live }} then won in 2019, 2020, and 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-game-awards-2019-winners-sekiro-takes-game-of-/1100-6472169/ |title=The Game Awards 2019 Winners: Sekiro Takes Game Of The Year |last=Makuch |first=Eddie |date=December 13, 2019 |website=GameSpot |access-date=December 13, 2019 |archive-date=December 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213184227/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-game-awards-2019-winners-sekiro-takes-game-of-/1100-6472169/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web|last1=Stedman|first1=Alex|date=December 10, 2020|title=The Game Awards 2020: Complete Winners List|url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/the-game-awards-winners-list-2020-1234850547/|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-date=December 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211075416/https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/the-game-awards-winners-list-2020-1234850547/|url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Bankhurst |first1=Adam |title=The Game Awards 2021 Winners: The Full List |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-game-awards-2021-winners-revealed |website=IGN |access-date=9 January 2023 |language=en |date=10 December 2021}} Specific events organized by Riot for esports tournaments have been recognized by awards ceremonies. Also at The Game Awards, the Riot won Best Esports Event for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 League World Championships. At the 39th Sports Emmy Awards in 2018, League of Legends won Outstanding Live Graphic Design for the 2017 world championship; as part of the pre-competition proceedings, Riot used augmented reality technology to have a computer-generated dragon fly across the stage.{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Julia|date=May 9, 2018|title=Riot Games wins a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Graphic Design|url=https://www.riftherald.com/lol-esports/2018/5/9/17336010/riot-games-sports-emmy-esports-worlds|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626001535/https://www.riftherald.com/lol-esports/2018/5/9/17336010/riot-games-sports-emmy-esports-worlds|archive-date=June 26, 2018|access-date=January 12, 2021|website=The Rift Herald}}{{cite web|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=November 11, 2019|title=Designing League of Legends' stunning holographic Worlds opening ceremony|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/11/20959206/league-of-legends-worlds-2019-opening-ceremony-holograms-holonet|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828013405/https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/11/20959206/league-of-legends-worlds-2019-opening-ceremony-holograms-holonet|archive-date=August 28, 2020|access-date=January 12, 2021|website=The Verge}}{{cite web|last=Goslin|first=Austen|date=October 24, 2020|title=How Riot created the virtual universe of the 2020 League of Legends World Championships|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/24/21531034/league-of-legends-world-championship-2020-riot-games-stage-mixed-reality-unreal-engine-behind-scenes|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223231020/https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/24/21531034/league-of-legends-world-championship-2020-riot-games-stage-mixed-reality-unreal-engine-behind-scenes|archive-date=December 23, 2020|access-date=January 12, 2021|website=Polygon}}
Player behavior
League of Legends' player base has a longstanding reputation for "toxicity"—negative and abusive in-game behavior,{{Cite journal|last=Kou|first=Yubo|date=January 2013|title=Regulating Anti-Social Behavior on the Internet: The Example of League of Legends|url=https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/39981/289.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y|journal=IConference 2013 Proceedings|pages=612–622|access-date=December 26, 2020|archive-date=December 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226164512/https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/39981/289.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=How League Of Legends Enables Toxicity|url=https://kotaku.com/how-league-of-legends-enables-toxicity-1693572469|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=Kotaku|date=March 25, 2015 |language=en-us|archive-date=September 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926090344/https://kotaku.com/how-league-of-legends-enables-toxicity-1693572469|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Alexander|first=Julia|date=March 20, 2018|title=League of Legends's senior designer outlines how they battle rampant toxicity|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/3/20/17143610/league-of-legends-toxic-players-tyler1-riot-games|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109021638/https://www.polygon.com/2018/3/20/17143610/league-of-legends-toxic-players-tyler1-riot-games|url-status=live}} with a survey by the Anti-Defamation League indicating that 76% of players have experienced in-game harassment.{{Cite web|title=Free to Play? Hate, Harassment and Positive Social Experience in Online Games 2020|url=https://www.adl.org/free-to-play-2020|url-status=live|access-date=November 6, 2021|website=Anti-Defamation League|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106033653/https://www.adl.org/free-to-play-2020}} Riot Games has acknowledged the problem and responded that only a small portion of the game's players are consistently toxic. According to Jeffrey Lin, the lead designer of social systems at Riot Games, the majority of negative behavior is committed by players "occasionally acting out".{{cite web|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=March 6, 2015|title=How League of Legends could make the internet a better place|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/3/6/8161955/league-of-legends-online-happy-place|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108105840/http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/6/8161955/league-of-legends-online-happy-place|archive-date=November 8, 2020|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en}} Several major systems have been implemented to tackle the issue. One such measure is basic report functionality; players can report teammates or opponents who violate the game's code of ethics. The in-game chat is also monitored by algorithms that detect several types of abuse. An early system was the "Tribunal"—players who met certain requirements were able to review reports sent to Riot. If enough players determined that the messages were a violation, an automated system would punish them.{{cite web|last=Skiffington|first=Dillion|title=League of Legends's Neverending War On Toxic Behavior|url=https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-neverending-war-on-toxic-behavior-1636894289|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114225212/http://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-neverending-war-on-toxic-behavior-1636894289|archive-date=November 14, 2020|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=Kotaku|date=September 19, 2014 |language=en-us}} Lin said that eliminating toxicity was an unrealistic goal, and the focus should be on rewarding good player behavior.{{cite web|last=Alexander|first=Julia|date=March 20, 2018|title=League of Legends's senior designer outlines how they battle rampant toxicity|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/3/20/17143610/league-of-legends-toxic-players-tyler1-riot-games|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109021638/https://www.polygon.com/2018/3/20/17143610/league-of-legends-toxic-players-tyler1-riot-games|archive-date=November 9, 2020|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=Polygon}} To that effect, Riot reworked the "Honor system" in 2017, allowing players to award teammates with virtual medals following games, for one of three positive attributes. Acquiring these medals increases a player's "Honor level", rewarding them with free loot boxes over time.{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Julia|date=June 13, 2017|title=New Honor System: How it works and what you can get|url=https://www.riftherald.com/lol-gameplay/2017/6/13/15790128/honor-system-revamp-update-lol|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109041002/https://www.riftherald.com/lol-gameplay/2017/6/13/15790128/honor-system-revamp-update-lol|archive-date=November 9, 2020|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=The Rift Herald|language=en}}
In esports
File:LOL2016WorldsFinalsArena.jpg finals between SK Telecom T1 and Samsung Galaxy at the Staples Center]]
{{main|League of Legends in esports}}
League of Legends is one of the world's largest esports, described by The New York Times as its "main attraction".{{Cite news|last=Segal|first=David|date=October 10, 2014|title=Behind League of Legends, E-Sports's Main Attraction|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/technology/riot-games-league-of-legends-main-attraction-esports.html|access-date=September 7, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=September 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907210326/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/technology/riot-games-league-of-legends-main-attraction-esports.html|url-status=live|url-access=limited}} Online viewership and in-person attendance for the game's esports events outperformed those of the National Basketball Association, the World Series, and the Stanley Cup in 2016.{{Cite journal|last=Hardenstein|first=Taylor Stanton|date=Spring 2017|title="Skins" in the Game: Counter-Strike, Esports, and the Shady World of Online Gambling|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/unlvgalj7&i=141|journal=UNLV Gaming Law Journal|volume=7|page=119|quote=A year later, the same championship was held in the 40,000-seat World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea while another 27 million people watched online-more than the TV viewership for the final round of the Masters, the NBA Finals, the World Series, and the Stanley Cup Finals, for that same year.|access-date=January 4, 2021|archive-date=January 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104195445/https://heinonline.org/HOL/Welcome?message=Please%20log%20in&url=%2FHOL%2FPage%3Fhandle%3Dhein.journals%2Funlvgalj7%26id%3D141|url-status=live}} For the 2019 and 2020 League of Legends World Championship finals, Riot Games reported 44 and 45 peak million concurrent viewers respectively.{{cite web|last=Webb|first=Kevin|date=December 18, 2019|title=More than 100 million people watched the 'League of Legends's World Championship, cementing its place as the most popular esport|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/league-of-legends-world-championship-100-million-viewers-2019-12|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=Business Insider|archive-date=December 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206171026/https://www.businessinsider.com/league-of-legends-world-championship-100-million-viewers-2019-12|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Huang|first=Zheping|date=April 7, 2021|title=Tencent Bets Billions on Gamers With More Fans Than NBA Stars|work=Bloomberg News|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-07/tencent-bets-billions-on-gamers-with-more-fans-than-nba-stars|access-date=April 18, 2021|archive-date=April 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416114654/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-07/tencent-bets-billions-on-gamers-with-more-fans-than-nba-stars|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}} Harvard Business Review said that League of Legends epitomized the birth of the esports industry.{{Cite news|last=Di Fiore|first=Alessandro|date=June 3, 2014|title=Disrupting the Gaming Industry with the Same Old Playbook|work=Harvard Business Review|url=https://hbr.org/2014/06/disrupting-the-gaming-industry-with-the-same-old-playbook|url-status=live|access-date=December 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626001558/https://hbr.org/2014/06/disrupting-the-gaming-industry-with-the-same-old-playbook|archive-date=June 26, 2018}}
{{As of|2021|April}}, Riot Games operates 12 regional leagues internationally,{{Cite news|last=Heath|first=Jerome|date=April 12, 2021|title=All of the teams qualified for the 2021 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational|work=Dot Esports|url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/all-teams-qualified-2021-league-of-legends-msi|access-date=April 18, 2021|archive-date=April 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412154344/https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/all-teams-qualified-2021-league-of-legends-msi|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=July 21, 2020|title=League of Legends esports is getting a big rebrand in an attempt to become more global|work=The Verge|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/21/21331534/league-of-legends-esports-rebrand-riot-games-china-lpl-lec-europe|access-date=April 20, 2021|archive-date=September 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913020948/https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/21/21331534/league-of-legends-esports-rebrand-riot-games-china-lpl-lec-europe|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Lim|first=Jang-won|date=April 20, 2021|title=MSI preview: 11 teams heading to Iceland; VCS unable to attend once again|work=Korea Herald|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210420000833|access-date=April 20, 2021|archive-date=April 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420052156/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210420000833|url-status=live}} four of which—China, Europe, Korea, and North America—have franchised systems.{{Cite news|last=Ashton|first=Graham|date=April 30, 2017|title=Franchising Comes to Chinese League of Legends, Ending Relegation in LPL|work=Esports Observer|url=https://esportsobserver.com/franchising-comes-chinese-league-legends-ending-relegation-lpl/|access-date=April 20, 2021|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126222101/https://esportsobserver.com/franchising-comes-chinese-league-legends-ending-relegation-lpl/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Jacob|date=March 27, 2018|title=EU LCS changes to include salary increase, franchising and rev share|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/esports/story/_/id/22933422/european-league-championship-series-changes-include-salary-increase-franchising-rev-share|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505233859/http://www.espn.co.uk/esports/story/_/id/22933422/european-league-championship-series-changes-include-salary-increase-franchising-rev-share|archive-date=May 5, 2019|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=ESPN|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Samples|first=Rachel|date=April 5, 2020|title=LCK to adopt franchise model in 2021|work=Dot Esports|url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/lck-to-adopt-franchise-model-in-2021|access-date=April 18, 2021|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127170714/https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/lck-to-adopt-franchise-model-in-2021|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Wolf|first=Jacob|date=September 3, 2020|title=LCK determines 10 preferred partners for 2021|work=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29802825/lck-determines-10-preferred-partners-2021|access-date=April 20, 2021|archive-date=September 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923200326/https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29802825/lck-determines-10-preferred-partners-2021|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=November 20, 2020|title=Ten Franchise Teams for 'League of Legends's North American eSports League Unveiled|url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/league-of-legends-north-america-league-teams-esports-1202619230/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904213434/https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/league-of-legends-north-america-league-teams-esports-1202619230/|archive-date=September 4, 2018|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=Variety}} In 2017, this system comprised 109 teams and 545 players.{{cite magazine|last=Hester|first=Blake|date=December 21, 2017|title=More Than 360 Million People Watched This Year's 'League of Legends's Mid-Season Invitational|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/heres-how-many-people-watched-league-of-legends-this-year-w514580|url-status=dead|url-access=limited|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527142806/https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/heres-how-many-people-watched-league-of-legends-this-year-w514580|archive-date=May 27, 2018|access-date=December 24, 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone}} League games are typically livestreamed on platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. The company sells streaming rights to the game; the North American league playoff is broadcast on cable television by sports network ESPN.{{cite web|last=Alexander|first=Julia|date=April 8, 2020|title=ESPN becomes the official broadcast home for League of Legends's Spring Split Playoffs|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/8/21213617/espn-league-of-legends-spring-split-playoffs-broadcast-stream|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en|archive-date=May 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510204420/https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/8/21213617/espn-league-of-legends-spring-split-playoffs-broadcast-stream|url-status=live}} In China, the rights to stream international events such as the World Championships and the Mid-Season Invitational were sold to Bilibili in Fall 2020 for a three-year deal reportedly worth US$113 million,{{Cite news|last=Esguerra|first=Tyler|date=August 3, 2020|title=Riot signs 3-year deal granting Bilibili exclusive broadcasting rights in China for international events|work=Dot Esports|url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/riot-signs-3-year-deal-granting-bilibili-exclusive-broadcasting-rights-in-china-for-international-events|access-date=April 18, 2021|archive-date=January 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124151754/https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/riot-signs-3-year-deal-granting-bilibili-exclusive-broadcasting-rights-in-china-for-international-events|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|work=Reuters staff|date=December 6, 2019|title=Bilibili inks three-year contract to broadcast League of Legends in China|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-videogames-idUSKBN1YA0E1|access-date=April 20, 2021|archive-date=December 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209022135/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-videogames-idUSKBN1YA0E1|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Chen|first=Hongyu|date=August 14, 2020|title=Bilibili Shares 2020 LoL Worlds Chinese Media Rights With Penguin Esports, DouYu, and Huya|work=Esports Observer|url=https://esportsobserver.com/bilibili-worlds2020-rights-shared/|access-date=April 20, 2021|archive-date=January 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129133446/https://esportsobserver.com/bilibili-worlds2020-rights-shared/|url-status=live}} while exclusive streaming rights for the domestic and other regional leagues are owned by Huya Live.{{Cite news|last=Chen|first=Hongyu|date=October 29, 2019|title=Huya to Stream Korean League of Legends Matches in Three-Year Exclusive Deal|work=The Esports Observer|url=https://esportsobserver.com/riot-huya-lck-deal/|access-date=April 18, 2021|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022212409/https://esportsobserver.com/riot-huya-lck-deal/|url-status=live}} The game's highest-paid professional players have commanded salaries of above $1 million—over three times the highest-paid players of Overwatch.{{Cite news|last=Capps|first=Robert|date=February 19, 2020|title=How to Make Billions in E-Sports|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/18/magazine/esports-business.html|access-date=December 24, 2020|issn=0362-4331|quote=According to Miller, the top players make closer to $300,000, which is still relatively cheap; League of Legends player salaries can reach seven figures.|archive-date=December 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221173647/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/18/magazine/esports-business.html|url-status=live|url-access=limited}} The scene has attracted investment from businesspeople otherwise unassociated with esports, such as retired basketball player Rick Fox, who founded his own team.{{Cite news|last=Soshnick|first=Scott|date=December 18, 2015|title=Former NBA Player Rick Fox Buys eSports Team Gravity|language=en|work=Bloomberg News|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-18/former-nba-player-rick-fox-buys-esports-team-gravity|url-status=live|url-access=subscription|access-date=October 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911223908/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-18/former-nba-player-rick-fox-buys-esports-team-gravity|archive-date=September 11, 2017}} In 2020, his team's slot in the North American league was sold to the Evil Geniuses organization for $33 million.{{Cite news|last=Yim|first=Miles|date=November 18, 2019|title=People are investing millions into League of Legends franchises. Will the bet pay off?|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/esports/2019/11/18/people-are-investing-millions-into-league-legends-franchises-will-bet-pay-off/|access-date=April 19, 2021|archive-date=January 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115220854/https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/esports/2019/11/18/people-are-investing-millions-into-league-legends-franchises-will-bet-pay-off/|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}
Spin-offs and other media
{{Further|List of League of Legends media}}
= Games =
For the 10th anniversary of League of Legends in 2019, Riot Games announced several games at various stages of production that were directly related to the League of Legends intellectual property (IP).{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Julia|date=October 15, 2019|title=League of Legends 10th Anniversary stream announcements|url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/10/15/20916213/league-of-legends-10th-anniversary-stream-announcements|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020184038/https://www.polygon.com/2019/10/15/20916213/league-of-legends-10th-anniversary-stream-announcements|archive-date=October 20, 2020|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=Polygon}}{{cite web|last=Beckhelling|first=Imogen|date=October 16, 2019|title=Here's everything Riot announced for League of Legends's 10 year anniversary|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-10-16-heres-everything-riots-announced-so-far-for-league-of-legends-10-year-anniversary|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=Eurogamer|archive-date=October 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018215436/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-10-16-heres-everything-riots-announced-so-far-for-league-of-legends-10-year-anniversary|url-status=live}} A stand-alone version of Teamfight Tactics was announced for mobile operating systems iOS and Android at the event and released in March 2020. The game has cross-platform play with the Windows and macOS clients. Legends of Runeterra, a free-to-play digital collectible card game, launched in April 2020 for Microsoft Windows; the game features characters from League of Legends.{{cite web|last=Cox|first=Matt|date=May 6, 2020|title=Legends Of Runeterra review|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/06/legends-of-runeterra-review/|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|language=en-US|archive-date=December 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217065021/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/06/legends-of-runeterra-review/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Yin-Poole|first=Wesley|date=April 4, 2020|title=League of Legends card game Legends of Runeterra launches end of April|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-04-04-league-of-legends-card-game-legends-of-runeterra-launches-end-of-april|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023054523/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-04-04-league-of-legends-card-game-legends-of-runeterra-launches-end-of-april|archive-date=October 23, 2020|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=Eurogamer|language=en}}{{cite web|last=Goslin|first=Austen|date=January 12, 2020|title=Legends of Runeterra will go into open beta at the end of January|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/1/12/21060642/legends-of-runeterra-open-beta-start-date-league-riot-games|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020061808/https://www.polygon.com/2020/1/12/21060642/legends-of-runeterra-open-beta-start-date-league-riot-games|archive-date=October 20, 2020|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=Polygon}} League of Legends: Wild Rift is a version of the game for mobile operating systems Android and iOS.{{cite web|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=October 15, 2019|title=League of Legends is coming to mobile and console|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/15/20915315/league-of-legends-wild-rift-mobile-console-launch|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=The Verge|archive-date=October 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018215705/https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/15/20915315/league-of-legends-wild-rift-mobile-console-launch|url-status=live}} Instead of porting the game from League of Legends, Wild Rift
= Music =
Riot Games' first venture into music was in 2014 with the virtual heavy metal band Pentakill, promoting a skin line of the same name.{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Alistair|date=March 6, 2020|title=League of Legends's Metal Band is Getting Back Together|url=https://www.kotaku.co.uk/2020/03/06/league-of-legends-metal-band-is-getting-back-together|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200907181359/https://www.kotaku.co.uk/2020/03/06/league-of-legends-metal-band-is-getting-back-together|archive-date=September 7, 2020|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=Kotaku UK}} Initially, Pentakill consisted of six champions: Kayle, Karthus, Mordekaiser, Olaf, Sona, and Yorick. In 2021, Viego was introduced to the group. Their music was primarily made by Riot Games' in-house music team but featured cameos by Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee and Danny Lohner, a former member of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Their second album, Grasp of the Undying, reached number one on the iTunes metal charts in 2017.{{Cite news|last=Lawson|first=Dom|date=August 6, 2017|title=Pentakill: how a metal band that doesn't exist made it to No 1|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/shortcuts/2017/aug/06/pentakill-how-a-metal-band-that-doesnt-exist-made-it-to-no-1|access-date=September 6, 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919143031/https://www.theguardian.com/music/shortcuts/2017/aug/06/pentakill-how-a-metal-band-that-doesnt-exist-made-it-to-no-1|url-status=live}}
Pentakill was followed by K/DA, a virtual K-pop girl group composed of four champions, Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'sa. As with Pentakill, K/DA is promotional material for a skin line by the same name.{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Julia|date=November 5, 2018|title=K/DA, Riot Games' pop girl group, explained|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/11/5/18064726/league-of-legends-kda-pop-stars-video-akali-ahri-evelynn-kai-sa|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=April 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424121617/https://www.polygon.com/2018/11/5/18064726/league-of-legends-kda-pop-stars-video-akali-ahri-evelynn-kai-sa|url-status=live}} The group's debut single, "Pop/Stars", which premiered at the 2018 League of Legends World Championship, garnered over 400 million views on YouTube and sparked widespread interest from people unfamiliar with League of Legends.{{cite web|last=Carpenter|first=Nicole|date=October 28, 2020|title=League of Legends K-pop group K/DA debuts new music video|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/28/21536910/league-of-legends-k-pop-kda-music-video-debut-more|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112221450/https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/28/21536910/league-of-legends-k-pop-kda-music-video-debut-more|archive-date=January 12, 2021|access-date=January 11, 2021|website=Polygon}} After a two-year hiatus, in August 2020, Riot Games released "The Baddest", the pre-release single for All Out, the five-track debut EP from K/DA which followed in November that year.{{cite web|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=August 27, 2020|title=League of Legends's virtual K-pop group K/DA is back with a new song|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/27/21401454/league-of-legends-kda-kpop-group-baddest-song-single|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en|archive-date=September 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903221726/https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/27/21401454/league-of-legends-kda-kpop-group-baddest-song-single|url-status=live}}
In 2019, Riot created a virtual hip hop group called True Damage,{{cite magazine|last1=Chan|first1=Tim|date=November 16, 2019|title=The True Story of True Damage: The Virtual Hip-Hop Group That's Taking Over the Internet IRL|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/true-damage-league-of-legends-913415/|access-date=September 6, 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=September 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910131027/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/true-damage-league-of-legends-913415/|url-status=live|url-access=limited}} featuring the champions Akali, Yasuo, Qiyana, Senna, and Ekko.{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Julia|date=November 11, 2019|title=True Damage, League of Legends's hip-hop group, explained|url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/11/20959185/true-damage-league-of-legends-giants-music-skins|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=August 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823141330/https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/11/20959185/true-damage-league-of-legends-giants-music-skins|url-status=live}} The vocalists—Keke Palmer, Thutmose, Becky G, Duckwrth, and Soyeon—performed a live version of the group's debut song, "Giants", during the opening ceremony of the 2019 League of Legends World Championship, alongside holographic versions of their characters. The in-game cosmetics promoted by the music video featured a collaboration with fashion house Louis Vuitton.{{cite web|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=November 11, 2019|title=Designing League of Legends's stunning holographic Worlds opening ceremony|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/11/20959206/league-of-legends-worlds-2019-opening-ceremony-holograms-holonet|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en|archive-date=August 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828013405/https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/11/20959206/league-of-legends-worlds-2019-opening-ceremony-holograms-holonet|url-status=live}}
In 2023, Riot formed Heartsteel, a virtual boy band, comprising the champions Aphelios, Ezreal, Kayn, K'Sante, Sett, and Yone. The vocalists are Baekhyun from the K-pop groups Exo and SuperM, Cal Scruby, ØZI, and Tobi Lou. Heartsteel's debut single "Paranoia" was released in October of that year.{{cite web |last1=Stubbs |first1=Mike |title='League Of Legends' Band Heartsteel Release Debut Single PARANOIA |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikestubbs/2023/10/23/league-of-legends-band-heartsteel-release-debut-single-paranoia/?sh=5321ae7d32a8 |work=Forbes |access-date=24 October 2023}}
= Comics =
Riot announced a collaboration with Marvel Comics in 2018.{{cite web|last=Liao|first=Shannon|date=November 19, 2018|title=League of Legends turns to Marvel comics to explore the game's rich lore|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/19/18099147/league-of-legends-marvel-comics-game-lore-riot|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en|archive-date=July 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712083311/https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/19/18099147/league-of-legends-marvel-comics-game-lore-riot|url-status=live}} Riot had previously experimented with releasing comics through its website.{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Julia|date=August 18, 2017|title=Darius' story revealed in Blood of Noxus comic|url=https://www.riftherald.com/2017/8/18/16168136/darius-lol-lore-comic-blood-for-noxus|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=The Rift Herald|language=en|archive-date=July 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717012146/https://www.riftherald.com/2017/8/18/16168136/darius-lol-lore-comic-blood-for-noxus|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Liao|first=Shannon|date=November 19, 2018|title=League of Legends turns to Marvel comics to explore the game's rich lore|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/19/18099147/league-of-legends-marvel-comics-game-lore-riot|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en|quote="So far, Riot has limited its comic book ambitions to panels published on its site, which are timed to certain champion updates or cosmetic skin releases. Notably, a comic featuring Miss Fortune, a deadly pirate bounty hunter and captain of her own ship who seeks revenge on the men who betrayed her, was released last September."|archive-date=July 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712083311/https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/19/18099147/league-of-legends-marvel-comics-game-lore-riot|url-status=live}} Shannon Liao of The Verge noted that the comic books were "a rare opportunity for Riot to showcase its years of lore that has often appeared as an afterthought". The first comic was League of Legends: Ashe—Warmother, which debuted in 2018, followed by League of Legends: Lux that same year.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=April 24, 2021|title=Marvel and Riot Games Give Lux from 'League of Legends' Her Own Series in May|url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/marvel-and-riot-games-give-lux-from-league-of-legends-her-own-series-in-may|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118050922/https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/marvel-and-riot-games-give-lux-from-league-of-legends-her-own-series-in-may|archive-date=November 18, 2020|access-date=January 17, 2021|publisher=Marvel Entertainment}} A print version of the latter was released in 2019.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title='League of Legends: Lux' Will Come to Print for the First Time This Fall|url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/league-of-legends-lux-will-come-to-print-for-the-first-time-this-fall|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020071838/https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/league-of-legends-lux-will-come-to-print-for-the-first-time-this-fall|archive-date=October 20, 2020|access-date=January 17, 2021|publisher=Marvel Entertainment}}
= ''Arcane'' =
While celebrating League of Legends{{'s}} tenth anniversary, Riot announced an animated television series, Arcane.{{cite web|last=Shanley|first=Patrick|title=Riot Games Developing Animated Series Based on 'League of Legends'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/riot-games-developing-animated-series-based-league-legends-1247430|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 15, 2019|archive-date=September 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920063247/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/riot-games-developing-animated-series-based-league-legends-1247430|url-status=live}} It was the company's first production for television,{{Cite web|last=Rosario|first=Alexandra Del|date=2021-11-21|title='Arcane' Renewed For Season 2 By Netflix|url=https://deadline.com/2021/11/arcane-renewed-season-2-netflix-1234878165/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US|archive-date=November 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123030112/https://deadline.com/2021/11/arcane-renewed-season-2-netflix-1234878165/|url-status=live}} and a collaboration between Riot Games and animation studio Fortiche Production. The series is set in the technologically advanced city of Piltover and its oppressed, underground sister city of Zaun.{{cite web |last=Marshall |first=Cass |date=October 15, 2019 |title=League of Legends is getting its own animated series called Arcane |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/10/15/20914848/arcane-league-of-legends-anime-animated-series |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021152120/https://www.polygon.com/2019/10/15/20914848/arcane-league-of-legends-anime-animated-series |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |access-date=September 6, 2020 |website=Polygon |language=en}} Arcane explores adult themes and is not intended for children. It features multiple playable characters from League of Legends. Hailee Steinfeld stars as Vi, Ella Purnell as Jinx, Kevin Alejandro as Jayce, and Katie Leung as Caitlyn.{{Cite web |last=Cremona |first=Patrick |date=November 3, 2021 |title=Arcane: release date, cast and trailer for the League of Legends Netflix series |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/arcane-release-date-netflix/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121110444/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/arcane-release-date-netflix/ |archive-date=November 21, 2021 |access-date=November 21, 2021 |website=Radio Times}}
Following a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the series premiered in November 2021 on Netflix internationally and through Tencent Video in China. The first season received critical acclaim, winning four Emmy Awards and nine Annie Awards.{{Cite web |last=Wallenstein |first=Andrew |date=2024-11-06 |title=Why Riot Games' Entertainment Aims Stalled Beyond 'Arcane,' the Priciest Animated Series Ever |url=https://variety.com/2024/biz/news/riot-games-arcane-hollywood-netflix-most-expensive-animated-series-ever-1236196655/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Variety |language=}} Following the success of the first season, Riot hired former executives from Netflix, HBO Max and Paramount Television Studios to expand its entertainment division,{{Cite web |last=Rosario |first=Alexandra Del |date=2022-05-05 |title=Riot Games Hires Former Netflix, HBO Max & Paramount Execs For Entertainment Division |url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/riot-games-hires-netflix-hbo-max-paramount-execs-entertainment-division-1235015453/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} with CEO Nicolo Laurent pledging to create an "entertainment company for the 21st century".{{Cite news |last=LaPorte |first=Nicole |date=2021-11-07 |title=The new Netflix series 'Arcane' expands 'League of Legends' into entertainment |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90693681/the-new-netflix-series-arcane-expands-league-of-legends-into-entertainment |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241212170243/https://www.fastcompany.com/90693681/the-new-netflix-series-arcane-expands-league-of-legends-into-entertainment |archive-date=2024-12-12 |access-date=2025-02-25 |work=Fast Company |language=en-US}} Ahead of the premiere of the second and final season, Variety reported that production and marketing costs for Arcane{{'s}} 18 episodes exceeded $250 million, making it the most expensive animated series ever made.{{Cite web |last=Wallenstein |first=Andrew |date=2024-11-06 |title=Why Riot Games' Entertainment Aims Stalled Beyond 'Arcane,' the Priciest Animated Series Ever (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2024/biz/news/riot-games-arcane-hollywood-netflix-most-expensive-animated-series-ever-1236196655/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} Bloomberg News reported that Riot paid around $3 million per episode to Netflix for each episode aired and that the studio failed to convert the series' success into in-game revenue. Riot did not form a plan to recoup the show's costs but said the second season was "on track to break-even".{{Cite news |last=D'Anastasio |first=Cecilia |website=Bloomberg|date=December 23, 2024 |title=Riot's $250 Million 'Arcane' TV Series Was a Netflix Hit, Financial Miss |author-link=Cecilia D'Anastasio |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-23/riot-s-250-million-netflix-show-was-a-tv-hit-financial-miss?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc0MDQ5MjQ4NCwiZXhwIjoxNzQxMDk3Mjg0LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTT1k2UzlEV0xVNjgwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiIzREEzMEVDNzc3RTM0RUE5ODIxNDk3NkMyREZFRTNDNCJ9.ZYvecn3h-UiHiIzrgq-1ELDNhR5n2Vm_QhVuXeTL2FU&leadSource=uverify%20wall }} The second season premiered in November 2024 to similar acclaim, winning seven Annie Awards in all nominated categories.{{Cite web |last=Goodfellow |first=Melanie |date=2025-02-19 |title='Arcane' Season 2: Gkids Acquires Global Video & Digital Transactional Rights |url=https://deadline.com/2025/02/arcane-season-2-gkids-acquires-global-video-digital-transactional-rights-1236294541/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} GKIDS produced home media releases of the first season in 2024, including a collector's edition DVD, a 4K UHD steelbook, and Blu-ray variants. As of early 2025, home media releases for the second season is forthcoming.{{Cite web |last=Goodfellow |first=Melanie |date=2025-02-19 |title='Arcane' Season 2: Gkids Acquires Global Video & Digital Transactional Rights |url=https://deadline.com/2025/02/arcane-season-2-gkids-acquires-global-video-digital-transactional-rights-1236294541/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
- {{Official website}}
- {{URL|https://wiki.leagueoflegends.com/|Official wiki}}
{{League of Legends}}
{{Riot Games}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:BAFTA winners (video games)
Category:Free-to-play video games
Category:Multiplayer online battle arena games
Category:Multiplayer video games
Category:Science fantasy video games
Category:The Game Awards winners