The first time I tried to share League of Legends with a loved one was a pretty bad experience. I convinced my brother, despite his skepticism, to download the free-to-play MOBA and give it a try. We jumped into a game together against low-level AI bots; the lowest possible printing experience. Then my brother made the mistake of buying a mana crystal for his AD carry character, and someone else called him a slur in chat.
Despite the nightmare carnival of toxicity and shouting I’ve encountered over the years, I love it League of Legends and it has been that way since 2009, when the game had about four polygons. I’ve spent endless hours reading the backstories of each champion, coming up with theories, and reading from other fans speculating about what will happen next. It’s only recently that I feel like I’ve been able to properly introduce new people to the amazing knowledge that countless developers and creatives have built around Competition. For a long time, Riot’s storytelling felt like the unsteady steps of a baby horse, but with Riot Forge games, the Netflix show, the novel, and other ventures, I started to feel like all those investments were turning into something I could easily to share. with my friends and loved ones.
Image: Tequila Works/Riot Forge
Then came the recent round of layoffs at Riot Games, along with the shuttering of Riot Forge. I fear this decision, and the end of the standalone League of Legends stories, will ultimately shorten the progress and experience that the world’s story has made thus far.
Bandle story will be the last Riot Forge game, and it’s possibly the strongest example of how these games are making it Competition IP a less threatening and alarming place. These games are easier to play, more accessible and less competitive – and therefore less toxic. Bandle story is a fun RPG crafting game that feels much more like a farming simulation Star Dew Valley than a high-octane PvP deathmatch Competition. It’s filled with charming characters, lighthearted conflict, and low-pressure exploration. It’s the opposite of a competitive ranked game perfect for people who have moved away from MOBA.
Out of reach of going Competition is a great way to get into the series. It wasn’t until the release of Arcanethe critically acclaimed Netflix series, which allowed me to talk about the world League of Legends with my brother – and he was the one who started the conversation! It was a great turning point, and the Riot Forge games serve a similar purpose. Mageseker, Ruined king, Song of NunuAnd Bandle story they all delved into undiscovered corners of Runeterra, making the stories accessible without having to do anything with them Competition fine.
Now Riot Forge’s standalone games have come to an end. The Universe page for League of Legends, which collects all written lore, is now only updated when a new champion is released. It feels like the stories Riot Games was working on have come to a standstill, and we’re back to the status quo of a lore that only grows bigger when it’s time to promote a new champion or skin line.
Image: Lazy Bear Games/Riot Forge
It is interesting; other fantasy or sci-fi IP, like Warhammer 40,000, builds the lore with things like the Black Library, a publishing house that regularly releases novels set in the universe from different perspectives. It was so successful that The Horus Heresy, a prequel series set 10,000 years ago, grew to a wild run of 64 books. Competition enthusiasts could enjoy Ruinset in the past of the mysterious Shadow Isles – but we haven’t heard anything about the future of the book front yet.
As an old fan of CompetitionI’ve been following the specific creators who create champions, storylines, and other pieces of fiction. The recent round of layoffs has removed some of these people from Riot, leaving behind their creations. I worry about how sustainable the current approach is, and I can’t help but look at comics, where the people who created iconic characters often earn a fraction of a fraction of the profits companies make by featuring them in films and shows to use. I care League of Legends because of its tradition, and the people who write that tradition. Riots that move away from prioritizing these things are a bad sign in my opinion.
It’s bad for the developers who are out of work despite contributing to hugely successful projects and champions. It’s bad for players, who get less knowledge despite their continued investments. And it’s bad for that Competition, which is so packed with interesting characters and stories that were finally brought forward and completed with Riot Forge. I can only hope that the future will prove me wrong, and that there is a way to right the ship.