League of Legendshas dominated the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre for years. That said, the lore ofLeague of Legendshadn’t gotten as much attention as the game’s esports scene or the player base’s malignant reputation. This spurred Riot Games to fundArcane,a TV series set in theLeague of Legendsuniverse, collectively known as Runeterra, focusing on the story of sisters Vi and Jinx. The show would go on to achieve critical success, brinnging the franchise a lot of new fans outside the establishedLeague of Legendscircles.
Before television, Riot Games had already been expanding into FPS with the popularValorantand digital collectible card games withLegends of Runeterra. In 2020, developers gave confirmation thatRiot Games is developing an MMO, but more details emerged recently about the company’s foray into uncharted gaming territory. Evidently, there are many elements that go into a good MMORPG, and Riot’s recent successes ensure that expectations are higher than ever.
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The Vast League of Legends Lore
TheLeague of Legendslore is very complex and extensive. Of course, it’s not the only universe to have mind-numbing lore; one could point to the likes ofWarhammer 40korNier Automataas subjects for a Master’s thesis. However, different elements of lore generally foster a sense of commonality as if all its parts belong to a unified universe.The world of Runeterragoes down the complete opposite route, and does so to great effect with Champions inLeague of Legendslooking like they were picked from entirely different IPs altogether.
The different civilizations of Runeterra are indeed connected, but are so distinct from each other that it beggars belief that they belong in the same world. From the majestic kingdom of Demacia, the darkness emanating from the mysterious Shadow Isles, and the contrast between the wealth of Piltover and thecriminal underworld of Zaun, every civilization has its own story to tell. This holds true for every character in Runeterra as well. An MMORPG would be the perfect medium to flesh out the lore of Runeterra, and it’s important that Riot gets that part right.
What A League of Legends MMORPG Gameplay Needs
In terms of gameplay,World of Warcraftpretty much wrote the book on modern MMORPG. However, this also leads MMO titles to turn intoWorld of Warcraftcloneswith another IP slapped on the front. The DPS, Tank, and Healer character class system makes the backbone of MMORPGs, but combat often turns into a DPS brawl. Interestingly, Tanks and Healers are also underrepresented inLeague of Legends.If Riot can properly balance the upcoming MMO with Healers like Soraka and Tanks like Cho’gath, it would add a lot of depth to the gameplay.
Of course, there is a reason why MMOs attempt to stick to the playbook. After all, it is risky to move away from what is already proven to work. Fortunately, several recent MMO titles are experimenting with new ways to approach the genre. For example,New Worldhas a timing-based action combat systemthat is more reminiscent of classic action adventure rather than MMO. On its end,Lost Arkmanaged to combine ARPG elements with MMO that gave players something fresh to dig into. Hopefully, the success of these two titles will incentivize Riot Games to try its own formula.
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Monetization Done Correctly
As far as monetization practices go, Riot Games has been one of the best actors by far. TheLegends of Runeterradigital card game has largely eclipsed other titles of the same genre because it is free-to-play friendly. Mostdigital card games have aggressive microtransactionsthat constantly goad players into paying out, butLegends of Runeterramanages to keep the monetization to a minimum, mostly focusing on optional cosmetics. Riot Games titles generally are free-to-play anyway, with monetization coming in the form of cosmetics and battle passes.
In that regard, there are many successful free-to-play MMO as points of reference out there from older titles such asStar Wars: The Old Republicor newer ones such asLost Ark. Some of the most popular MMO titles such asFinal Fantasy 15opts for an online subscription model, but with the increasingly affordable access to video gaming with services like Xbox Game Pass, it becomes harder for developers to ask for a subscription fee on top of paying for expansions.League of Legendsalready has a proven monetization model that isn’t overbearing on its players, so Riot Games doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel for its MMORPG title.
Community Support Goes A Long Way
When the developers respect the players of their game, that’s already a good start. Players are generally appreciative when their feedback is heard and implemented by the developers, and it’s especially important for online multiplayer games. That said, community support largely hinges on a game’s player community. WhileFinal Fantasy 14won Best Game Community at The Golden Joysticks Awards,League of Legendshas the dubious reputation of having one of the most vitriolic player communities in the gaming world. There isn’t much that Riot Games can really do about toxic players, but there is hope yet that the prospective MMORPG player base will fare better than forLeague of Legends.
League of Legends MMORPGis in development.
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