League of Legends is one of the most prolific esports title currently in existence, and it was only a matter of time before Riot Games put their experience, energy and money towards new titles. It is now official, as big announcements have been made for next year, with updates, ports and new games are coming into the fray.
The new PC Launcher was a first hint that things were in motion, and Riot Games did not disappoint during their 10 Years Anniversary Event. Here is a quick overview of competitive novelties to expect in the foreseeable future.
League of Legends
The historic title will have its early Pre-Season patch, that will drastically change how things are done on the Summoner’s Rift, with new Elemental effects linked to the dragons, map changes and a new champion, Senna.
The game will also get to our mobile devices and consoles, under the name Wild Rift, for an official League of Legends MOBA experience via touch screens and pads. Pro Leagues and an esports circuit are still a long shot, but are to be expected!
Legends of Runeterra
Riot Games announced a Card Game, based on the Runeterra lore (the world in which League of Legends takes place), involving classic LoL champions. It is hard not to think about Hearthstone when seeing it, but it has a distinct feel and interesting new mechanics, and also draws inspiration from more complex games such as Magic The Gathering.
The emergence of a Pro Scene is almost a certainty at this point, so stay tuned, as the game is currently accepting pre-registrations for a glimpse at the game, and a closed beta early 2020.
Project L
This game, that has not been officially named yet, will be a Versus Fighting Game (not unlike Street Fighter or Tekken), that will pit League of Legends characters. There are not much information to exploit right now, as only a few images could be seen during the Riot Games Event.
Figthing Games are among the first ever games that saw a fully-fledged competitive scene, stemming from the arcade age, so it’s only logical that Riot Games, apparently willing to leave its mark on the esports scene, would venture into such territory.
Project F
We have even less information about this upcoming title. A project “name” and a few images that could hint at a dungeon crawler, Diablo-like or MMO gameplay (where the character has to fend off enemies while following a more of less scripted path, in a top-down view).
It’s too early to know, but one can theorize about the fact that Riot Games is working on a game “that explores the possibilities of traversing the world of Runeterra with your friends”. At any rate, does not look like the most competitive title of the bunch, but who said it all had to be about competition? A fun cooperative monster-bashing game would also be great!
Project A
Last but not least, Riot Games revealed another game they are working on, sort of an illegitimate child to Counter-Strike:GO and Overwatch. A Hero Shooter with tactical gameplay, slower-paced action than Overwatch and one-shot kills with shots to the head. A shooter where skill is key, not part of the Runeterra license (so do not expect to see League of Legends characters in it, but inspiration for some abilities is clear), is maybe the boldest move of the lot, and proves once and for all that Riot Games can not be reduced to just League of Legends.
This game is the only unnamed one with its own dedicated page on the Riot Games website, hinting at an earlier release than the other ones…?
All in all, a lot of good news, and great games in the making. We are eager to learn more about them, and see the community get to grips with these new titles and come up with competitions!