Following its release back in October 2009, League of Legends has become one of the most popular action-strategy games in the genre’s history. There can be no doubt that the release has influenced the existing outlook on the gaming world. So, let’s take a look at the title’s impact, as well as consider how it has stood the test of time.
League is Thriving Across Diverse Markets
It’s a testament to the title’s success that, prior to its tenth anniversary, the Riot Games development became the most popular game on PC having registered approximately eight million concurrent players, according to pcgamer.com/uk. Moreover, aside from its total number of players, League of Legends’ popularity on streaming platforms, such as Twitch, showcases the sheer size of the game’s audience base.
“league of legends” (CC BY 2.0) by downloadsource.fr
Newzoo.com/insights/rankings, which looks at the most-watched games on Twitch in May 2020, League of Legends recorded the second-highest total hours. The title’s 127.5 million hours bettered that achieved by similar releases, including Dota 2 and World of Warcraft. While this can be somewhat attributed to League’s attraction within the gaming community, its modern-day relevance is also due to the rise of eSports. In 2018, Statista state that the game generated global revenues of $1.4 billion, highlighting the title’s profitable nature.
As a result, League of Legends has established itself as one of the world’s leading eSports titles. Importantly, despite its age, the game itself is continuing to break records. According to Esports News UK, the 2019 League of Legends World Championships became the most-watched event in the release’s eSports history, with a peak of 44 million concurrent viewers. Because of the award-winning game’s undeniable popularity, it has since become a focal point of eSports betting. At vulkanbet.com/en/league-of-legends, for example, prospective bettors can bet on a whole host of League-related eSports competitions, markets, and teams, such as BT Excel, Fnatic Rising, Invictus Gaming, and many more.
How Influential has League Become?
Unlike those that have come before it, such as the original Dota, which was released in 2003, League of Legends has stood the test of time. Despite the technical advancements and ever-changing trends within the gaming world, the Riot Games production has, in the eyes of many, become one of the most influential games of the 21st century.“pushing lol League of legends” (CC BY 2.0) by downloadsource.fr
Generally, the contemporary perception of action-strategy video games is that, while they should be challenging, they shouldn’t have longevity regarding in-game difficulty. Although players are, of course, going to improve with practice, League remains difficult, complicated, and punishing to users, as per Polygon.com/leagueoflegends.
Although this sounds like it should be detrimental to the game’s enjoyment and popularity, it instead helps the fast-paced, arena-based title stand out from its competitors. Crucially, as a result of League’s longevity, titles in other genres have seemingly become increasingly difficult in an attempt to mirror the challenging nature of the Riot Games creation. This is evident in many titles, like Dark Souls, Fortnite, Overwatch, and more.
Little to Suggest a Pending Decline
Ultimately, due to the fact that the eSports industry is continuing to reach new, unprecedented heights, it appears likely that League of Legends will remain as one of the sector’s most popular titles. Fundamentally, the release’s thought-provoking nature, combined with its emergence in diverse markets, ensures that it has the platform to continue growing in the coming years.
