The Future of League of Legends

Disclaimer: this article represents the opinion of the author but not necessarily that of Team Dignitas.

League of Legends is a fantastic game that I’ve been playing since the start. When I think of the future of the game a few things come to mind. It definitely feels like the game is still snowballing into something larger than it is now but it also feels like the greatness of the game is coming to an end. How much longer will League of Legends be a thing? Will it still be as popular as it is 6-10 years from now? I feel very optimistic about it but you never know what the future holds.

 

The Growth

According to riotgames.com in 2011 there were about 12 million players playing League of Legends every month with about 4 million players playing daily. Those numbers skyrocketed in 2014 where around 67 million players play every month and about 7.5 million players playing daily. In three years League of Legends grew 55 million players. I’d say by 2017 we’ll be looking at around 72 million players playing a month with about 8.4 million playing daily. That being said and given the games current state I feel that League of Legends will peak in the year 2017 and slowly decline after that.

In terms of the games longevity I feel it will last to its 10 year anniversary (which is 2019) and a tad beyond that. This game seems to keep snowballing and getting more and more attention every year. More countries are getting involved in playing it which just means more attention at the national level.

All in all the game is still growing and Riot keeps finding ways to get new players to try the game. I feel that the games popularity will be similar to World of Warcraft in terms of it being “the game to beat” for many years to come. No one actually knows when the game will start losing its glitz and glamour but I hope it’s not for a while.

The Opportunity

I have never seen a game explode in popularity like League of Legends has. It has created a stage for professionals and fans alike for some fun and serious opportunities. It all starts at Riot Games, they’ve created a tons of jobs just within their own company and being able to expand to other countries to create jobs there as well. I feel that they have also brought e-sports to a whole new level. They have created opportunities for players like us to go pro and hit somewhat of a celebrity status. All those pro players belong to a team right? Think about the staff it takes to run an e-sports organization or getting the opportunity to start your own team or organization. This then trickles down to shout casters, game anchors, and the crew it takes to set up an e-sports stage.

This then goes to opportunity created by the fans and the community of this game. First thing that comes to mind is the opportunity to create a personality that the fans love. We see this with popular Twitch streamers, awesome YouTube and Vine creators, quality podcasts and fantastic cosplayers. Let’s not forget the artist realm, I feel like League of Legends has encouraged people to do their own thing and have fun with the art they make without going super copyright infringement on everybody. This allows for some amazing fan art, custom clothing, and accessories. I’m also throwing in sites that cover League of Legends content. Lastly are fan made conventions, last year I had the opportunity to go to Summoners Con which was the first convention to be solely about League of Legends.

 You would think the opportunity stops there but it doesn’t. This also now expands to some colleges treating e-sports as a collegiate sport which entails offering scholarships to players who will play for their school. With League of Legends clearly still popular and growing, now is the time to get your piece of the pie.

The Competition

It’s clear that League of Legends is the MOBA to beat and possibly the overall game to beat. With nothing innovative being produced in the MMO market and most console games offering a month of gameplay at most, it has created the perfect storm for Riot to grab a hold of all these players. In terms of other MOBA’s there is Dota II, Smite and Heroes of the Storm which all have something unique to offer but can’t hold a candle to League of Legends. There’s another game coming out called Gigantic that looks promising but I feel it will fit alongside with the Smite category.

Until another wildly popular MMO comes out, Riot will be its own competition and it will be interesting to see where they take this game.

The GAME

They have a clear formula right now, create new champions, new skins, and have limited time game modes. Ranked has essentially felt the same and I feel the changes that will come will only be to make the game more fun to watch. They have just enough variety with Twisted Treeline, Dominion, ARAM and limited time modes for players not to get bored a leave. This is where the game will probably stay for a long time.

 

Riot Games

If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. I don’t see Riot developing another game besides League of Legends anytime soon. In conclusion I see League of Legends never dying off completely, it will definitely rise and fall as do all games.It’s amazing to think of the mark it has and will make in the gaming universe.