THE SECOND DECADE

After ten years at the top, where does LEAGUE OF LEGENDS go from here?

- Alistair Jones

From an outside perspective, League of Legends might have seemed as though it’s stayed the same for years. Under the hood, however, it remains a hive of activity, with new champions, ideas, and systems changing the way players interact with the game and each other.

In a game as complex as this, however, those kinds of changes rarely go entirely to plan. Last year’s item rework, for example, still hasn’t been entirely successful. “Overall, we think the item system rework has been positive for the game, though it’s certainly still a work in progress to some extent,” says game director Andrei ‘Meddler’ Van Roon. “The initial launch had some clear benefits, like improved choice structure for some classes, better visualisation of many item effects, and a range of new gameplay mechanics on offer. It also had a number of issues to address.”

Riot’s working on those issues, with changes set to arrive in this year’s Preseason, an annual period between seasons in late autumn that’s often defined by new systems. This year, the biggest focus will be on more Elemental Rifts, introducing Hextech and Chemtech variants; the former will provide portals to new spots on the map, while the latter will automatically stealth anyone who walks into certain areas.