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LEC vs. LCS viewership takes surprising turn after TSM’s decline League of Legends LEC vs. LCS viewership takes surprising turn after TSM’s decline By William Davis Riot Games announces Teamfight Tactics competition coming in 2020 League of Legends Riot Games announces Teamfight Tactics competition coming in 2020 By Olivia Richman Riot prepares for Worlds 2019 with patch 9.19 buffs and nerfs League of Legends Riot prepares for Worlds 2019 with patch 9.19 buffs and nerfs By Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Riot says Teamfight Tactics has over 33 million players per month League of Legends
Riot says Teamfight Tactics has over 33 million players per month Olivia Richman Riot Games have revealed some incredible Teamfight Tactics statistics that prove the game mode’s success.  According to a recent press release, TFT has over 33 million players each month.  “I want to try to put into perspective just how large the TFT community is to help highlight why we’re going to be investing more into the mode,” developer Richard “Maple Nectar” Henkel said. This statistic may not be what people expect, since …
Griffin parts ways with coach cvMax ahead of LoL Worlds 2019 League of Legends
Griffin parts ways with coach cvMax ahead of LoL Worlds 2019 William Davis LCK representative Griffin has parted ways with head coach Kim “cvMax” Dae-ho just weeks before the 2019 League of Legends World Championship. On September 26, Griffin released a statement through Twitter where the organization thanked cvMax for his time with the team. “For Griffin’s new journey, the contract with coach Kim Dae-Ho (cvMax) has ended with mutual agreement. We sincerely thank coach cvMax for his time with Team Griffin. Thank you,” wrote …
Worlds Pick’em returns for 2019 League of Legends World Championship League of Legends
Worlds Pick’em returns for 2019 League of Legends World Championship Nina Forneloza The 2019 League of Legends World Championship is just around the corner. This year, Europe and North America seem to have a real shot at taking home the Summoner’s Cup and its newly designed Louis Vuitton case. Will Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng and Team Liquid finally make it out of groups? Will G2 Esports continue to be a force on the international stage? Will Fnatic be able to get revenge and …
LMS, LST to be merged into new PCS League of Legends league League of Legends
LMS, LST to be merged into new PCS League of Legends league Nina Forneloza Riot Games has announced a new 10-team league for southeast Asia. The league will combine the League Master Series and the League of Legends Southeast Asia Tour. An announcement by Riot Games and Garena confirmed the league will launch in 2020 and aims to increase competition within the region. Garena is a gaming and esports platform from Southeast Asia which licenses a number of games, including League of Legends, FIFA …
Twitch Prime offering TFT little legends in monthly loot League of Legends Twitch Prime offering TFT little legends in monthly loot By William Davis OAM to shut down Splyce office, rebrand LEC team as MAD Lions League of Legends OAM to shut down Splyce office, rebrand LEC team as MAD Lions By Syed Mujtaba Naqvi Match history now ready for TFT in PBE, coming to live in 9.19 League of Legends Match history now ready for TFT in PBE, coming to live in 9.19 By Olivia Richman
LoL Worlds groups picked, SKT in group of death with RNG, Fnatic News
LoL Worlds groups picked, SKT in group of death with RNG, Fnatic William Davis On September 23, Jakob “YamatoCannon” Mebdi and Daniele “Jiizuke” di Mauro from Team Vitality drafted the 2019 LoL World Championship groups. The LoL Worlds groups are locked in and ready for the start of the competition on October 2 from Berlin. 24 teams are meeting in Germany to take part in play-ins and the main event. The competition will then travel to Madrid, Spain for the knockout stage. In the …
G2 Esports, SKT, Liquid among teams in LoL Worlds 2019 main event News
G2 Esports, SKT, Liquid among teams in LoL Worlds 2019 main event William Davis The 2019 LoL Worlds Championship starts on October 2 with the play-in stage where 12 teams will compete for a spot in the main event. The LoL Worlds main event is packed with the best of the best. Not a single team should be underestimated because the current state of the game could make it anyone’s day. The closing gap between eastern and western LoL pro teams makes this the most …
Riot planning 3 more Marvel Comics series based on LoL League of Legends
Riot planning 3 more Marvel Comics series based on LoL Nina Forneloza Riot Games is going to continue creating new comic books based on League of Legends. In a post on the LoL forum, writer Odin “WAAARGHbobo” Shafer revealed that, with the story of Lux now finished, the company will be working with Marvel Comics on three new series. Riot has launched two comics series with Marvel Comics focused on Lux and Ashe. The series delved into the lore of the League …
Leaks hint new K/DA songs Gold and GAME/OVER arriving in November News
Leaks hint new K/DA songs Gold and GAME/OVER arriving in November William Davis Recent leaks suggest that new songs may be coming from fictional K-pop group K/DA. The K/DA Genius page was recently updated to include two new singles, titled “Gold” and “GAME/OVER.” It is unclear whether this was an intentional leak or if this was made in error. The posting remained on Genius for two days before being taken down. Riot Games has not issued a statement on the subject. Neither song …
Louis Vuitton producing LoL skins, case for Summoner’s Cup at Worlds Syed Mujtaba Naqvi League of Legends League of Legends developer Riot Games is partnering up with Louis Vuitton for the 2019 League of Legends World Championship. Louis Vuitton, a luxury fashion house known around the world, will produce a custom trophy case for the Summoner’s Cup, which will be awarded to the winners of the tournament. “For the Championship Finals in Paris on November 10th, 2019, Louis Vuitton is creating, in collaboration with Riot, an unprecedented, …
Alien Invader Heimerdinger is back thanks to Area 51 gathering Olivia Richman League of Legends Gamers hoping to invade Area 51 just got some extra help.  Riot Games announced that Heimerdinger’s Alien Invader skin is available to purchase once again. The decision seemingly stems from the buzz surrounding Area 51, with Riot associate program manager Mel Capperino-Garcia tweeting: “When the Area 51 raid has been successful, and you get to bring home your own alien invader.”    A few days ago, League of Legends players …
Riot planning LoL 10th anniversary celebration in London gabhernandez League of Legends Riot Games has a special, real-life event planned for League of Legends’ 10th birthday. According to a note sent out by the publisher that was promptly leaked across Reddit, a number of people have been offered a trip to London for a “special celebration” to honor those who have played an important role in the game’s growth. Included in the invitation are travel and room accommodations, as well as coverage …
The LCK is looking for a new broadcaster to replace PapaSmithy William Davis League of Legends Korea’s prime League of Legends competition, the LCK, is looking for a color commentator for its English broadcast. On August 31, Chris “PapaSmithy” Smith announced that he would be exiting the LCK. The announcement took the community by surprise. PapaSmithy is a respected caster and analyst in the League of Legends community and the face of the LCK’s English broadcast. Now, the league is looking for someone that could fill …
LoL PBE 9.18 changes buff Akali, revert Sylas and Cassiopeia Syed Mujtaba Naqvi League of Legends The League of Legends Public Beta Environment (PBE) servers have received an update featuring balance changes, new icons, and visual improvements. Riot Games is preparing for the 2019 World Championship and is testing out balance changes that will shuffle and set the tournament’s meta. With the latest update to the game’s PBE servers come changes to Akali, Cassiopeia, and Sylas, as well as three new summoner icons, improvements to the …
Clutch, Splyce among teams in LoL Worlds 2019 play-in stage William Davis News The 2019 LoL World Championship is right around the corner. The best teams in the world are ready to fight for the most important title in competitive League of Legends. It all starts with the play-in stage, where 12 teams will compete for one of the four spots available in the main event. The teams come from emerging and major regions alike. For the first time, the LCK’s third seed …
MyLoLSim shut down by Riot, creator plans new replacement sim William Davis League of Legends A fan-made League of Legends simulator designed to replicate real pro matches has been decommissioned following pressure from Riot Games. Simulator “MyLolSim” was created by developer and LoL fan Marcus, who goes by the username “Schlafen.” An in-game user of MyLoLSim could go into detail designing their own team, including options such as creating players with their own names and assigning specific pick orders. The objective was to allow a …
League of Legends reveals new logo, fans don’t seem to like it Olivia Richman League of Legends Riot Games has revealed a new League of Legends logo for the game’s 10-year anniversary.  The minimalist design emits a vintage vibe that many League of Legends players don’t seem to find very appealing. As with most gaming discussions, fans flocked online to let their concerns be known.  “Overall it’ll take time to grow on me, I’m just not used to it. I don’t blame Riot for doing this though. …
LoL celebrates ten years with new logo, Riot Pls special edition William Davis League of Legends League of Legends will celebrate its tenth anniversary with a special edition of Riot Pls on October 15. It’s been ten years since the release of League of Legends. Many games have come and go, and LoL remains as one of the most popular titles online. According to Riot Games, LoL saw a daily eight million peak of concurrent players worldwide in the month of August. LoL is now the …
Riot Games makes lore book official with Realms of Runeterra William Davis League of Legends There is an entire encyclopedia of history behind the world of League of Legends, and soon fans can learn more about it through an upcoming lore book being published by developer Riot Games. There are 145 champions in League of Legends and each one has their own backstory, homeland, and culture. These stories are what help shape the design of the characters, skins, and even Summoner’s Rift itself. Riot Games …
League of Legends All-Star event returns to Las Vegas for 2019 William Davis League of Legends The 2019 League of Legends All-Star event will return to Las Vegas in December. 2019 LoL All-Star event reunites the most popular pro players and personalities in the League of Legends community. The three-day event includes exciting game modes, charity competitions, and for the first time, a Teamfight Tactics competition.   Between December 5 and 7, the Esports Arena in Las Vegas will be the stage for the 2019 LoL …
Confusion over 2019 Worlds finals ticket sale times, fans upset William Davis News Riot Games is facing backlash after a mishap in the sale time of the tickets for the 2019 League of Legends World Championship finals. The original announcement posted on August 26 stated that the tickets would go on sale on September 16 at 4pm CET, with prices ranging from €40 to €80 plus additional fees. The tickets were supposed to go on sale through Accor Hotels Arena’s website. Instead, a …

League of Legends is among the most popular widely-played video games in the world. It has been a consistent trendsetter in the gaming industry, whether as a model for other free-to-play titles looking to monetize their players or as a guiding light for how professional esports can be both successful and sustainable.

It hasn’t always been so though. League of Legends was released in 2009 as an uncertain new project, a game with large aspirations but little proven. In the years since, it has developed into the dominant title that it is today, and one of the biggest games on the planet.

League of Legends drives success of MOBA genre

League of Legends stands out in part because it may arguably be the very first original game released to truly fit into what we now understand to be the increasingly popular MOBA genre. Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas are a very particular type of game genre that carry out competition between two opposing teams of players on a map. These games test a mix of competition, tactics, and quick reactions, a potent combination that has proven equal parts popular and durable over the years.

While League of Legends was certainly among the first full releases to focus on the genre and its new ideas, it wasn’t actually the origin point for any of it. That distinction belongs to Blizzard release WarCraft 3, and more specifically a modified game mode titled Defense of the Ancients.

WarCraft 3 was a real-time strategy game that featured prominent hero units who could gain in power as they accrued experience points to level up their abilities, and gold to purchase powerful items. Defense of the Ancients was a user-made game mode which emphasized these heroes by giving each player control over one such character and teaming them up against an opposing squad of players. It was a dynamite success, inspiring myriad clones and, eventually, an entire genre of games.

But while League of Legends wasn’t the first to bring about these concepts, it was certainly effective in executing on them. Early developers at publisher Riot Games had a clear idea of what they wanted to accomplish with the creation of League of Legends, and it would be hard to argue against their success given the runaway popularity achieved by their iteration on the MOBA formula.

LoL incorporates esports sustainably

Just as impressive as the long-term success of League of Legends as a game is the continued success of the title’s esports scene. While esports has known multiple peaks and valleys over the years, Riot Games has consistently managed to maintain the prominence of LoL esports. This has been accomplished through an emphasis on regular regional play and sustainability.

Most esports and competitive games at the time used a circuits system, scattering major tournaments for the best teams across the year. Instead, Riot divided the world into separate playing regions. Each region has its own competitive league in which the best professional teams play weekly. The best teams in each league are then brought together for an annual World Championship event at the end of the competitive year. This allowed for domestic fan followings to develop across such regions as Korea, China, Europe, and North and South America. Fans would closely follow the teams in their region, and from that familiarity would feel invested in cheering them on when they clashed with teams from other regions at the game’s biggest international event.

This basic blueprint has continued to prove successful for Riot Games over the years, though it has expanded and been modified with time. In response to the success of the World Championship, Riot introduced a second international tournament in 2015, the prestigious Mid-Season Invitational. In 2025, First Stand was added to bring LoL esports to three international events per year. Once again the scene was enhanced and this indirectly expanded the opportunities for League of Legends esports betting. In the meantime, the regional leagues have spread out to include more regions and lower levels, solidifying their identity.

The basic formula remains the same, however. Encourage fan support on a domestic level, and then carry that support and interest over to the global stage. It’s a formula that continues to power League of Legends esports, and looks set to enable it for many years yet to come.

At Win.gg, our coverage of LoL esports spans from the broader competitive updates and their impact on the scene to in-depth high-profile match previews with team analysis, head-to-head analysis, LoL betting odds sense-makers and predictions. All of these based on the insights of our experienced esports journalists.