win.gg
Win.gg League of Legends Page 131

League of Legends

Teamfight Tactics developer talks future champions and winning games League of Legends Teamfight Tactics developer talks future champions and winning games By Olivia Richman Fnatic stay undefeated in LEC Summer Split with win over G2 Esports League of Legends Fnatic stay undefeated in LEC Summer Split with win over G2 Esports By William Davis League of Legends World Championship locations and dates revealed League of Legends League of Legends World Championship locations and dates revealed By Olivia Richman
LGD Condi receives 18-month ban after alleged match fixing in China League of Legends
LGD Condi receives 18-month ban after alleged match fixing in China Nina Forneloza Xiang “Condi” Ren-Jie, jungler for LPL team LGD Gaming, has been issued a ban for a period of 18 months. The ban will run through December 2020. Condi admitted to an LPL official that he had violated gambling rules based on the outcome of a match that he was involved in. It is thought that this may have involved a bet placed on LGD to win at a tournament that …
Teamfight Tactics becomes top game on Twitch in its debut League of Legends
Teamfight Tactics becomes top game on Twitch in its debut Olivia Richman After just one hour on testing servers, League of Legend’s aubobattler game mode Teamfight Tactics became the top viewng category on Twitch. With over 190,000 viewers by its second hour, Teamfight Tactics beat Grand Theft Auto V, Fortnite, and League of Legends. This was, in part, due to some of the top streamers, like Michael “imaqtpie” Santana, streaming the new game mode. Teamfight Tactics also saw instant success when it …
FlyQuest launches Gamers in Action supporting non-profits, charities League of Legends
FlyQuest launches Gamers in Action supporting non-profits, charities William Davis Esports organization FlyQuest has now launched the new Gamers in Action initiative. FlyQuest is attempting to showcase greatness through its new Gamers in Action initiative. The project is looking to support causes that are important to the team’s players and staff members, in addition to other initiatives of significance. Under the Gamers in Action initiative, FlyQuest has launched a campaign to raise awareness about the international World Refugee Day. The …
Dignitas jerseys to feature betting platform in new sponsorship deal League of Legends
Dignitas jerseys to feature betting platform in new sponsorship deal Olivia Richman Dignitas has signed a three-year partnership deal with betting platform VIE.gg.  “I am very proud of this new partnership with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and their Dignitas esports brand, which is founded in our shared common beliefs of player safety above all else,” Esports Entertainment Group’s CEO Grant Johnson said.  Esports Entertainment Group’s VIE.gg will be an esport jersey sponsor for three of Dignitas’ teams. This includes Rocket League, …
Team Liquid launches Heal for Real campaign with exclusive merch League of Legends Team Liquid launches Heal for Real campaign with exclusive merch By William Davis G2 Wunder uses MS Paint to send a message during live LEC game League of Legends G2 Wunder uses MS Paint to send a message during live LEC game By Nina Forneloza LEC summer final heads to Greece for the first time in its history League of Legends LEC summer final heads to Greece for the first time in its history By William Davis
LCS has six-way tie for first place after TSM defeats Cloud9 League of Legends
LCS has six-way tie for first place after TSM defeats Cloud9 William Davis Team SoloMid is at the top of the LCS, albeit with quite a bit of company. The team entered into a six-way tie for first place after beating Cloud9, reasserting themselves over an opponent they toppled in the spring playoff semifinals. The outcome continued the trend for both teams’ summer season which has seen them perform well, but not flawlessly. Both sides entered Sunday coming off wins on Saturday, with …
100 Thieves coach Pr0lly discusses recent struggles, firing himself League of Legends
100 Thieves coach Pr0lly discusses recent struggles, firing himself gabhernandez Neil “pr0lly” Hammad is well aware of the frustration among 100 Thieves fans. The team’s coach has been hit with a lot of blame for their struggles in 2019. Speaking with Travis Gafford, Pr0lly gave his take on 100 Thieves’ issues and directly responded to fans’ calls for him to step down as coach. According to Pr0lly, the current issue facing 100 Thieves is a lack of cohesion within the …
Sneaky discusses C9 win over OpTic, lag in NA, Korea, and cosplay League of Legends
Sneaky discusses C9 win over OpTic, lag in NA, Korea, and cosplay Olivia Richman Cloud 9 is now sitting at 4-1 after giving OpTic Gaming their first loss of the LCS Summer Split. The goal, Zachary “Sneaky” Scuderi said, is to win the split. But how they get there is different in each season. Sneaky spoke with WIN.gg after the victory to discuss the win, their plans for the season, and some of his new cosplay ideas. How did you feel about the match today? …
Team Liquid defeat FlyQuest but future remains uncertain League of Legends
Team Liquid defeat FlyQuest but future remains uncertain William Davis Team Liquid started its week three off right. Despite entering the week on shaky footing, Liquid was able to make the most out of a soft matchup against FlyQuest. This allowed the Spring playoffs champions to keep their place in the intensely competitive LCS standings. FlyQuest opened the game by having Lucas “Santorin” Larsen and Eugene “Pobelter” Park focus in on Liquid mid laner Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen. Multiple roams netted …
Fnatic get revenge on Origen for LEC Spring Playoffs upset William Davis League of Legends Revenge is a dish best served cold and Fnatic proved it on Friday. The LEC elite got a bit of payback on Origen for the squad’s upset win in the semifinals of the LEC 2019 Spring Playoffs. Though Fnatic entered a considerable favorite over Origen, the team undoubtedly felt an extra bit of satisfaction taking this win. The game started in unorthodox fashion for Fnatic with top laner Gabriël “Bwipo” …
Faker collectible statue captures the legendary League player Nina Forneloza League of Legends Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok may be the greatest League of Legends player of all time, and will now be immortalized in a limited edition collectible statue from merchandise and apparel makers Superplay. Fans and collectors from all around the world will now be able to own an 11cm tall and 5cm wide statue of the legendary player. The statue is now on sale for $33 and depicts a cartoonish Faker wearing …
Cuzz and Tusin lead Kingzone DragonX over SK Telecom T1 in LCK clash William Davis League of Legends Kingzone DragonX remains undefeated in the LCK after a convincing victory over SK Telecom T1. Spring was all about SKT and Griffin, but the summer is for Kingzone. The team continues to lead the standings with three wins and zero losses. Despite being considered a team of misfits, Kingzone was solid during the spring and are looking to be even stronger in the summer. SKT started jungler Kang “Haru” Min-seung, …
Immortals acquires OpTic Gaming parent company in $100 million deal Olivia Richman League of Legends Immortals Gaming Company has officially acquired Infinite Esports, OpTic Gaming’s parent company. The $100 million deal is one of the biggest in the esports industry to date. With the addition of OpTic Gaming, Immortals now has esports teams in even more titles. This includes League of Legends, meaning a possible return to the League of Legends Championship Series. “It feels like a welcome homecoming,” Immortals CEO Ari Segal said. In …
Mordekaiser rework, Ryze and Sylas get big nerfs in new LoL update Steven Rondina League of Legends The latest League of Legends update brings some sizable changes to the game. Patch 9.12 has arrived brings a number of small changes to 10 different heroes alongside some visual and audio overhauls as well as general bug fixes. More importantly, four heroes were given some hefty changes that could shake up the meta at all levels of play. The centerpiece to patch 9.12 is the complete rework of Mordekaiser. …
Riot Games investigated in California for gender discrimination William Davis League of Legends The State of California is investigating Riot Games, the developer behind League of Legends, for allegations of gender discrimination, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times. California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing has filed a court action demanding Riot Games provide it with employee pay data. The Department of Fair Employment and Housing investigates civil rights laws in the state. According to the Los Angeles Times, the …
IG Rookie leaving LPL due to family health issues in Korea Olivia Richman League of Legends Reigning world champion Invictus Gaming star mid laner Song “Rookie” Eul-jin has announced that he’s taking a break from playing League of Legends competitively.  Rookie is heading to South Korea to rest with his family due to undisclosed health concerns. This was stated on Invictus Gaming’s official Weibo, but the announcement didn’t discuss if Rookie will be returning during this season, or at all.  Rookie has been playing League of Legends professionally …
Teamfight Tactics coming to League of Legends, emulates Auto Chess gabhernandez League of Legends Riot is set to introduce Teamfight Tactics, a new strategy game mode inspired by Dota 2’s successful Auto Chess mode. Teamfight Tactics uses League of Legends champions as game pieces on a board. Each round, players are given gold and an opportunity to draft more champions onto their side of the playing board. Each champion has different strengths, weaknesses, and synergies. Once the drafting phase is over, each player’s team …
LCS Scouting Grounds Circuit arrives, partnering Riot and FACEIT William Davis League of Legends Competitive gaming platform FACEIT and Riot Games have announced their partnering for the 2019 LCS Scouting Grounds Circuit. Starting in July, registered amateur teams will have a chance to compete for a spot at the LCS Scouting Grounds event later in the year and a shot at the event’s $60,000 prize pool. The multi-stage tournament will run for three months and will be divided into ten separate online events. The …
Dignitas returns to LCS after merger with Clutch Gaming is completed William Davis League of Legends Team Dignitas is returning to the LCS in 2020, as the merger between the team and Clutch Gaming has been officially announced. After months of speculations and rumors, the Philadelphia 76ers and Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment closed the merger between Clutch Gaming and Dignitas. The first reports surfaced in April when it transpired that Dignitas’ parent company was offering $20 million for a majority stake in Clutch Gaming. Dignitas …
New League of Legends champion Qiyana wields elemental powers gabhernandez League of Legends A new champion is set to hit the Rift. AD assassin Qiyana, the Empress of the Elements, will arrive in League of Legends following a visual update to bruiser Mordekaiser. The new champion looks to be a solo laner with a variety of elemental spells which are channeled through her large circular blade. She is a unique champion that can target and interact with specific parts of the map’s terrain. …
Team Liquid rebound from upset loss by crushing 100 Thieves William Davis League of Legends If anyone was wondering if the Team Liquid League of Legends squad was starting to slip, no. They are not. Coming off a shock upset loss to Echo Fox, Liquid returned to action with an impressive win over 100 Thieves. The victory reestablishes Liquid as one of the clear-cut top contenders of the LCS and leaves 100 Thieves struggling to find its footing. The match was an easy and methodical …

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.