League of Legends
League of Legends
Viktor leaked as the next LoL Champion to get a rework
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
League of Legends fans are buzzing with excitement after a leak revealed Viktor will get a rework. The update will coincide with Arcane Season 2’s release later this year, refreshing one of the game’s iconic champions. According to sources, Viktor’s rework will focus on enhancing his kit to make him more viable in competitive play. One of the major changes speculated to be implemented is a complete overhaul of his …
League of Legends
LoL betting – Tips to improve your betting chances
William Davis
As of 2024, the LoL betting market has seen significant growth, reflecting its increasing popularity and the sophistication of betting options available. If you intend to try the best LoL bookies with friends or your favorite streamer, these tips will certainly help you make informed decisions. Betting on esports, especially in games like League of Legends, requires a strategic approach. Differently from traditional sports, esports matches may differ a lot …
Movies & TV
Is Arcane Season 2 the final season?
Olivia Richman
Arcane fans have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Season 2 after the shocking cliff hanger at the end of Season 1. Now, Netflix has shared a teaser for Season 2 but announced that it will be the end of the popular show. A show ending after just two seasons seems shocking. A lot of fans are wondering if Season 2 is truly the end of Arcane. Will we get …
League of Legends
LoL fans outraged at Riot over $400 Faker Hall of Legends bundle
Fariha Bhatti
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok’s Hall of Legends collection in League of Legends will set you back a whopping $450, and players aren’t happy about that. Riot Games earlier announced Faker as the first inductee for the LoL Hall of Legends. It’s an in-game event that celebrates the best players annually. While fans had their own guesses about who the first inductee would be, Riot went with Faker, who it thinks is …
League of Legends
League of Legends MMR changes in 2024
William Davis
Baseline LP gain/loss is increased to ± 28 for Emerald and below. Baseline LP gain/loss is reduced by up to 8 points for players Emerald and above. In those tiers, this is an average of ± 20 when rank and MMR match. Matchmaking now searches in a slightly tighter range of visible ranks. That reduces the high-rank differences in lobbies. Demoting requires less amount of games to prevent MMR and …
League of Legends
The 2024 LoL season – players and teams to look out for
William Davis
The upcoming League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) is fast approaching, and there’s a new system in place for Worlds qualification. Here are some of the best teams and individual players to keep an eye out for. The 2024 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) is Riot Games’ first major international esports LAN competition involving the award-winning video game League of Legends (LoL). The competitive format has been modified a bit, and it will …
League of Legends
This is how much your lol account is worth
William Davis
If you’re someone who spent years actively playing League of Legends and building up your collection, you might be curious to find out how much it is worth. Alternatively, you might be actively looking to quit the game and sell the account but lack the knowledge required to accurately evaluate it based on the current market. Either way, the best method of accurately calculating the value of your account is …
League of Legends
“Smolder” Ignites Excitement in League of Legends
William Davis
Smolder is a new dragon champion in “League of Legends,” known for his late-game strength as an Attack Damage Carry (ADC). Originating from the mysterious region of Camavor, Smolder’s backstory involves being separated from his mother and raised by a human boy, which influences his unique human-like traits. In gameplay, Smolder starts weaker but scales into a powerful force. His abilities gain potency by accruing “Dragon Practice” stacks by hitting …
Arcane Season 2 trailer released
Nicholas James
League of Legends
Riot Games has released the first trailer for Arcane Season 2 and it confirms a huge lore moment that will be coming in the new animated installation. Arcane is Riot Games’ smash hit animated adaptation of the lore of League of Legends. Season 1 focused on the twin cities of Piltover & Zaun and many of their inhabitants, specifically Vi, Jinx, Ekko, and Singed from Zaun and Caitlyn, Viktor, Jayce, …
Ambessa Medarda will join LoL as a champion
Nicholas James
League of Legends
Riot Games has announced one of the new champions coming to League of Legends in 2024, Ambessa Medarda, the Noxian warlord from animated show Arcane. Riot Games has gotten in the habit of releasing regular update videos for fans. These tend to help lay out their plans for the future. The first video for the new season, which announced tons of new content coming in 2024, even name-dropped one of …
Meet Smolder, LoL’s new champion
Nicholas James
League of Legends
Riot Games has unveiled the next champion to join League of Legends, and it’s the adorably named and designed Smolder, an adolescent dragon with lots to prove. The developer of League of Legends often likes to preview upcoming champions earlier on in the year. In late 2023, Riot indicated that the next new champion after Briar’s release would be an important “royal” member of the roster, with the statement being …
What does MarkZ being commissioner mean for LCS?
Nicholas James
League of Legends
It has been announced that Mark “MarkZ” Zimmerman, previously a co-host on the LCS desk, will be the new commissioner of the LCS. But what does that mean for the league? After the previous LCS commissioner, Jackie Felling, stepped down earlier in 2023 due to ongoing health issues, the LCS has been looking for new leadership. Rumors have been flying throughout the offseason about who might be considered for the …
LEC format and schedule changes explained
Olivia Richman
League of Legends
Some major format changes to the LEC are incoming and Riot Games has addressed the reason behind these updates. On December 6, it was announced that the LEC was going to merge the group and playoff stages into a single bracket. The schedule will also be changed for the upcoming season to make it easier to view and better support teams. Said Riot: “o better support the well-being of our …
Doublelift retires for third and final time
Nicholas James
League of Legends
Peng “Doublelift” Yilang has retired from League of Legends professional play after more than a decade playing professionally. Doublelift has reigned, for almost as long as the LCS has existed, as one of the premier native North American talents. Beginning in support as a feared Blitzcrank one-trick, Doublelift would quickly transition to the Marksman or AD Carry role. Playing on Counter Logic Gaming, TSM, Team Liquid, and 100 Thieves, Doublelift …
Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses dropping from LCS 2024
Olivia Richman
League of Legends
The LCS 2024 season will only have eight teams. Riot Games’ president of esports, John Needham, has just announced that the LCS will be an eight-team league in 2024. This is the outcome of a “mutual decision” with Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses to “exit from the LCS.” Here’s what that means going forward. With the Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses dropped from the league, Needham said that the LCS …
T1 is the 2023 Worlds Champion
William Davis
League of Legends
T1 is the 2023 League of Legends Worlds Champion after defeating Weibo Gaming. T1 just made history. The LCK organization became the first team to win a World Championship hosted in their own region. Along the way, T1 defeated all four LPL representatives, solidifying its place as the LPL slayer. Most notably, T1 put an end to JD Gaming’s golden road and its aspirations of winning every tournament of the …
T1 advises fans to stay safe at Worlds 2023 Grand Final after threats of assault
Fariha Bhatti
League of Legends
T1 fans are being advised to stay safe at the League of Legends World Championship in Seoul after threats of stabbing and violence have become rampant on Korean esports forums. T1 has reached the Worlds finals as favorites, but their predicament is only beginning. The Korean giants looked comfortable beating JD Gaming in the semi-finals in a 3-1 fashion, securing a seat in the grand finals for the fifth time …
Best semifinals Pick’Ems for Worlds 2023
William Davis
League of Legends
Only four teams remain in Worlds 2023 and these are the best choices for the semifinals Pick’em. Worlds 2023 is an emotional rollercoaster. From major upsets to absolute bangers, the most important tournament of the year doesn’t disappoint. Three LPL teams and one LCK representative remain in the race for the Summoners Cup. On one side of the bracket, two wildcards will meet. On the other side, arguably the two …
T1 destroys LNG Esports and moves to semifinals at Worlds 2023
William Davis
League of Legends
T1 obliterated LNG Esports and is advancing to the semifinals at Worlds 2023. T1 is defending the honor of the LCK and is taking the LPL teams one by one. In the quarterfinals, T1 had one of the best performances in the entire tournament. Reminding everyone why it’s the most popular team in the world. Worlds 2023 is not going according to the predictions. Dplus KIA and G2 Esports failed …
JDG stays undefeated at Worlds 2023
William Davis
League of Legends
JD Gaming has advanced to the semifinals after defeating KT Rolster at Worlds 2023. JDG continues to walk the golden path and is one step closer to making history. JDG is the third LPL team to qualify for the semifinals and is looking even more like a favorite to take the Worlds 2023 title. KT wouldn’t go down without a fight. The LCK’s third seed took game one and had …
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.
