Riot Games is taking the League of Legends franchise into another medium, with a massively-multiplayer online roleplaying game set in the expansive Runeterra universe now well into development.
The League franchise has rolled into auto-battlers, trading cards, and fighting games, and raked in mainstream fans with a stellar Netflix series recently.
The Runeterra expansion isn’t slowing down either. Riot devs are now working on a new MMO title, set in their long-standing fantasy land, that will challenge genre heavyweights like World of Warcraft, Lost Ark, and Final Fantasy. Though the game is still a ways off, it’s expected to shake the gaming landscape.
Here’s absolutely everything you’ll need to know about Riot’s long-awaited MMO.
When will the League MMO release?
Unfortunately, Riot has yet to lock in any official release date for the League of Legends MMO, though a late 2024 or even early 2025 release window looks likely considering when development began behind the scenes.
In 2020, several Riot devs confirmed the MMO’s existence after months of silence. It stands to reason a four to five-year dev cycle isn’t out of the question.
League MMO: Subscription model or free to play?
Unfortunately, there’s no clear answer to this question yet; League MMO boss Greg Street has commented on the game’s approach in general terms and said Riot is considering financing the title with cosmetics in a similar vein to other flagship titles like League, VALORANT, and TFT.
The head MMO dev was also quite vocal about not liking the “stress” subscription models put on players to constantly play.
On top of that, Street has gone on the record to say players won’t have to worry about “pay to win” features no matter what MMO model they go with.
Read: League MMO boss warns ‘no guarantee’ Riot title actually ships
Runeterra regions in League MMO
League boasts one of the most expensive fantasy worlds in gaming, with Runeterra—the title’s universe—spanning thirteen diverse regions. Dot Esports expects some elements from all these places will be in the game.
It’s likely the League MMO will focus on popular Runeterra regions like Demacia, Ionia, and Arcane’s stomping grounds, the twin cities of Piltover and Zaun. Fantastical regions like Bandle City, Shurima, and the Shadow Isles will probably be utilized as adventure areas and Raid settings.
Here’s the full list of Runeterra regions:
- Bandle City
- Bilgewater
- Demacia
- Ionia
- Ixtal
- Noxus
- Piltover
- Shadow Isles
- Shurima
- Targon
- The Freljord
- The Void
- Zaun
There’s every chance some regions are saved for future MMO expansions, like trading card game Runeterra did in 2020, but only time will tell at this stage.
Read: Riot’s League MMO has in-depth lore but don’t expect ‘grand reveal’
Here’s the likely League MMO game map
Riot has yet to actually confirm their new League MMO title will be established in Runeterra, but considering how they’ve gone about developing their fantasy world in the past, it would be a major shock for the roleplaying title to take long-standing franchise fans to a different universe.
Here’s what the League MMO map should look like in-game.
Potential League MMO classes
Riot has the perfect setup for their League MMO ready-made with their current champion classes from their flagship MOBA title. There are six primary classes (all of which are listed below) and then between two and three subclasses in each—except the marksman, which stands alone.
Here’s each League class and subclass.
Controller
Fighter
Mage
Marksman
Slayer
Tank
Some variation of these classic fantasy roles should be present in the MMO title. Dot tips Enchanter, Juggernaut, Battlemage, Marksman, Assassin, and Warden to be the six starting classes in the game—talk about a solid blend.
Will the League MMO have Raids?
League MMO lead producer Greg Street, who pivoted from working on the company’s flagship title in 2020, has said that end-game Raids are one the most important factors in the title’s development. He has even suggested he will be “crushed” if his team doesn’t actually hit the mark with their endgame designs.
Street previously said, “Anyone that knows me from my WoW developer days would know that I love dungeons and raids as a player.”
The upcoming MMO has several great bosses to draw on already too, including Baron Nashor, Elder Drake, Krugs, Gromp, and any of the 162 champs in League.
For now, that’s everything we know about the League MMO. Development continues behind the scenes, with Greg Street leading the title production. The head dev did warn players “not everyone will love every feature… [and] we won’t make choices that everyone agrees with.”
Interestingly, the MMO boss also had another warning: If the title isn’t good enough, “Riot will cancel [it].” So keep those fingers crossed!
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