Is League of Legends Dying?

Like everything on this planet, good things must come to an end. Change is the only constant thing about the world we live in today. Riot Games’ and League of Legends has also come a long way since starting out back in 2009 which is almost 11 years ago already. With the time this game has existed on this planet, it makes you wonder if League of Legends dying is an actual possibility. Today, during a time of economic instability brought about by the ongoing pandemic, is there really a chance that this may be true?

The State of League of Legends Today

Looking at League of Legends S10 will definitely feel really different from the League of Legends we were introduced to all those years ago. It makes you realize how long you’ve actually spent playing the game that so many things are now changed due to multiple rewords, map updates, and even gameplay updates. If you were to bring back a player from Season 3 or earlier to look at this game, they wouldn’t even recognize it anymore.

However, with the many elements surrounding League of Legends it’s only natural that they will eventually be updated for the sake of both the story progression and visual update that the developers are aiming for today. With the taste of the players evolving as the years go by, each year will only include more updates and changes to the game. Now, let’s take a loot at each of the elements which have changed in League of Legends today.

Summoner’s Rift

Summoner’s Rift is probably the most noticeable change that League of Legends has undergone in the last decade. With the introduction especially of elemental drakes, the jungle rework, and visual update, the game has never looked fresher. Looking at the more natural-looking and brighter themed map that we see today definitely sets it apart from how it looked like in the game back in 2014 when the old map got reworked.

Champions

Additional champions aren’t the only thing old players won’t be able to recognize in League of Legends today. Old champions with reworks such as Fiddlesticks, Volibear, Mordekaiser, Akali, Kayle, and Aatrox are almost unrecognizable thanks to their visual rework. At the very least, some of these champions won’t look awkward and funky compared to their original designs thanks to the update the newer seasons have given them.

Runes, Items, and Currency

Runes reforged finally got rid of the old runes and keystone system which made the game more advantageous to players who had more rune pages and IP/RP. Items in the game have also been reworked visually while other items are gone from the game. The addition of newer currencies like Essence, Prestige Tokens, and other stuff makes the game have a more confusing feel towards newer players.

Esports Scene

The League of Legends Esports Scene is undisputedly the biggest and most visually appealing esports event in history. With the Worlds 2019 Opening, it’s almost as if the event is rivaling the Superbowl itself. No one would think that a small game in League of Legends would end up creating exciting events like these over the years. Even non-League fans have to admit that the production of the ceremony is definitely out of this world.

How do these affect League of Legends dying?

For some people, especially those who have not played the original League of Legends game before Season 3, these changes but be good for you but there are older players who weren’t quite fond of these changes and have claimed that the game has taken a lot of elements which they loved. League of Legends boomers isn’t really fond of new things going in and out of the game to replace the things they are already accustomed to seeing.

However, even with old players going out, it still isn’t enough to cause League of Legends dying to be an issue. There are only really few old players left in the game and they are easily replaced with new players from all around the world. The claim that League of Legends dying is something we’ll be experiencing might not be a thing at all especially with the circumstances we are dealing with in today’s time.

Why do people keep saying League of Legends dying is a thing?

The claim that League of Legends dying is something happening today comes from the dissent of players on the internet and discussions which do not represent the whole. This means that people on forums, social media, or other sites confess that they and other people they know are losing interest in the game. While that does affect the total population, it’s not enough since more people are actually and actively playing than posting rants on the internet.

A lot of this dissent also comes from people who want to believe that League of Legends dying is a thing because they are not fond of the game nor do they want the game to succeed more than it has today. However, because of the growing interest, the game is gaining each day, it becomes impossible for that to happen. There are too many factors about the game that will make it grow larger for the years to come.

Debunking the “League of Legends Dying” Claim

League of Legends is alive and well and continues to grow despite the company’s many shortcomings. As the international scene of League of Legends grows even more interesting each year, the need to play this MOBA masterpiece also becomes more of a way of life than a hobby. Looking at the future, we don’t see League of Legends dying anytime soon. Here are the reasons why League of Legends isn’t dying.

1. Growing Esports Community

Despite being locked-down for almost half the year, the esports community is still thriving with all major tournaments in the world continuing operations. The recent Mid-Season Cup which resulted in another LPL victory with Top Esports at the helm proved that this game is as exciting as they come. Looking at esports trending topics will always result in League of Legends tournament results while every other game is secondary.

With Worlds 2020 arriving soon, every esports fan, organization, and player will be preparing for yet another awesome event. However, with the event taking place in Shanghai, China, present fear might discourage players from flying to the event itself. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the stadium will be completely empty since domestic fans are quite large in number, and streaming services will bring the event to use in the online platforms.

2. Most Watched Video Game on Twitch

Twitch is arguably the largest gaming streaming channel on the internet today where most of the biggest streamers show off their content and make a living. In terms of viewership, League of Legends is the second most viewed topic on Twitch (The 1st being Just Chatting which is not a game). The number of people who watch LoL is about 35 million more than the next game which is Fortnite and GTA:V. So is League of Legends losing the interest of the players? Nope, definitely not.

Diverging from Twitch, League of Legends also has large viewings on Youtube and other streaming platforms. League on social media also has a large following with League topics trending almost all the time excluding celebrity and political trends. This makes League of Legends the more internationally recognized game in almost every country in the world that owns a server. So much so that even non-gamers know of League.

3. League of Legends Generating $1B+ Annually?!

League of Legends reportedly earns about $1B+ annually with them earning $1.5 Billion in 2019. That’s 3x what other popular esports like CS:GO and Fortnite make per year. The game literally has so much money that it is branching out and taking a risk on other games like Valorant and Legends of Runeterra. I mean, if that game produces that amount of money will it truly be shut down anytime soon? If so, what reason could there be?

Riot Games’ is even so confident about its players availing their products that they have made Prestige Skins to boost sales in the skin department. With these League of Legends remains to be a free-to-play game with no elements of pay-to-win that will destroy its integrity. Everything in the game can be earned with a little bit of hard work and sacrifice. This is why fans love playing League of Legends and supporting it internationally.

What would be the main cause for League of Legends dying?

Assuming that League of Legends were to die in the near future, the situations surrounding it would be in the extreme that it gives reason for players never to come back again. Of course, these issues have to happen on the international level otherwise there won’t be a chance of league of legends dying even if the situation is extreme. Here are a few reasons that cause League of Legends to die on the international level.

1. Global Server Crash

A few months ago, the Oceania Server Crashed causing a decrease in the active player base which lasted a good few days. Because it affected a good majority of the region, it almost killed the League of Legends scene there but was addressed by Riot Games shortly after. If this were to happen on a global scale and would last at least 3 weeks, then League of Legends dying would actually be a possibility in the game’s future.

2. Introduction of Pay-to-Win Features

Pay-to-Win features are the absolute worst. This has caused a lot of games, especially in the MMORPG genre to plummet in terms of the player base because only the rich players could afford to actually play the game. However, pay-to-win features are only really added when the game is in the process of dying as a last-ditch effort to make money out of it. With Riot’s success in the skin economy, this won’t really be an option any time soon.

3. Illegal Activities Within the Companies

It’s no surprise that doing illegal activities such as selling, abusing, or taking personal data using League of Legends as a platform will cause the companies behind them to be forced to shut down. While there are already existing allegations of Riot Games’ affiliates doing this, there’s no solid proof that this is actually happening. The League of Legends terms and conditions is very firm on what information they will ask from you before you start.

4. It Gets Outshine By Another MOBA

The more unlikely reason is that League of Legends gets outshined by another huge MOBA game which cause the majority of its player base to transfer. This was the case with PUBG vs Fortnite. However, with League of Legends already established at the top of this genre, no new MOBA game can ever reach the level where the interest will be enough to actually siphon the millions of players from League of Legends

The Thriving League of Legends Community will Last For a Few More Years

Without League of Legends nor Riot Games facing any problems in the various departments which keep it alive, there is absolutely no reason that League of Legends dying will happen anytime soon. You can expect to play the game for another decade or so with the game only becoming more and more interesting. After all, games like World of Warcraft have existed for years already so why shouldn’t League of Legends be the same?