Should Riot Games Start Developing a League of Legends 2 Sequel?

Many of the most beloved titles in gaming history already have sequels and updated versions of their original versions. League of Legends is a game that has been out since the late 2000s and has yet to announce anything close to a sequel. Is Riot Games not interested in making League of Legends 2 for the fans? Is it even necessary for them to make a sequel of the game? Let’s take a look at the state of the current game.

Video Game Sequels

VALVE has recently announced that they’ll be releasing Counter-Strike 2, which is an upgraded version of the beloved game title that existed before the 2010s. With so many games coming out, it’s only natural for a lot of the older video game titles to release successors that satisfy the need of the gaming community.

Fans of older video game titles are already clamoring for an updated version of the game’s they’re playing. For example, many World of Warcraft fans are talking about how Blizzard should develop WoW 2, a direct reboot of the existing games because there are so many elements in the game that feel outdated and out of place. Even though the game receives new expansions and world changes due to story progression, it still doesn’t change the fact that the entire map is filled with elements that don’t belong in the modern iteration of the game.

Will Riot Games Create League of Legends 2?

There is no need to create League of Legends 2 for now or in the future. Unlike a lot of other games like Overwatch and Counter-Strike which have both received sequels recently, League of Legends has actually been recreated numerous times already. Riot Games is not afraid to make major changes to the gameplay, map style, and other mechanics each year and that’s how the game has remained relevant over 10 years later.

In essence, League of Legends has already been recreated 4-5 times in the same way and scale as other video game sequels. Making League of Legends 2 would be redundant and would simply confuse the fans. Aside from the nightmare of having to level up a new account and farm resources again, there’s also the difficulty in the logistics of transferring the players’ cosmetic items and other purchases to the new version of the game.

Creating a sequel also means making dynamic changes to the game. The main issue with League of Legends currently is that it is extremely convoluted in terms of the number of champions available. There is no feasible way for Riot Games to downsize the number of champions without angering the larger playerbase because of the existence of paid skins. The only way for the League of Legends champion roster to proceed is to grow larger and larger.

Riot Games also has no need to create League of Legends 2 because they are creating new games that give players a new experience while retaining the League of Legends name on all of their new titles. The only exception is VALORANT but even that shares a portion of its community with League of Legends. That’s why you almost never see anyone talking about wanting to reboot League of Legends in a sequel.

League of Legends Has Become Stagnant

One argument that many people often have is that League of Legends has become too repetitive that players are getting bored. There is a large part of the community that argues League of Legends has become stagnant. It’s not surprising many veterans are saying that they can’t play the same number of games as they used to especially if they’ve been around for more than a year of playing the game regularly.

The argument that League of Legends is stagnant isn’t unwarranted because the concept of “fun” is dependent on the player. There are people who have fun playing any game for extended periods of time while there are others who get bored after spending less than 20 hours on a single game. The vast majority of players usually get bored after 120 hours of playing a single game so you can argue that it’s easy for League of Legends can feel stagnant for the community.

In terms of gameplay and design, League of Legends isn’t in a state where it has reached stagnation. The game is constantly changing with factors like the meta and champion roster constantly shifting. Every game is a new experience even though you’re basically doing the same thing as the previous game since champion picks, enemy strategies, and game states are almost never identical when it comes to each match.

League of Legends is a game that’s constantly evolving while staying loyal to its core identity. If you ask a former player to play the game today, they’ll always say that so many things have changed and it’s almost as if they’re playing a different game altogether. However, they’ll always know how to play the game and get the hang of it after 10 minutes of playing their first game once they’ve returned.

The Future of League of Legends

League of Legends 2 might never come to pass but the current version of League of Legends won’t always remain the way it is. Riot Games is very careful about keeping the players engaged since they are the company’s main source of income. Needless to say, the company knows that they need to make money so creating new content will be their top priority to maintain their influx of new players trying out the game.

As long as League of Legends remains a MOBA game that retains its core gameplay, it doesn’t matter how many changes Riot Games makes since the core playerbase will always keep the game afloat. The main thing that Riot Games needs to avoid is angering the community by making ridiculous changes such as adding pay-to-win features or making the game inaccessible for those who want to get into the game.