Riot Games
Riot Games business and news from across the web.
Riot embraces generative AI, as it targets "wild and weird" player experiencesRiot Games is expanding its use of generative AI, appointing Brendan Mulligan as Head of Experiential AI to create innovative player experiences. Despite past fan criticism, Mulligan aims to explore 'wild and weird' AI-enabled games, potentially impacting titles like League of Legends and Valorant, while assuring that AI integration will focus on genuine player benefit rather than investor profit.
Valorant players claim they're being DDoS'd mid-game, as patch 12.10 descends into bug fiestaValorant players are reporting being subjected to DDoS attacks mid-game, causing severe lag and rubber-banding, particularly after the recent patch 12.10. This issue, alongside a significant number of other bugs affecting agents and maps, has led to player frustration. Riot Games has been contacted for clarification on the alleged exploit.
Riot devs are LARPing as Thresh on X, and that's because he's surprise dropping into 2XKORiot Games is marketing the upcoming release of Senna and Thresh in their fighting game 2XKO with an innovative campaign. Developers changed their social media profiles to impersonate Thresh, accompanied by cryptic messages and a ten-hour "trapped in Thresh's lantern" stream. Senna is set to launch on June 9, with Thresh arriving alongside her, featuring a large model and unique mechanics.
2XKO adds new fighter Thresh this monthRiot Games announced that Thresh, the chain warden, will be added as a new fighter to their League of Legends-themed fighting game, 2XKO, on June 9th. He will join the recently announced fighter Senna. The free-to-play game is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
How Does LoL Boosting Work and What Is LoL Boosting?League of Legends boosting involves higher-ranked players helping accounts climb the ranked ladder through wins, placements, or guided games, often as a paid service. This can be done via account sharing or duo queuing, with various strategies and preferences customizable by the client. While effective for rapid rank progression, it violates Riot Games' Terms of Service and is not recommended for players seeking skill improvement.
Best of Riftbound RQ Vancouver Deck Lists so farThe Riftbound RQ Vancouver tournament has concluded, with competitors sharing their top-performing deck lists. Notable players like AlanZQ and Sam Sherman have posted their strategies, with AlanZQ winning the event using a Diana deck. The article highlights various successful decks across different legends, including Rengar, Master Yi, and Azir, and mentions upcoming details about Set 4 and 5.
007 First Light's brand placement is obnoxious, but it works. What it could mean for the industry, however, scares me007 First Light features prominent product placement from brands like Omega and Aston Martin, which are integrated organically into the James Bond universe. While effective in the game, the article expresses concern that this level of brand integration in single-player titles could become obnoxious and detract from immersion if widely adopted by other developers, drawing parallels to the over-saturation of brand collaborations in multiplayer games.
God of War Laufey director started working on the series over 20 years ago, when Kratos had a blue tattoo and was named…Ariel Lawrence, director of the upcoming God of War Laufey, discusses her long history with the series, starting over 20 years ago when Kratos was known as Dominus and had a blue tattoo. Lawrence, who began at Sony Santa Monica Studio in 2003, also spent time at Riot Games before returning to lead the development of God of War Laufey, which is set to release in 2027.
2XKO adds new fighter Senna this monthRiot Games announced that Senna, a new fighter themed around League of Legends, will be added to the free-to-play fighting game 2XKO on June 9th. The game is available on PC, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5.
Valorant's Breeze gets put into timeout, and it's all because of a stack of cratesRiot Games has temporarily disabled the Breeze map in Valorant due to a significant bug involving stacked crates at A Shop, which allowed players to shoot through them. The map is expected to return in patch 12.11. This follows a previous issue with Cypher's Spycam bug in patch 12.10.- Riot’s League of Legends MMO picks up former World of Warcraft lead designer Brian HolinkaBrian Holinka, former lead designer for World of Warcraft, has joined Riot Games as a principal game designer for their in-development League of Legends MMO. This follows Riot's recent hiring of other experienced MMORPG talent, indicating a strong focus on building a significant presence in the genre.
Riot hires another World of Warcraft veteran to get its League of Legends MMO over the line as we approach 6 years since…Riot Games has hired former World of Warcraft veteran Brian Holinka as principal game designer for its upcoming League of Legends MMO. Holinka, who previously served as lead PvP designer and lead combat designer for World of Warcraft, joins other former Blizzard employees working on the project. Riot co-founder Marc Merrill recently reaffirmed the company's commitment to developing the MMO.
The League of Legends MMO adds another World of Warcraft vet to its teamRiot Games has hired Brian Holinka, former lead combat designer for World of Warcraft, as a principal game designer for its upcoming League of Legends MMO. This move follows the addition of other former Blizzard and World of Warcraft veterans to the development team, indicating continued progress on the long-in-development MMORPG.
Riot Games Previews New Cards for Upcoming Riftbound: Radiance SetRiot Games provided a preview of the upcoming Riftbound: Radiance set for its League of Legends collectible card game. The preview event revealed new card art for champions Ekko, Evelynn, and Seraphine, and detailed the set's theme of performance and big plays. The release of Riftbound: Radiance on October 23, 2026, will also mark release parity for English, Simplified Chinese, and French versions of the game.
World Reborn Is a Blended-Reality Story Game with IRL Quests, Out NowWicked Saints Studios has released their debut title, World Reborn, an adventure activism game for Android. The game blends an interactive story with real-world quests designed to encourage problem-solving and community healing, particularly among Gen Z players. Completing in-game and real-world actions can reward players with in-game currency and potential real-world rewards from brand partners.
Nvidia finally unveils Spark superchip, coming to laptops and mini PCs this Fall - here's everything we know so farNvidia has officially unveiled its Spark superchip, codenamed N1X, at Computex 2026. The chip, a collaboration with MediaTek, combines a 6144-CUDA-core Blackwell GPU with a 20-core Grace CPU and is expected to launch in laptops from major manufacturers like Asus, Dell, and Microsoft in Fall. Nvidia claims the Spark chip will enable laptops to achieve over 100fps in 1440p for Triple-A titles, with performance potentially matching an RTX 5070 mobile GPU.
Riftbound releases updates to Vendetta and Radiance launch details and card teasersRiot Games has announced release details for two upcoming sets of their collectible card game, Riftbound. Set 4 Vendetta, launching July 31, will feature a new rivalry theme and introduce Showdown Decks, with a simultaneous global release for English and Simplified Chinese versions. Set 5 Radiance, arriving October 23, will focus on brilliance and creativity with a larger card pool and its own Showdown Deck.
NVIDIA RTX Spark "superchip" and DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction announcedNVIDIA announced the RTX Spark "superchip" for AI, creation, and gaming, alongside DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction at Computex 2026. The RTX Spark integrates NVIDIA's AI and graphics technologies into a single chip for laptops, promising enhanced performance for creative workflows and AAA gaming at 1440p with ray tracing. DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction features a new transformer model for superior image quality in ray-traced games, set to launch in August.
Stop Killing Games consumer protection bill passes floor vote in CaliforniaThe California State Assembly has passed the Protect Our Games Act (AB 1921), a bill aimed at protecting consumer rights and ensuring game preservation. The legislation, motivated by incidents like Ubisoft's shutdown of The Crew, would require publishers to provide offline access or refunds when server-dependent games are discontinued. The bill now moves to the California State Senate, facing opposition from industry groups like Video Games Europe and the ESA who argue it could increase development costs and stifle innovation.
Valorant Masters' anthem is a unique look for VCT, and it brings one of the UK's finest back to the stageRiot Games has released "Chaos in the House" by UK artist Che Lingo as the anthem for Valorant Masters London. The song aims to capture the unpredictability of Valorant esports and features a music video blending cartoon visuals with real tournament clips. Che Lingo previously contributed to the MSI 2023 anthem "Rules (Are Meant to Break)".