Riot Games
Riot Games business and news from across the web.- Envar Games' Magical Open-World Adventure Game ‘Witchspire’ Launches on PCEnvar Games has launched its new magical open-world adventure game, Witchspire, into Early Access on Steam for PC. The game features co-operative multiplayer, character customization, base building, and a variety of familiars to collect and level up. Witchspire is the debut original IP from Envar Games, a subdivision of co-development studio Envar.
South of Midnight wins big at the 2026 Gayming AwardsCompulsion Games' South of Midnight won Game of the Year at the 2026 Gayming Awards, an event celebrating LGBTQ+ themes and creators in gaming. Other notable winners included Date Everything! for Best LGBTQ+ Indie Game and Team Liquid for LGBTQ+ Contribution to Esports. The ceremony, hosted by Erika Ishii, also highlighted the importance of queer representation in the industry.
Nintendo Direct June 2026: Everything Announced!Nintendo held a surprise Nintendo Direct presentation showcasing numerous upcoming titles for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The showcase included new releases, ports of existing games, and DLC announcements across various genres, with many titles slated for release in late 2026 and into 2027.
Riot finally unveils Locke, League of Legends' Ashen ExorcistRiot Games has officially unveiled Locke, the Ashen Exorcist, as the newest champion for League of Legends. Locke is a midlane AP assassin designed to fill a gap in the roster, focusing on a mobile, high-damage kit centered around his Soul Nails. Senior Game Product Manager Edward Zhao and Game Designer Blake Smith discussed Locke's abilities and design philosophy, aiming to re-excite assassin players. Locke is scheduled to release on June 24 with patch 26.13, and his debut skin is High Noon Locke.
Date Everything wins two accolades at The Gayming Awards 2026The Gayming Awards 2026 celebrated achievements in LGBTQ+ representation within gaming. Sassy Chap Games' 'Date Everything' won Best LGBTQ+ Indie Game and the Gayming Fan Favourite Award, while Compulsion Games' 'South of Midnight' took home Game of the Year. The ceremony recognized various categories, including voice acting, content creation, and contributions to esports, highlighting diversity and inclusivity.
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.