League of Legends
News, coverage and analysis tracking League of Legends across the outlets.
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Coming to XBOX Game Pass: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+ 2, The Planet Crafter, Palworld 1.0, and More
Xbox Game Pass is adding several new titles throughout July, including the full release of Palworld 1.0, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, and Gears of War: Reloaded. The service will also feature updates for games like Wuthering Waves and League of Legends, while several titles are scheduled to leave the library on July 15.
"We can break even and be self-sustaining within Riot" – The firm behind League of Legends is "super close" to making esports sustainable
Riot Games' head of publishing and esports, John Needham, states that the company's esports business is very close to achieving profitability and self-sustainability. He attributes this progress to a shift in business model from sponsorships to digital items and increased revenue sharing with esports teams, alongside efforts to grow viewership and player engagement through various transmedia initiatives.
MMO Week in Review: EverQuest rising
This week's MMO news roundup highlights the resurgence of the EverQuest franchise with EverQuest Legends entering paid beta and expansions teased for EverQuest and EverQuest II. Other major stories include the implosion of DreamWorld, potential layoffs at Blizzard and Bethesda, and Sony's shutdown of PS3 and PS Vita storefronts. The article also covers updates and news from various other MMOs like Elder Scrolls Online, Conan Exiles, and Valheim.
Researchers studying ChatGPT conversations surprised to find one power user churning out thousands of Doki Doki…
A study of over half a million ChatGPT conversations revealed that a significant portion involved AI-generated fiction, with fan fiction being particularly prevalent. Researchers identified distinct user types, including one prolific user who generated thousands of variations of a specific Doki Doki Literature Club pregnancy scenario. The study also noted that popular fan fiction universes requested from AI differed from those commonly found on human-written fan fiction repositories like AO3.
Massively Overthinking: Unbundling the MMORPG genre, 12 years later
Industry figures like Raph Koster discuss the 'unbundling' of the MMORPG genre, where its core components like live services and subscription models have been adopted by other game genres. The article explores what truly defines an MMORPG in the current landscape, with contributors suggesting elements like persistent virtual worlds, community, and a unique 'glue' holding disparate game elements together, rather than just player count.
Riot Games unveils plans for League of Legends Classic after datamining leaks spring forth
Riot Games has officially confirmed League of Legends Classic, a mode featuring older character models, skins, runes, and maps, following datamining leaks. Studio head Andrei van Roon confirmed that original character kits will return, with more details promised during the MSI Finals esports event on July 11th.
Turtle Beach's new keyboard has given me something I didn't know I wanted
The Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 TKL keyboard offers a premium build with Hall effect switches and a unique 4.3-inch touchscreen for customization and shortcuts, appealing to both competitive gamers and content creators. While the screen's necessity is debatable, its functionality for macros, application shortcuts, and website/folder access proves surprisingly useful over time, despite a high price point.
Dawn of War 2’s The Last Stand mode is still the best co-op MOBA that never was
The Last Stand mode from Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is analyzed as a highly successful cooperative MOBA-like experience that predates many modern titles. Despite its age and limited maps, the mode's challenging gameplay and unique blend of RTS and MOBA elements continue to attract players, highlighting its innovative design.
League of Legends Classic Revealed
Riot Games has announced a new game mode for League of Legends called League of Legends Classic. This mode aims to evoke the early days of the popular MOBA, offering a nostalgic experience for players.
League of Legends Classic is real: "This was the right time"
Riot Games has officially announced League of Legends Classic, a mode that returns the game to its earlier state, including classic Runes and Summoner Mastery trees. The announcement was made via a developer update video featuring Executive Producer Paul Bellezza and Head of League Studio Andrei van Roon, after details were accidentally leaked onto the PBE. The Classic mode will feature updated "modern tech under the hood" and will be integrated into the same client as the current game.
Valve has "a nice thing going on on PC," Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney says, but "they're missing out on a lot of opportunity" without the likes of Fortnite and Genshin Impact
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney believes Valve's Steam platform is missing significant opportunities by not including popular games like Fortnite and Genshin Impact. He argues that Steam's closed ecosystem limits its reach compared to more open platforms like the Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store, suggesting Valve could benefit from a more collaborative approach to digital distribution on PC.
PAX West 2026 Welcomes Riot Games’ Marc Merrill as Storytime Speaker
Riot Games Co-Founder Marc Merrill has been announced as the storytime speaker for PAX West 2026, which will take place at the Seattle Convention Center from September 4-7, 2026. Merrill, instrumental in the creation of games like League of Legends and VALORANT, will share a retrospective of his career. The event will also feature game demos, panels, concerts, and tournaments.
League of Legends' Vanguard anti-cheat finally gets the option to only run when you fire up a game, as Riot roll out "on-demand sessions" for "sufficiently secured" PCs
Riot Games has introduced an optional 'on-demand' mode for its Vanguard anti-cheat software in League of Legends and Valorant. This new feature allows Vanguard to run only when a game is active, rather than starting with the PC, for users whose systems meet modern security requirements. Players with older hardware that does not meet these requirements will continue to use the always-on version of Vanguard.
There's a surprising amount of major games you can't play on Valve's Steam Machine - here are eight of the biggest, and why
Valve's Steam Machine, despite its potential, faces significant limitations due to its SteamOS (a Linux variant) not supporting many popular games. This is primarily caused by anti-cheat software, which is incompatible with Linux, rendering titles like Destiny 2, Fortnite, Battlefield 6, Apex Legends, GTA Online, EA Sports FC 24, and modern Call of Duty games unplayable. While installing Windows is an option, it defeats the purpose of the console-like device.
You can finally turn Riot's Vanguard anti-cheat off when you're not playing a game
Riot Games is updating its Vanguard anti-cheat system to an 'on demand' model, meaning it will only run when playing League of Legends or Valorant and will shut down afterward. This change requires modern PC hardware and specific Windows security features like UEFI Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to be enabled. The update aims to reduce the intrusiveness of the kernel-mode software while maintaining its effectiveness against cheaters.
If I were in the market for a Prime Day 65-inch TV deal, I know exactly what I'd be buying
This article discusses potential Prime Day deals on 65-inch TVs, highlighting Hisense's U6 Pro Series and E7 Cinema Series as strong contenders for gaming and movie watching due to features like QLED, 144Hz refresh rates, and Dolby Vision IQ. The Insignia F50 is also mentioned as a more budget-friendly 4K option with a 60Hz refresh rate suitable for most console games.
Riot walks back putting League of Legends' controversial 'last hit indicators' into ranked play, for now
Riot Games has reversed its decision to implement controversial 'last hit indicators' into ranked League of Legends play following significant community backlash. The feature, which marks when minions are within lethal damage range, will remain in non-ranked modes for further testing and data collection. The company stated that while they believe the tool doesn't degrade skill expression, they will gather more feedback before making a final decision on its inclusion in ranked matches.
SATIATE YOURSELF THIS SUMMER WITH WILD RIFT PATCH 7.2: FEAST ON!
League of Legends: Wild Rift Patch 7.2, titled 'Feast On,' is set to release on July 9th UTC, introducing new champions Yunara and Cho'Gath, a visual update for Ahri, and a new AAA ARAM season. The patch also features gameplay changes including a rework of active items and the bounty system, alongside summer-themed updates to Summoner's Rift and new rewards for Ranked and Wild Pass.
eSports Betting in Canada – What Gamers Need to Know in 2026
The Canadian eSports betting market is experiencing significant growth, particularly in regulated provinces like Ontario. Gamers' analytical skills from competitive play translate well to betting, with titles like CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Valorant seeing substantial wagering action. As the legal landscape clarifies and more reputable platforms emerge, eSports betting is becoming a natural extension of gaming habits for Canadian players.
Riot went a bit "out there" with some of League of Legends' recent champions. Locke is a welcome return to what players "want."
Riot Games is releasing a new League of Legends champion named Locke, designed to be a more traditional assassin with a unique ultimate that can permanently increase its execution cap. Lead Game Designer Blake Smith explains that the team is intentionally returning to more familiar mechanics after a period of creating highly experimental champions. Locke aims to provide a distinct yet familiar experience for players, with clearer visual cues for his abilities to mitigate player frustration.
