Riot Games is developing a new game mode for League of Legends, and it’s potentially arriving this summer. Launching the unnamed mode is one of several ways that the company is attempting to address negative feedback and improve player satisfaction.
Since Tuesday, Riot Games has been under fire for releasing the lacklustre Season 2023 cinematic: The Brink of Infinity. With a whopping 251,000 dislikes compared to 32,000 likes, the video has been largely panned by the gaming community. The cinematic’s dismal reception triggered conversations across social media about the questionable state of League of Legends.
Many players and YouTube personalities, including Necrit and tyler1, voiced their disappointment not only with the cinematic, but also with the general lack of investment and new content in League of Legends. On the day of the cinematic’s release, Riot Games published a statement on the official League of Legends Twitter account recognizing player concerns and committing to providing more details in the near future.
The promised follow-up message comes in the form of a straightforward, unscripted video shared on Twitter. Executive Producer Jeremy Lee and Head of League Studio Andrei van Roon acknowledge that Riot Games has been failing to meet player expectations, naming the cinematic flop as just one example of their underperformance.
Lee states that the purpose of the video is to explain to fans what has transpired at Riot Games to reach this point and what lies in store for League of Legends. Van Roon identifies changing up events, improving communication, and introducing new game modes as just some of the ways the company can improve.
Beginning at 3:28 in the video, Van Roon explains that League of Legends used to have a dedicated Game Modes team. However, that team was transferred over to work on Teamfight Tactics. Lee states that Riot Games was gradually rebuilding the Game Modes team, but admits that it wasn’t a priority. Now, with a fully-staffed Game Modes team, Riot Games is testing a prototype for a new, experimental game mode. The mode pits four teams of two against each other in “a series of deathmatch-like rounds,” allowing players to level up and purchase items between the rounds.
The upcoming mode is still looking rough, or as Van Roon puts it, “a little jank.” Nevertheless, gamers can expect more details or art for the game mode to be revealed in March. Riot Games is aiming for the game mode to be released around the middle of 2023.
Currently, the video featuring Lee and Van Roon has been viewed more than one million times and received primarily positive responses from community members. However, many players note that better communication is only the first step — they want to see the changes actually implemented in League of Legends. It seems Van Roon expected this reaction from fans. “We’re going to keep both sharing our thoughts with you and hearing yours in return, of course,” Van Roon said. “But at the end of the day, we also know that ultimately it’s actions, not words, that matter here.”
