Merrill and Beck, who is 37, started Riot in 2006, a few years after graduating from the University of Southern California’s business school. Still, one can’t blame Riot for trying to replicate the magic and money Marvel wrought from the complex narratives around comic-book superheroes like Iron Man, Thor and Captain America. Movies and TV shows based on game characters commonly flop. It has committed to producing multiple seasons of an animated LoL television series that aims to offer backstories for two of its iconic champions. But Riot seems to sense that it’s time to make some serious bets. Making a new game universe from scratch is a risky and costly proposition. It doesn’t have a release date yet, and it’s far from certain to be a hit-or even released. And then there’s League of Legends Esports Manager, which will let players assemble and oversee a pro gaming roster, starting with China’s esports league next year.Īnd in the biggest move of the evening, Riot announced an entirely new game: a yet unnamed tactical first-person shooter game with no connection to League. Further off is another spinoff that will involve exploring League’s fantasy world. That’ll make League available to a much larger global audience, but since Riot is so late to the platforms, it might have trouble attracting new players.Ī digital card game based on the LoL universe called Legends of Runeterra is also in the works, as well as a long-rumored fighting game that will feature select “champions” from League’s cast of 146. Less expected was a console version of the game. First, it announced a mobile version of League called Wild Rift, as well as a version for its latest game mode called Teamfight Tactics. Riot’s game plan is nothing if not ambitious. When the big day arrived on Tuesday and Riot hosted events for fans in 16 cities, including Moscow, São Paulo and Los Angeles, the intent was twofold: To celebrate a smash-hit decade and to prevent the next decade from smashing Riot. The game remains hugely popular, says Wedbush Securities game analyst Michael Pachter, but it “has definitely plateaued.” League is ancient by video game standards, and it can be played only on a PC. League’s market share is being eroded by other free-to-play games, particularly Fortnite, which can be played on anything from a smartphone to a PlayStation. Revenue for 2018 was $1.7 billion, a lot for a video game but a far cry from the $2.9 billion it generated in 2016, according to Nielsen’s SuperData. Well, more to the point, imagine if Star Wars had stopped after one movie. Imagine if Star Wars had started as a game.” “We know the capacity we have to deliver on this, and we think we’re just scratching the surface. “There are close to 200 million fans of our intellectual property,” says Merrill, 39. Promotional art featuring settings and "champions" from Riot Games' "League of Legends" game.
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