League of Legends facts for kids
Quick facts for kids League of Legends |
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Logo variant from 2019
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| Developer(s) | Riot Games |
| Publisher(s) | Riot Games |
| Director(s) | Andrei van Roon |
| Producer(s) | Jeff Jew |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release date(s) |
October 27, 2009
Windows
October 27, 2009 OS X March 1, 2013 |
| Genre(s) | MOBA |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
League of Legends (often called LoL) is a super popular online game. It was created by Riot Games. The game is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). This means many players battle each other in a special arena. It was inspired by a custom map from another game called Warcraft III. League of Legends came out in October 2009. It is free-to-play, so you can download and play it without buying the game itself. You can buy cool new looks for your characters if you want. The game works on Windows and macOS computers.
In the main game mode, called Summoner's Rift, two teams of five players fight. Each player controls a special character called a "champion." Every champion has unique powers and ways to play. During a game, your champion gets stronger. You earn experience points (XP) and gold. You can use gold to buy items to help your champion. The goal is to destroy the enemy team's main building, called the "Nexus."
League of Legends is loved by many players and critics. People like its fun characters and how easy it is to start playing. It is considered one of the greatest video games ever made. The game is also a huge esport. This means professional players compete in big tournaments. The annual League of Legends World Championship is watched by millions of people worldwide. Its success has led to music, comics, and even an animated TV show called Arcane. There are also other games based on League of Legends. These include a mobile version, a card game, and a role-playing game.
Contents
How to Play League of Legends
League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game. You control a special character called a "champion." Each champion has unique powers. You see the game from a top-down view. As you play, your champion gets stronger. You earn experience points (XP) by defeating enemies. You also collect gold. Gold helps you buy powerful items to boost your champion's strength. You can only buy items when your champion is in your team's base. Every game starts fresh. Your champion's levels and items do not carry over to the next match.
Exploring Summoner's Rift Map
Summoner's Rift is the most popular game mode in League of Legends. It is also where professional players compete. You can play ranked games here. A special system matches you with players of similar skill. There are different skill levels, from Iron (beginner) to Challenger (top players).
Two teams of five players try to destroy the other team's "Nexus." The Nexus is a big structure in their base. Enemy champions and defensive towers, called "turrets," protect it. When you start a game, you appear in your team's base. If your champion is defeated, you reappear there after a short time.
Small computer-controlled characters called "minions" march from each team's Nexus. They follow three main paths, called "lanes": top, middle, and bottom. Turrets guard these lanes. Each base also has "inhibitors." Destroying an enemy inhibitor makes your minions in that lane much stronger. This helps you push towards the enemy Nexus.
Between the lanes is the "jungle." This area has special "monsters." Defeating these monsters gives you gold and XP, just like minions. Some very powerful monsters live in the river area. These monsters need several players to defeat them. They give your team amazing special powers. For example, defeating dragons can give your team lasting strength boosts.
A game on Summoner's Rift can last from 15 minutes to over an hour. Players usually choose specific roles. One player goes to the top lane, one to the middle, and two to the bottom lane. These players "farm" minions to get gold and XP. A fifth player, called a "jungler," hunts jungle monsters. They help their teammates in the lanes when needed.
Other Fun Ways to Play
League of Legends offers more than just Summoner's Rift. There are two other main game modes.
- ARAM (which means "All Random, All Mid") is a fast-paced 5-on-5 mode. You play on a map called Howling Abyss. This map has only one long lane and no jungle. Your champion is chosen randomly, making every game a surprise!
- Teamfight Tactics is a different kind of game. It came out in June 2019. In this game, you build a team of champions. You place them on a board, and they fight automatically. Your goal is to be the last player standing. Teamfight Tactics can be played on computers, iOS (Apple) devices, and Android phones. You can even play with friends across different devices!
Sometimes, special game modes appear for a limited time. These often come with in-game events. For example, Ultra Rapid Fire (URF) mode was a popular temporary mode. In URF, champions could use their powers much faster and more often. Other temporary modes include One for All, where everyone on your team plays the same champion. There is also Nexus Blitz, which features fun mini-games on a smaller map.
How League of Legends Was Made
The creators of Riot Games, Brandon Beck and Marc Merill, wanted to make a new game. They were inspired by a popular game modification (mod) called Defense of the Ancients (DotA). DotA was a mod for Warcraft III. It was sometimes hard for players to find and set up. Beck and Merill wanted to create a game that would be easy to play and supported for a very long time.
They even held a DotA tournament to find talented people. There, they met Jeff Jew, who later became a producer for League of Legends. They also hired Steve Feak, a designer from DotA. Early on, they worked hard to make the game fun and exciting.
A first version of League of Legends was shown in 2007. Many companies were confused because it was free to play. This idea was new outside of Asia. But in 2008, Riot made a deal with Tencent to launch the game in China.
League of Legends was officially announced in October 2008. A special testing period, called a closed beta, started in April 2009. The game fully launched in North America on October 27, 2009. It started with 40 champions for players to choose from.
Keeping the Game Fresh with Updates
League of Legends gets regular updates, called "patches." These updates happen about every two or three weeks. Patches change how the game works. They might make some champions stronger or weaker. This keeps the game exciting and fair. The developers use game data and player feedback to decide what to change.
The team that works on League of Legends is huge. It includes hundreds of designers and artists. As of 2025, the game has 171 champions. Riot Games often updates the look and gameplay of older champions. The game was first only for Windows computers. A version for Mac computers became available in 2013.
Since May 2023, the game uses special anti-cheat software called Vanguard. This software helps make sure everyone plays fairly. It works on Windows computers. Vanguard helps keep the game fun for everyone by stopping cheaters.
How the Game Makes Money
League of Legends is a free-to-play game. This means you don't have to buy it to play. Riot Games makes money by selling cosmetic items. These items change how your champions look. For example, "skins" give your champion a new outfit. These items do not make your champion stronger in the game. You buy them with an in-game currency called Riot Points (RP).
Skins come in different styles and prices. Some are simple, and others are very fancy. In 2024, Riot Games added a new type of very special skin. These skins are rarer and can be more expensive. Players can get these special skins by trying their luck or by making a certain number of attempts. Riot Games also offers other ways to get cool items, like "hextech chests." These chests give you random cosmetic rewards.
In November 2024, Riot Games announced changes to how players earn rewards. They wanted to make the system simpler. However, some players felt it became harder to unlock champions for free. Riot Games listened to player feedback. In January 2025, they explained that a mistake in calculations caused some problems. They quickly made changes to fix it. They lowered the cost of champions and brought back "hextech chests."
The Story of Runeterra
Before 2014, the game's story was about players, called "Summoners," controlling champions in battles. These battles were meant to stop a big war. In September 2014, Riot Games changed the game's story. They created a new, richer world called Runeterra. This change allowed them to tell more exciting stories.
Now, the champions live on the planet Runeterra. This world has many different regions and cultures. It has everything from scary monsters to brave knights. Riot's storytellers and artists create amazing backgrounds for each champion. This rich story helps expand the League of Legends world into comics and other games.
Playing Fair and Being Friendly
Sometimes, players in League of Legends can be unkind to each other. Riot Games knows this can happen. They work hard to make the game a fun and welcoming place for everyone. Only a small number of players are consistently unkind. Most players just have a bad day sometimes.
Riot has several ways to help. You can report players who break the rules. The game also uses special computer programs to find bad behavior in chat. Riot wants to reward good behavior too. In 2017, they updated the "Honor system." After a game, you can give a virtual medal to a teammate who played well or was friendly. Earning these medals increases your "Honor level." This can give you free rewards over time.
League of Legends as an Esport
League of Legends is one of the biggest esports in the world. It is a major attraction for competitive gaming fans. In 2016, more people watched League of Legends esports events online and in person than some traditional sports events. The 2019 and 2020 League of Legends World Championship finals had over 44 million viewers at their peak. Many people believe League of Legends helped start the whole esports industry.
As of April 2021, Riot Games runs 12 regional leagues around the world. Four of these are very big: China, Europe, Korea, and North America. In 2017, these leagues had 109 teams and 545 players. You can watch league games live on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Some events are even shown on TV channels like ESPN.
The best professional players can earn over $1 million. This has attracted many investors. Even famous people, like retired basketball player Rick Fox, have owned esports teams.
Other Games and Media from League of Legends
Games Based on League of Legends
For the 10th anniversary of League of Legends in 2019, Riot Games announced many new games. These games are all set in the League of Legends world.
- A mobile version of Teamfight Tactics was released in March 2020. You can play it on iOS and Android devices. It also connects with the computer version.
- Legends of Runeterra is a digital collectible card game. It launched in April 2020 for Windows. It features many characters from League of Legends.
- League of Legends: Wild Rift is a version of the main game for mobile phones. It was completely rebuilt for mobile devices.
- Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is a single-player role-playing game. It came out in 2021 for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Windows. It was the first game released by Riot Forge. Riot Forge lets other game studios create games using League of Legends characters.
- A huge online role-playing game (MMORPG) based on League of Legends is also being made.
- Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is an adventure game. It follows the champion Nunu and his yeti friend Willump. It was released on Windows and Nintendo Switch on November 1, 2023.
Music from the World of League of Legends
Riot Games has created several virtual music groups. These groups feature League of Legends champions as band members.
- In 2014, they formed the virtual heavy metal band Pentakill. This band promotes a line of skins. Their second album, Grasp of the Undying, was very popular.
- K/DA is a virtual K-pop girl group. It features four champions. Their first song, "Pop/Stars", was a huge hit. It premiered at the 2018 World Championship.
- In 2019, Riot created a virtual hip hop group called True Damage. Real vocalists performed their debut song, "Giants," live with holographic champions.
- In 2023, Riot formed Heartsteel, a virtual boy band. Their debut single "Paranoia" was released in October of that year.
League of Legends Comics
Riot announced a partnership with Marvel Comics in 2018. This allowed them to create comic books based on the game's stories. The first comic was League of Legends: Ashe—Warmother. It came out in 2018. Another comic, League of Legends: Lux, followed that same year.
The Animated Series: Arcane
To celebrate the game's tenth anniversary, Riot announced an animated TV series called Arcane. It was made with animation studio Fortiche Production. The series tells stories from the cities of Piltover and Zaun. Arcane is made for older audiences, not children. It features many popular League of Legends characters. Famous actors like Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell lend their voices to the show.
After a delay, the series premiered in November 2021 on Netflix. It was a huge success! The first season won many awards, including four Emmy Awards. Because of its success, Riot expanded its entertainment division. The second and final season premiered in November 2024. It also received great reviews and won seven Annie Awards. Home media releases for the first season came out in 2024. Releases for the second season are coming soon.
See also
In Spanish: League of Legends para niños
