Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[League of Legends' new Champion is a witchy woman]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/league-of-legends-new-champion-is-a-witchy-woman/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/league-of-legends-new-champion-is-a-witchy-woman/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/league-of-legends-new-champion-is-a-witchy-woman/#comments
Lissandra the Ice Witch, League of Legends' newest Champion, is now available as part of the game's ongoing battle for the Freljord. Lissandra's abilities favor swift movement and crowd control over excessive damage output, though she seems entirely capable of the latter when need be. The new Champion's Bloodstone skin is on sale for 1462 Riot Points (down from 1950) until the end of the weekend.

As far as the devious role Lissandra the Ice Witch plays in LoL's vast mythos, you'll have to scope out the story trailer frozen beyond the veil. In related news, the "Howling Abyss" map added last month is now included in the game's "All Random All Mid," or "ARAM" matchmaking system. A new rerolling mechanic has also been introduced, which allows players a second chance at randomly selecting a character, provided they've earned enough points in previous Howling Abyss matches.

Continue reading League of Legends' new Champion is a witchy woman

JoystiqLeague of Legends' new Champion is a witchy woman originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendspcriot-gamesWed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends back on Mac]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/league-of-legends-back-on-mac/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/league-of-legends-back-on-mac/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/league-of-legends-back-on-mac/#comments

League of Legends, which currently boasts 32 million active players according to developer Riot Games, released its Mac client into open beta a short time ago.

"Going native on Mac has been a big goal for us, and we're really excited to offer the same experience across both platforms," Riot noted in its announcement. "The Mac client does everything that the PC client does, meaning you'll get all future features, bug fixes and new content on the same schedule as PC players, but on your native OS."

PC and Mac players will be able to play together. Riot previously tested a Mac client, but shut that down in 2011. Mac users interested can pick up the game client right here.

Update: Fixed cross-platform details.

JoystiqLeague of Legends back on Mac originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendsmacriotriot-gamesFri, 01 Mar 2013 13:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Riot Games' plan to standardize eSports]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/riot-games-plan-to-standardize-esports/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/riot-games-plan-to-standardize-esports/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/riot-games-plan-to-standardize-esports/#comments Riot Games' plan to standardize eSportsAsk a couple of Riot Games' employees what goes into choosing players for League of Legends' annual World Championships, and they'll rattle off a strange series of acronyms and words that represent tournaments from around the world: Major League Gaming, the IGN Pro League, ESL's Intel Extreme Masters Series, OGN, IPL, Dreamhack, Tales of the Lane, and so many more.

The route from just playing for free online to the top of the World Championship ladders is so confusing and circuitous that most press outlets don't cover it, most players don't follow it, and even most eSports fans couldn't explain it all. There's a jargon to it (littered with player and team names full of weird capitalization and strange spellings) that's about as complicated to understand as the notoriously complex game itself.

Riot's Vice President of eSports Dustin Beck even says that a recent tournament he attended was a big mess on its own: "The tournament kept pausing, it never started on time, you didn't have a schedule to know when your favorite teams were playing. It wasn't a fun experience, for me."

Still, eSports is one of the biggest factors in League of Legends' overwhelming popularity, with thousands of people attending these tournaments, and millions (almost ten million, in fact) watching live online. So how does Riot plan to smooth out those wrinkles that keep an even larger audience out of the game? The company will take the game into Season 3 within the next few weeks, and with it begins Riot's eSports headliner, the League of Legends Championship Series.

Continue reading Riot Games' plan to standardize eSports

JoystiqRiot Games' plan to standardize eSports originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championshipcompetitiondustin-beckesportslcsleague-championship-seriesleague-of-legendspcriot-gamesteamsWed, 30 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSA: New Twisted Treeline map now live in League of Legends]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/25/psa-new-twisted-treeline-map-now-live-in-league-of-legends/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/25/psa-new-twisted-treeline-map-now-live-in-league-of-legends/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/25/psa-new-twisted-treeline-map-now-live-in-league-of-legends/#comments PSA New Twisted Treeline map now live in League of Legends
The brand new version of the 3v3 Twisted Treeline map in Riot Games' League of Legends is now live for players. This is no mere tweak: Riot has completely remade one of the game's three modes.

As you can see above, there's a new layout and redone art, new map-specific items in the store (no more generic wards!), Dominion-style speed shrines, and special altars with buffs to grab. There's also a new giant spider boss named Vilemaw who, like Baron Nashor, will grant a teamwide bonus when defeated.

The map is still in beta right now and is expected to be considered as such for a while, though the new version is being used in ranked Season 3 play already. Twisted Treeline's 3v3 player variant has almost always been part of League of Legends, but with this revamp LoL's millions of players have gained yet another way to experience the game.

JoystiqPSA: New Twisted Treeline map now live in League of Legends originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3v3league-of-legendslolpcremakeriot-gamestwisted-treelineThu, 25 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends unmasks Elise the Spider Queen, more for Halloween]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/24/league-of-legends-unmasks-elise-the-spider-queen-more-for-hallo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/24/league-of-legends-unmasks-elise-the-spider-queen-more-for-hallo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/24/league-of-legends-unmasks-elise-the-spider-queen-more-for-hallo/#comments League of Legends gets new champion for Halloween and moreLeague of Legends is celebrating LoLoween this year with a new champion named Elise the Spider Queen, a remake of the Twisted Treeline map, and a set of Sinister Skins for Elise, Hecarim, Maokai and Twisted Fate. Peep the Spider Queen and her Twisted Trees below.

Continue reading League of Legends unmasks Elise the Spider Queen, more for Halloween

JoystiqLeague of Legends unmasks Elise the Spider Queen, more for Halloween originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>halloweenleague-of-legendspcriot-gamesWed, 24 Oct 2012 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z terms of use has link to League of Legends agreement]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/17/the-war-z-terms-of-use-has-link-to-league-of-legends-agreement/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/17/the-war-z-terms-of-use-has-link-to-league-of-legends-agreement/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/17/the-war-z-terms-of-use-has-link-to-league-of-legends-agreement/#comments The War Z terms of use has link to League of Legends agreementThe War Z user agreement has a link to the terms of use for League of Legends, with the URL typed out in full, in the middle of section two, "Requirements." The War Z terms read:

"In installing and using the Software and playing the Game, you acknowledge that you have read, understand and agree with the terms of this License Agreement. You must also: (i) read, understand and agree to the OP Productions Terms of Use http://www.leagueoflegends.com/legal/termsofuse (the 'Terms of Use')."

Someone who actually read the terms of use before accepting noticed this mistake and posted a thread in The War Z's subreddit, where another user uploaded the above photo (larger image here). The War Z already gets flak for being a "cash-in rip-off" of wildly successful Arma 2 mod Day Z, and now it's getting heat for apparently taking League of Legends' terms of use, copy-pasta.

JoystiqThe War Z terms of use has link to League of Legends agreement originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hammerpoint-interactiveleague-of-legendspcriot-gamesterms-of-usethe-war-zuser-agreementWed, 17 Oct 2012 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends developer wins another porn domain case]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/league-of-legends-developer-wins-another-porn-domain-case/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/league-of-legends-developer-wins-another-porn-domain-case/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/league-of-legends-developer-wins-another-porn-domain-case/#comments League of Legends developer wins another porn domain caseRiot Games has finished up another legal dispute regarding a website domain name related to its popular League of Legends title. LeagueofLegends.co was previously awarded to the company by the World Intellectual Property Organization from the clutches of a domain squatter, and now LeagueofLegendsPorn.com has been reclaimed by Riot for its own use. The case actually closed in late September, but the ruling came online earlier this week.

Those looking for some racy pics of Miss Fortune or Akali getting it on, however, will be disappointed: The site never actually hosted any adult material, and now that Riot owns it, probably never will. But Riot is slowly securing its various domain name holdings online, making it easier for the company to connect players up to big company events like the recent World Championships in LA.

JoystiqLeague of Legends developer wins another porn domain case originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adultdomainleague-of-legendslolnamepcpornriotriot-gameswipoworld-intellectual-property-organizationTue, 09 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends playoffs postponed due to 'frequent disconnects']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/07/league-of-legends-playoffs-postponed-due-to-frequent-disconnect/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/07/league-of-legends-playoffs-postponed-due-to-frequent-disconnect/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/07/league-of-legends-playoffs-postponed-due-to-frequent-disconnect/#comments Riot Games announced a delay in the League of Legends season 2 playoffs in a news update yesterday. The delay comes after a "series of connectivity issues" at the event's LA venue.

"We'll be completing the last game of the CLG EU and Team WE quarterfinal match and finishing out the Semifinal Matches in the near future from a new location with a secure Internet connection," the announcement reads. The schedule for the remaining matches will be determined later this week and will still be streamed live, according to the League of Legends eSports Twitter account.

JoystiqLeague of Legends playoffs postponed due to 'frequent disconnects' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 07 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>competitionesportsleague-of-legendspcplayoffsriot-gamesseason-2world-championshipsSun, 07 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PSA: League of Legends playoffs continue today]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/06/psa-league-of-legends-playoffs-continue-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/06/psa-league-of-legends-playoffs-continue-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/06/psa-league-of-legends-playoffs-continue-today/#comments The second season of the League of Legends world championships is happening right now, with quarterfinal and semifinals matches scheduled for today. The world championship match is set for Saturday, October 13 at 7:00 p.m. PST. The winning team will take home half of the $2 million prize pool given out to contestants.

Here's the schedule for today's events, viewable on Twitch.tv and the Riot Games site:
  • 12:00 p.m PST - Quarterfinals: WE vs CLG.EU
  • 2:00 p.m. PST - Semifinals: M5 vs TPA
  • 4:00 p.m. PST - Semifinals: Azubu vs TBD

JoystiqPSA: League of Legends playoffs continue today originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>competitionesportsleague-of-legendsLiveStreampcriot-gamesstreamworld-championshipsSat, 06 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends second season playoffs begin tomorrow]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/03/league-of-legends-second-season-playoffs-begin-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/03/league-of-legends-second-season-playoffs-begin-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/03/league-of-legends-second-season-playoffs-begin-tomorrow/#comments League of Legengs championships on TwitchLeague of Legends' second season playoffs will begin tomorrow, October 4, and run through Saturday. Streams of the matches will be available on Twitch and Own3d, along with Riot Games' official tournament site. Teams are competing for a prize pool of $2 million.

Last year's League of Legends championship has over 1.69 million viewers, with the final match drawing in 210,000 unique viewers. The second season finale will be held on October 13.

JoystiqLeague of Legends second season playoffs begin tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendspcriot-gamesWed, 03 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Take-Two, Tencent collaboration 'NBA 2K Online' launches Oct. 24 in China]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/28/take-two-tencent-collaboration-nba-2k-online-launches-oct-24/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/28/take-two-tencent-collaboration-nba-2k-online-launches-oct-24/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/28/take-two-tencent-collaboration-nba-2k-online-launches-oct-24/#comments TakeTwo, Tencent collaboration 'NBA 2K Online' launches Oct 24 in ChinaNBA 2K Online, the free-to-play NBA simulation created for China by 2K in conjunction with Tencent Games, will launch on October 24. The game went into beta this past June and is the first major release in China for Take-Two, which announced plans for this initiative back in 2009.

The release date of an online sportsball game in China isn't the interesting part here, so much as the context. Tencent Holdings Limited has become quite the player over the past three years since Take-Two's plans were first announced. There's Tencent's relationship with Activision over Call of Duty Online, its acquisition of Riot Games and, most interestingly, its minority interest in Unreal Engine's lord and master Epic Games.

JoystiqTake-Two, Tencent collaboration 'NBA 2K Online' launches Oct. 24 in China originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-games2k-sportschinaEpic-Gamesnba-2k-onlinepcriot-gamestencenttencent-holdingstencent-holdings-limitedFri, 28 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Solving the League of Legends community problem one player at a time]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/22/solving-the-league-of-legends-community-problem-one-player-at-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/22/solving-the-league-of-legends-community-problem-one-player-at-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/22/solving-the-league-of-legends-community-problem-one-player-at-a/#comments Riot's Travis George on solving League of Legends' community problem one player at a timeAs any of its millions of players will tell you, League of Legends is a fun game. Those same players will likely also tell you that the game has a tremendously steep learning curve. With more than 100 playable champions, a dizzying array of items and demanding gameplay, getting to know the ropes is no easy feat. Speaking with senior producer Travis George at Gamescom, I asked how developer Riot Games was going to address the issue of easing players into League of Legends.

The game already features bot training and a spectator mode, but what other systems could Riot implement to acclimate new players? His answer surprised me: The problem isn't the learning curve, it's the community.

Gallery: League of Legends (Gamescom 2012)

Continue reading Solving the League of Legends community problem one player at a time

JoystiqSolving the League of Legends community problem one player at a time originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamescomgamescom-2012league-of-legendspcriot-gamestravis-georgeWed, 22 Aug 2012 15:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Riot games reclaims LeagueOfLegends.co domain from adult site]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/20/riot-games-reclaims-leagueoflegends-co-domain-from-adult-site/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/20/riot-games-reclaims-leagueoflegends-co-domain-from-adult-site/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/20/riot-games-reclaims-leagueoflegends-co-domain-from-adult-site/#comments Riot games reclaims LeagueOfLegendsco domain from adult siteRiot Games has secured the LeagueOfLegends.co (no "m") website after filing a complaint earlier this year, saying that a domain squatter had grabbed the name and redirected it to a porn site. The case on the World Intellectual Property Organization website has been terminated, and the domain is currently listed as owned by Riot Games, the company behind the popular MOBA game of the same name.

Those looking for illicit material on a League of Legends-related website will presumably have to go elsewhere. Like, for example, LeagueOfLegendsPorn.com, which is another (currently empty) domain that Riot has another standing complaint against. Because Riot does own the "League of Legends" trademark, that case will probably see a similar result soon. And now that Riot has secured the URLs we know about, are they going to tell us what Supremacy is anytime soon?

JoystiqRiot games reclaims LeagueOfLegends.co domain from adult site originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columbiadomaindomain-squatterdomainsdot-coleague-of-legendsmobspcriot-gamessquatterswipoMon, 20 Aug 2012 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends Season 3 'Championship Series' is worth millions]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/league-of-legends-season-3-championship-series-is-worth-millio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/league-of-legends-season-3-championship-series-is-worth-millio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/league-of-legends-season-3-championship-series-is-worth-millio/#comments
With Season 2 of League of Legends still drawing to a close, developer Riot Games has announced details for the game's third season, which will include a brand new league known as the Championship Series. The series will see the best teams from North America, Europe and Asia face off to compete for millions of dollars in "salaries, prize pools and other compensation." That first one, lest you missed it: salaries.

Just how many millions are up for grabs hasn't been announced, though the Season 2 prize pool stands at $5 million, with the world championship and regional final pool totaling $3 million alone.

Continue reading League of Legends Season 3 'Championship Series' is worth millions

JoystiqLeague of Legends Season 3 'Championship Series' is worth millions originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>esportsfree-to-playleague-of-legendspcriot-gamesMon, 06 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Riot Games registers URL for 'Supremacy']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/16/riot-games-registers-url-for-supremacy/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/16/riot-games-registers-url-for-supremacy/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/16/riot-games-registers-url-for-supremacy/#comments

League of Legends developer Riot Games was caught with its hands in the domain name cookie jar this week when it registered the URL supremacy.com, WhoIs records revealed.

Companies will often use means of privately registering domain names related to as-yet-announced projects, making confirmation of upcoming projects difficult. So while URLs such as leagueoflegendssupremacy.com and its variations are listed as owned by private domain companies, supremacy.com is now registered to Riot Games.

Riot Games recently dealt with security breaches on EU League of Legends accounts, though billing information on accounts went untouched.

JoystiqRiot Games registers URL for 'Supremacy' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>domainleague-of-legendsriot-gamessupremacySat, 16 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends EU accounts hacked, no billing info at risk]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/10/league-of-legends-eu-accounts-hacked-no-billing-info-at-risk/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/10/league-of-legends-eu-accounts-hacked-no-billing-info-at-risk/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/10/league-of-legends-eu-accounts-hacked-no-billing-info-at-risk/#comments League of Legends EU accounts hacked, no billing information at riskLeague of Legends accounts in certain European regions have been hacked, Riot Games notified players yesterday. The EU West and EU Nordic and East databases were breached, with hackers accessing email addresses, encrypted account passwords, summoner names, dates of birth and, for a small number of players, full names and security questions and responses.

"Absolutely no" billing or payment information was breached, Riot said. Riot stores passwords in encrypted form, but more than half of the passwords at risk were simple enough to fall victim to simple cracking.

Riot has fixed the security exploit and is emailing all players in the affected region, and will be updating this post. Security experts and the appropriate authorities have been notified, Riot said.

For now, League of Legends players would do well to change their passwords, and make sure they're something more complex than "password."

"Brandon and I want to sincerely and personally apologize to you for this situation," Riot's Marc Merrill concludes his post. "We take your privacy and security seriously, and we're working diligently to improve it for the better."

JoystiqLeague of Legends EU accounts hacked, no billing info at risk originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Jun 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackleague-of-legendspasswordpcriot-gamessecuritySun, 10 Jun 2012 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends season two ends Oct. 13, $3M up for grabs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/league-of-legends-season-two-championship/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/league-of-legends-season-two-championship/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/league-of-legends-season-two-championship/#comments ImageLeague of Legends' second season of competitive play will conclude on October 13 in Los Angeles, with $3,000,000 on the line for winners from across the world and regional championships.

Teams have been competing since last November to qualify for the regional championships, which will be held in locales across the globe starting in July. There'll be one on August 16 at Gamescom, and August 31 at PAX Prime, with more taking place in China, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. The twelve teams from the regionals will then compete at the University of South California's arena in October.

Last year's championship garnered nearly 1.7 million viewers, with the final match between pan-European team 'FNaticMSI' and France's 'Against All Authority' drawing 210,000 unique viewers.

Continue reading League of Legends season two ends Oct. 13, $3M up for grabs

JoystiqLeague of Legends season two ends Oct. 13, $3M up for grabs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 May 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendspcriot-gamesseason-twoWed, 02 May 2012 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends adding spectator mode in next update]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/30/league-of-legends-adding-spectator-mode-in-next-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/30/league-of-legends-adding-spectator-mode-in-next-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/30/league-of-legends-adding-spectator-mode-in-next-update/#comments
The next update for League of Legends will bring spectator mode out of beta and into the hands of all Summoners. Check out this video for a breakdown of exactly how it will work. And try not to be creepy while watching other people play, okay?

JoystiqLeague of Legends adding spectator mode in next update originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendspcriot-gamesspectator-modeMon, 30 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends updates co-op vs. AI mode, more improvements coming]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/24/league-of-legends-updates-co-op-vs-ai-mode-more-improvements-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/24/league-of-legends-updates-co-op-vs-ai-mode-more-improvements-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/24/league-of-legends-updates-co-op-vs-ai-mode-more-improvements-c/#comments
When Riot Games first announced that it was adding the ability to play co-operatively against AI bots to League of Legends, it expected it to be used by noobs, says producer Mark Norris. "When we put it out there, we put it out there with sort of the sole intent of having new players get an introduction to League of Legends."

But what the company found was that the game mode, which takes some of the human element out of the MOBA genre's relatively steep learning curve, was actually being used by all sorts of players. "One thing that kept coming up was the majority of the people who play League of Legends will play, every week, at least one co-op vs. AI game. And it's actually the primary game mode for a surprisingly large percentage of players."

With that insight, then, it's probably not surprising to hear that Riot is updating the co-op vs. AI game mode, enabling AI bots for 40 of the game's champion characters, as well as adding play on the Dominion game mode to the mix.

Continue reading League of Legends updates co-op vs. AI mode, more improvements coming

JoystiqLeague of Legends updates co-op vs. AI mode, more improvements coming originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aibotsco-op-vs-aidominiongame-modeleague-of-legendslolpcriot-gamesrise-of-the-botsTue, 24 Jan 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends dev Riot Games speaks out against SOPA]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/11/league-of-legends-dev-riot-games-speaks-out-against-sopa/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/11/league-of-legends-dev-riot-games-speaks-out-against-sopa/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/11/league-of-legends-dev-riot-games-speaks-out-against-sopa/#comments Riot Games, the studio behind the incredibly successful League of Legends, has posted a statement in opposition to the "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) and "PROTECT IP Act" (PIPA). The company notes that preventing piracy of copyrighted content is a "laudable goal," but that SOPA/PIPA go beyond addressing piracy.

The company laid out that the legislation would affect its fans in a number of ways. It's concerned about streaming services being shut down for non-malicious use of copyrighted material, and the threat such laws would have on creation and sharing sites such as YouTube, Reddit and DeviantArt, along with streaming websites, including Own3d and Twitch. In-house, Riot notes features such as in-game chat and forums could be cut back to avoid potential threats.

Riot is not a member for the ESA, the video game industry's political arm, which is in support of the legislation.

Riot also mentions that both acts "raise serious constitutional free speech issues, and could even compromise the basic security infrastructure of the internet." The statement concludes, "While we do support efforts to prevent online piracy, the current form of this legislation comes at far too high a cost for us, our players, and online communities across the internet."

(As an aside, Riot's attorney is currently answering almost anything on Reddit right now about the company's stance.)

JoystiqLeague of Legends dev Riot Games speaks out against SOPA originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendspcriot-gamesSOPAWed, 11 Jan 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends Season Two underway now]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/league-of-legends-season-two-underway-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/league-of-legends-season-two-underway-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/league-of-legends-season-two-underway-now/#comments Riot Games has kicked off Season Two of League of Legends, bringing the promised updates to the extremely popular free-to-play title. The new update means that all players have had their masteries reset, the new Summoner Spell changes are in and running, and the beta version of the game's "Spectator Mode" is now available on a limited basis.

The new update also introduces the game's Competitive Site, in which players can see their newly created ranked teams and standings, and follow along in the race for Season Two's $5 million prize. That's where players can rank up online, and then eventually be invited to live events around the world, culminating in the World Championship.

Good luck to all of you League of Legends players out there, and if you really are gunning for the top be sure to guarantee there's a Fizz on your team. That fish is totally overpowered in mid game right now.

JoystiqLeague of Legends Season Two underway now originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championfizzleague-of-legendspatchpcriot-gamesseason-twoupdateTue, 22 Nov 2011 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends announces ranked team play, Summoner Spell changes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/league-of-legends-announces-ranked-team-play-summoner-spell-cha/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/league-of-legends-announces-ranked-team-play-summoner-spell-cha/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/league-of-legends-announces-ranked-team-play-summoner-spell-cha/#comments Riot Games has announced that Season Two will bring ranked team play to the online MOBA title League of Legends. Previously, players have had their own individual gameplay rankings, but starting with the game's Season Two update, teams will be able to form up on either the 5v5 or 3v3 maps, and get their own rankings as a group. Teams will need a captain to create and invite or remove members, and will be able to choose a name and tag to go with their rating.

The company is also tweaking the in-game Summoner Spell abilities. The Rally and Fortify spells, which Riot calls "underused," are being removed from play, and in their place will be Surge and Promote. Surge will allow Summoners who chose it to boost themselves up with an aura buff, empowering their champions and anyone around them with extra combat effectiveness. And the Promote spell has made its way over from the Dominion gametype, so players who choose it will be able to beef up a minion in the standard game now.

Season Two doesn't have a release date yet, but it will also bring the long-awaited Spectator Mode to the game, which has already been seen on the servers in preview form. Odds are that we don't have too much longer to wait for the full update.

JoystiqLeague of Legends announces ranked team play, Summoner Spell changes originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendslolpcpromoterallyriot-gamesseason-twospellssummonersupdateWed, 09 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Riot Games' close calls with disaster]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/29/riot-games-close-calls-with-disaster/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/29/riot-games-close-calls-with-disaster/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/29/riot-games-close-calls-with-disaster/#comments Riot Games CEO Brandon Beck gave the closing keynote at last week's IGDA Leadership Forum in Los Angeles, California, and during the talk (in which he made the point that "Riot's secret weapon all along" has been its employees), he gave a few interesting examples of how Riot's staff had really gone the extra distance to turn League of Legends into the successful online phenomenon it is today.

His first example was about the matchmaking system -- originally, Riot struggled to make sure that players were matched up against each other in an interesting and effective way, and the company ended up bringing in not a game developer, but a programmer with a PhD in computational biology whose "thinking was radically different and compelling," according to Beck.

A month after this hire, the company had a whole new matchmaking system, and in the end, it turned out to be "too fair" -- the games were too close. Since "what players remember are the outliers," according to Beck, the team developed "snowball items," which were "risky purchases that rewarded flawless execution." That bit of gameplay mixed up the matches, and came to be the system the game uses today.

Continue reading Riot Games' close calls with disaster

JoystiqRiot Games' close calls with disaster originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 29 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brandon-beckdotaemployeesfree-to-playigdaigda-leadership-forum-2011league-of-legendslos-angelesmobapcpeopleriot-gamesstoreSat, 29 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends season two details creep out]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/26/league-of-legends-season-two-details-creep-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/26/league-of-legends-season-two-details-creep-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/26/league-of-legends-season-two-details-creep-out/#comments
With the first season of League of Legends over and done, Riot is beginning to share details about Season Two. Throughout the year, players will compete for a piece of the previously announced $5 million prize pool, with the final championship tournament taking up a full $2 million.

Also part of the season two festivities, Riot has begun a limited beta of the League of Legends Spectator Mode, previously available only on the game's tournament realm. True to its name, this spectator mode allows players to watch games without participating. Players will be able to see both sides of the game, examine stats, builds and even turn off the fog of war. For now, spectating is limited to custom matches only - no matchmade games, in other words - though Riot plans to expand functionality in the future. Also, spectator mode will only be available during "designated testing periods." A quick check has revealed that, as of this writing, now is not one of those periods.

Summoners who like to watch should check out spectator mode FAQ.

JoystiqLeague of Legends season two details creep out originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendspcriot-gamesseason-twospectator-modeWed, 26 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends: Dominion ready for summoning]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/league-of-legends-dominion-ready-for-summoning/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/league-of-legends-dominion-ready-for-summoning/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/league-of-legends-dominion-ready-for-summoning/#comments Less than a week after entering a random-timing public beta, League of Legends' Dominion mode is now available.

"Nearly a year in the making, League of Legends: Dominion represents the largest and most ambitious update to League of Legends since its launch in October of 2009," Riot stated in its release announcement. "League of Legends: Dominion is the latest example of our ongoing commitment to bringing you the best of the MOBA genre in new and innovative ways."

Dominion tweaks the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre of "attack a base" by shifting the action to several capture points. Those who've played Battlefield's Conquest mode or most any other game's "king of the hill" will catch on quickly.

Gallery: League of Legends: Dominion

JoystiqLeague of Legends: Dominion ready for summoning originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendsleague-of-legends-dominionmobapcriot-gamesMon, 26 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends: Dominion enters limited beta, playable now]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/league-of-legends-dominion-enters-limited-beta/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/league-of-legends-dominion-enters-limited-beta/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/league-of-legends-dominion-enters-limited-beta/#comments The eagerly anticipated League of Legends: Dominion mode is almost upon summoners, with Riot Games flipping the switch on the game's "limited beta" today.

"Over the coming days, we'll be opening testing windows on our platforms during off-peak hours, each of which will be prefaced by a forum announcement to let you know you can and participate," Riot announced a short time ago. "And if you miss one of the testing windows, remember that there will be plenty more opportunities to help test Dominion as we speed toward launch!"

The first test window is right now for "approximately two hours." There's no word yet on when Dominion will officially launch for League of Legends' millions of players.

Gallery: League of Legends: Dominion

JoystiqLeague of Legends: Dominion enters limited beta, playable now originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendsleague-of-legends-dominionpcRiot-GamesWed, 21 Sep 2011 11:32:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends will shut down its Mac client Tuesday, so play now]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/04/league-of-legends-will-shut-down-its-mac-client-tuesday-so-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/04/league-of-legends-will-shut-down-its-mac-client-tuesday-so-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/04/league-of-legends-will-shut-down-its-mac-client-tuesday-so-play/#comments Riot Games has officially canceled OSX support for League of Legends, concluding after 13 months of work with TransGaming and Mac beta-testing. The Mac beta client will be shut down "indefinitely" at 12 a.m. on September 6, this Tuesday. LoL Mac-ers, if you didn't have plans for Labor Day on Monday, now you do. Riot hasn't eliminated the possibility of a Mac version in the future, but it won't be any time soon.
"We realize our current approach regarding the Mac platform won't guarantee the quality and frequent updates we deliver today on the PC and are expected by our player community. We will continue to investigate the opportunity to provide player access on the Mac Platform in the future that aligns with our service and content update standards. We are committed to building a solution that will work on the Mac in the long run, but it will take some time."
Mac beta testers who used the store can keep their accounts open and continue playing on PC, or receive a full refund on their purchases, which would close the account entirely. As consolation, Riot will give all Mac testers a code to unlock the Champions Pack, which can be redeemed if a majority of your logins come from the Mac client and you enter the Store before service is shut down Tuesday.

JoystiqLeague of Legends will shut down its Mac client Tuesday, so play now originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betachampions-packleague-of-legendsmacpcriot-gamesTransgamingSun, 04 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Watch Major League Gaming's Raleigh Championship Sunday, live on Joystiq!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/watch-major-league-gamings-raleigh-championship-sunday-live-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/watch-major-league-gamings-raleigh-championship-sunday-live-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/watch-major-league-gamings-raleigh-championship-sunday-live-on/#comments
Smell that? That gentle, wafting scent in the breeze? That unique blend of concession-stand popcorn, USB and pwn? It's a specific, enticing fragrance that can only mean one thing: It's time for Major League Gaming finals, and you can watch it all live on Joystiq!

All day today, teams from around the globe will be competing for thousands of dollars in prizes across 4 games: Starcraft 2, Halo: Reach, Black Ops, and making its MLG debut, League of Legends. It's an exciting day for pro-gaming, so strap on your beer hat and big foam finger and head on through for the day's full schedule.

Continue reading Watch Major League Gaming's Raleigh Championship Sunday, live on Joystiq!

JoystiqWatch Major League Gaming's Raleigh Championship Sunday, live on Joystiq! originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Activisionblack-opsBlizzardBungiecall-of-duty-black-opshalo-reachleague-of-legendslivemajor-league-gamingmicrosoftMLGpcplaystationps3riot-gamesstarcraft-2Starcraft-2-Wings-of-LibertyxboxSun, 28 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends second season esporting $5M prize pool]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/15/league-of-legends-second-season-esporting-5m-prize-pool/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/15/league-of-legends-second-season-esporting-5m-prize-pool/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/15/league-of-legends-second-season-esporting-5m-prize-pool/#comments The second competitive season of League of Legends begins this fall, with a five million dollar prize pool on the line, reportedly the largest in eSports history. "Players will certainly step up their game in season two - so it's only fair that we step up ours," says Brandon Beck, CEO of Riot Games.

The League of Legends season one championship drew in 1.69 million online viewers, with 210,000 unique viewers for the finale. The game itself now has over 15 million registered players, with over 3.6 million monthly active users (over 1.4 million playing daily). Riot Games will also add the new League of Legends mode, Dominion, sometimes after PAX.

Continue reading League of Legends second season esporting $5M prize pool

JoystiqLeague of Legends second season esporting $5M prize pool originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>esportsleague-of-legendspcriot-gamesMon, 15 Aug 2011 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends Dominion mode previewed on video]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/league-of-legends-dominion-mode-previewed-on-video/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/league-of-legends-dominion-mode-previewed-on-video/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/league-of-legends-dominion-mode-previewed-on-video/#comments League of Legends Dominion logo
Perhaps our hefty preview of the upcoming Dominion mode in League of Legends wasn't enough. Honestly, for die-hard League of Legends fans, we doubt anything would be. With that in mind, check out a preview video put together by Riot itself. And yes, there is gameplay. So much gameplay.

JoystiqLeague of Legends Dominion mode previewed on video originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendspcriot-gamesMon, 08 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends Dominion preview: The squared circle]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/league-of-legends-dominion-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/league-of-legends-dominion-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/league-of-legends-dominion-preview/#comments League of Legends recently reached a total of 15 million registered players. Perhaps the most surprising thing is that all of those players have played their matches on just two different maps, one made specifically for Defense of the Ancients-style 5v5 play, and one made for 3v3 combat (there are a few other maps in the game, but they're used for training, not full game modes).

That's about to change. Last week, Riot Games invited Joystiq over to its headquarters in Santa Monica, California, to see a brand new game mode for the online competitive title. It's coming along with what Senior Producer Travis George calls "the biggest update we've ever made for League of Legends," a new content release subtitled Dominion.

Dominion is a brand new gametype and is especially notable because all of the games in the growing DotA (or MOBA) genre have basically used the same premise: two armies of minions fight with equal strength across a series of parallel lanes, and player champions fight minions and each other to gain ground and win the battle. Dominion, however, is a brand new set of rules, combining elements of the DotA genre with scoring, much more akin to EA's Battlefield games or Call of Duty's Domination mode.

Gallery: League of Legends: Dominion

Continue reading League of Legends Dominion preview: The squared circle

JoystiqLeague of Legends Dominion preview: The squared circle originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championscompetitiondominiondotaleague-of-legendsmobapcpreviewriot-gamestravis-georgeThu, 04 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Riot CEO Brandon Beck on forging success with League of Legends]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/riot-ceo-brandon-beck-on-forging-success-with-league-of-legends/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/riot-ceo-brandon-beck-on-forging-success-with-league-of-legends/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/riot-ceo-brandon-beck-on-forging-success-with-league-of-legends/#comments Riot Games has announced player numbers for its extremely popular League of Legends title, and they're pretty phenomenal. With over 15 million registered players, the Defense of the Ancients-style online multiplayer RTS can now brush shoulders with games like Blizzard's World of Warcraft (12 million players), Call of Duty (13 million players on Xbox Live), and The Sims (16 million copies sold), as one of the biggest PC games in history. Granted, as a free-to-play title that relies on microtransactions for revenue, League of Legends has more access to a wider audience than games driven by retail sales or subscriptions. But there's no question at all that this is a huge and exceptionally popular game.

Joystiq got to talk with CEO and co-founder of Riot Brandon Beck about today's announcement, and he says that even the company was surprised by how big LoL (as it's called in shorthand) has gotten. "The growth of the League of Legends community far exceeded our expectations," he tells us. "We are proud of the numbers we are hitting on our platform and are confident our fantastic team can continue to grow and evolve our PvP.net technology to handle even greater numbers."

Continue reading Riot CEO Brandon Beck on forging success with League of Legends

JoystiqRiot CEO Brandon Beck on forging success with League of Legends originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>announcementbrandon-beckconcurrentleague-of-legendspcplayer-baseplayersriot-gamesseason-oneTue, 26 Jul 2011 08:20:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends surpasses 15M registered players, 1.4M play daily]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/league-of-legends-surpasses-15m-registered-players-1-4m-play-da/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/league-of-legends-surpasses-15m-registered-players-1-4m-play-da/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/league-of-legends-surpasses-15m-registered-players-1-4m-play-da/#comments Riot Games announced today that League of Legends has over 15 million registered players, with 3.6 million monthly active users and over 1.4 million playing daily. The company also revealed its peak concurrency (number of those LoLing at the same time) as over half a million players. This is the first time the company has publicly shared its user numbers since launching in October 2009.

The League of Legends Season One Championship drew in over 1.69 million online viewers, with 210,000 checking in for the final match. Riot Games plans to expand LoL in 2011 to Southeast Asia and China, home of its parent company, Tencent. Riot also made headlines recently with the human acquisition of Mass Effect 2 lead gameplay designer Christina Norman, who has taken a lead designer role.

Check out more coverage of today's announcement in our interview with Riot Games' CEO and co-founder, Brandon Beck.

Continue reading League of Legends surpasses 15M registered players, 1.4M play daily

JoystiqLeague of Legends surpasses 15M registered players, 1.4M play daily originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendspcRiotRiot-GamesTue, 26 Jul 2011 08:18:00 EST<![CDATA[Mass Effect gameplay lead Christina Norman now at Riot Games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/12/mass-effect-gameplay-lead-christina-norman-now-at-riot-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/12/mass-effect-gameplay-lead-christina-norman-now-at-riot-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/12/mass-effect-gameplay-lead-christina-norman-now-at-riot-games/#comments Christina Norman, lead gameplay designer for Mass Effect 2, announced on Twitter today that she has taken a new Lead Designer position at League of Legends developer Riot Games.

Last week, Norman announced that she was leaving BioWare and moving to Los Angeles, but didn't disclose the identity of her new employer until today. Preston Watamaniuk, Mass Effect series lead designer, will take Norman's place at BioWare.

"I'm looking forward to working with Riot on innovative new approaches to game design and game development in the rapidly-changing video game market," Norman told Gamasutra. League of Legends and Riot are emblematic of these changes, as a free-to-play, microtransaction-based game developed by a company recently acquired by China's Tencent.

JoystiqMass Effect gameplay lead Christina Norman now at Riot Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarechristina-normanleague-of-legendspcriot-gamesTue, 12 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends championship draws nearly 1.7 million viewers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/22/league-of-legends-championship-draws-nearly-1-7-million-viewers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/22/league-of-legends-championship-draws-nearly-1-7-million-viewers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/22/league-of-legends-championship-draws-nearly-1-7-million-viewers/#comments With the League of Legends Season One Championship over and done with, Riot Games has announced that the event's live coverage drew more than 1.69 million viewers. The final match between team FNaticMSI and Against All Authority brought in 210,000 unique viewers by itself. We're not experts in eSports viewership, but that certainly sounds impressive.

In case you missed the final matchup (spoiler: Against All Authority's nexus doesn't survive), you can watch a recording on the League of Legends championship website, which also features loads of other coverage, including full match recordings and highlights from each day of the tournament.

Continue reading League of Legends championship draws nearly 1.7 million viewers

JoystiqLeague of Legends championship draws nearly 1.7 million viewers originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendspcriot-gamesWed, 22 Jun 2011 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends shows off new champions, spectator mode at E3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/11/league-of-legends-shows-off-new-champions-spectator-mode-at-e3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/11/league-of-legends-shows-off-new-champions-spectator-mode-at-e3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/11/league-of-legends-shows-off-new-champions-spectator-mode-at-e3/#comments Riot Games' League of Legends is one of the biggest free-to-play titles around -- it started off as a spiritual successor to the old Defense of the Ancients mod, but has since grown, strictly by word of mouth and organic growth, up into its own industry. Riot hasn't actually announced player numbers for the title yet, but this is a huge game online, consistently landing in the top spots on Xfire and other services' most-played lists.

If you've never played (and why not? It's free!), the basic structure of the game has you controlling a champion on a real-time strategy-style battleground, and Riot has been releasing one of these new champions every few weeks for quite a while now. In the game's booth at E3 last week, we got to hear about three of the upcoming new champions, as well as brand new feature to the game designed to get even more players involved: A spectator mode.

Continue reading League of Legends shows off new champions, spectator mode at E3

JoystiqLeague of Legends shows off new champions, spectator mode at E3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 Jun 2011 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championsdotae3e3-2011league-of-legendsleonamagma-chambermobapcriot-gamesryan-scottskarneryorickSat, 11 Jun 2011 21:15:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends Season One championship announced with $100,000 in prizes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/11/league-of-legends-season-one-championship-announced-with-100-00/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/11/league-of-legends-season-one-championship-announced-with-100-00/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/11/league-of-legends-season-one-championship-announced-with-100-00/#comments For anyone who has ever wondered what the whole "league" part of League of Legends was referring to, Riot Games has announced the season one championship, which will be held at this year's Dreamhack Summer event in Sweden this June. The season one circuit will end on May 2, at which time Riot will choose the world's top eight teams (three from North America, three from Europe and two from South East Asia).

These teams will be flown to the Dreamhack event and compete for three days beginning on June 18, culminating in the championship round on June 20. Riot hasn't specified exactly how much the winning team will walk away with, though there is a total of $100,000 in cash prizes up for grabs. And to think Mom said "those free internet games" wouldn't get you anywhere!

Lest a flight to Sweden is a bit too much for your pocketbook to bear, the championship matches will be available via live streaming.

JoystiqLeague of Legends Season One championship announced with $100,000 in prizes originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Dreamhackleague-of-legendspcriot-gamesMon, 11 Apr 2011 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PSN, League of Legends charity initiatives bring in big sums]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/psn-league-of-legends-charity-initiatives-bring-in-big-sums/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/psn-league-of-legends-charity-initiatives-bring-in-big-sums/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/psn-league-of-legends-charity-initiatives-bring-in-big-sums/#comments PSN users and League of Legends players have demonstrated the power of really easy participation in charity initiatives. From March 19 through March 31, the PSN charity drive, which allowed users to donate to the Red Cross directly from their PSN wallets (and get a special theme as thanks) raised ¥109.6 million ($1.3 million) worldwide for Japanese earthquake relief.

Riot Games diverted 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of the discounted "Champion Akali" character and a special Nurse skin to charity from March 21 through March 27. As a result of this initiative, Riot raised over $160,000 for the Red Cross. Display those Nurse skins and PSN themes proudly! ("Display your nurse skin proudly" sounds really creepy out of context.)

Continue reading PSN, League of Legends charity initiatives bring in big sums

JoystiqPSN, League of Legends charity initiatives bring in big sums originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earthquakejapanleague-of-legendspcplaystationps3psnred-crossriot-gamesTue, 05 Apr 2011 17:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Japan relief roundup: League of Legends and a special Final Fantasy Tactics]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/21/japan-relief-roundup-league-of-legends-and-a-special-final-fant/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/21/japan-relief-roundup-league-of-legends-and-a-special-final-fant/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/21/japan-relief-roundup-league-of-legends-and-a-special-final-fant/#comments Companies, organizations and individuals connected to the games industry continue to come forward with offers of support for the ongoing rescue and relief operations in Japan. We'll be collecting the latest opportunities to lend a hand in end-of-day roundups like this one as they're announced.

Head past the break for details on the today's happenings. If you'd prefer to donate to the efforts directly, you can always do so through the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org).

Continue reading Japan relief roundup: League of Legends and a special Final Fantasy Tactics

JoystiqJapan relief roundup: League of Legends and a special Final Fantasy Tactics originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charitydisaster-relieffinal-fantasy-tacticsjapan-disaster-reliefjapan-relief-roundupleague-of-legendspcplay-for-japanplaystationps3riot-gamesMon, 21 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends adds Co-op vs. AI mode]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/11/league-of-legends-adds-co-op-vs-ai-mode/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/11/league-of-legends-adds-co-op-vs-ai-mode/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/11/league-of-legends-adds-co-op-vs-ai-mode/#comments Riot Games has announced that a new mode has been added to League of Legends. The new Co-op vs. AI mode allows players to team up against an opposing group of computer-controlled opponents. The mode features "newly overhauled" AI and two levels of difficulty, and still awards players with XP and IP (points used to make in-game purchases).

Riot's Travis George promises the AI will "put up a fight" and will use "coordinated teamwork and advanced tactics." In case you don't believe him, Riot posted a video recap of a recent match played by its own staff, in which the people who made the game lost handily to their own creation. Find the video after the break.

Continue reading League of Legends adds Co-op vs. AI mode

JoystiqLeague of Legends adds Co-op vs. AI mode originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>co-opco-op-vs-aileague-of-legendspcriot-gamesFri, 11 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST