Riot Games 10 Years Later, How Did They Get To Where They Are Now?
Two roommates who were studying business at the University of Southern California discovered that they shared a passion for gaming. Little did they know they would develop a game that would not only challenge the norm but would become an international phenomenon.
Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck both believed that developers were not listening to their communities and that they were too focused on launching as many titles as possible. They knew in their hearts that they could produce a gaming experience that was player-focused.
The Beginnings…
In 2006, Beck and Merrill founded Riot Games with the help of family and investors. On October 27th, 2009, they released League of Legends as a free-to-play game.
“First of all we made it free. Which at the time was a weird thing to do. So you’d meet with traditional publishers and they’d be like ‘Wait, you spent this development budget on a game and you want to give it away for free?’ That was sort of a weird concept. ‘And then there’s not going to be a subscription, there’s not going to be a paywall? You’re just going to sell stuff in the game, and even that stuff can’t really influence the competitive integrity or power, anything like that?’ — Brandon Beck
Every company faces its obstacles and has hurdles to overcome. But even with obstacles, Riot Games managed to attract loyal players and build a community.
“We engineered hope with our players by having this direct relationship with them. Yes, we hear you, we understand that there is a bunch of problems and acknowledged those. And look we are going to get back. So every patch improvements. Players started to believe ‘Wow, my feedback matters. Riots listening to me. I see improvement. Cool, I am gonna stick around. Its sort of worth my time, because I can see where it is going. And I believe in the nuts and bolts of this game. And I feel special being part of the community.’ I think that core group became our evangelists and helped bring in their friends; and enabled the game to continue to grow sort of virally.” — Marc Merrill (BAFTA interview 2017)
Riot Culture…
With 2,500+ Rioters in 20+ offices worldwide, what makes Riot Games a strong company is their core values.
- Players Experience First - Brandon and Marc emphasized with the founding of Riot that they wanted to focus on the players giving them a meaningful and lasting experience.
- Dare To Dream - The company believes the courage to chase bold ideas will make impossible dreams of players come true.
- Thrive Together - Riot believes in respecting each other, investing in each other and working together as one team.
- Execute With Excellence - They believe operational excellence unlocks the delivery of better experiences in the long run.
- Stay Hungry; Stay Humble - Riot stands by the ideal that there is always more to learn from each other, from players and from the world.
With a strong belief system, Riot has excelled in creating not only a great community experience but also has established an amazing work culture.
Netflix recently released a documentary on the history of Riot Games, so I will not dive too deep into their history. But it is worth watching if you are interested in learning more about how Riot grew.
Esports…
League of Legends quickly became one of the hottest games in esports. This includes the League of Legends Championship Series. In total, there are more than 100 teams in Riot Games’ 14 regional leagues around the world.
On November 10th, 2019, Riot hosted the Worlds Finals in Paris. FunPlus Pheonix and G2 Esports went head to head. FPX had a 3–0 victory and was able to lift the Summoner’s Cup!
Esports has grown to become just as popular as traditional sports. This opens up the door for marketing opportunities. The finals were sponsored by companies such as Mastercard, Red Bull, OPPO, TikTok, State Farm and Louis Vuitton.
That is right, you read that correctly… Louis Vuitton partnered with Riot for the finals and even had their designer, Nicolas Ghesquière, produce Louis Vuitton inspired Prestige Skins. When a fashion giant collaborates with a game company, you realize how esports has grown into a multimillion-dollar business. One will have to wonder if Louis Vuitton will produce real clothing based on these skins. I guess we will have to wait and see.
The Best Is Yet To Come…
Ok, I have given you a glimpse into the origins of Riot Games and briefly covered the esports side of things… now it is time to talk about the future of Riot. To do that, let me discuss what was revealed during their 10th anniversary live stream that took place on October 15th on YouTube and Twitch. I managed to stay up late in Germany and viewed the stream at 3am.
As one can see the name of the company is Riot Games and not Riot ‘Game’, thus fans have been waiting to see how the Riot universe would expand for quite some time. Holding true to their beliefs, Riot promised never to release games without properly developing them and finally the community was surprised not with just the announcement of one new game, but several games. Even though these games are still in development, it was enough to energize their fanbase.
Codename: Project L
Finally, Riot is giving fans what they have been wanting, a fighter game set in the League of Legends universe. They briefly shared a fight scene featuring Ahri and Darius. Even though Riot did not attach a release date, I would expect to see more clips during the big game conferences next year. Who wouldn’t enjoy a little PvP action Riot style?
“In many cases, League of Legends really enhances a particular game. We think that’s true in Legends of Runeterra, we think that will be true in ‘Project L.’ With a super competitive tactical shooter, that has incredibly tight gunplay, where the skill ceiling is kind of an infinite curve, League IP would actually do a disservice to that game.” — Merrill
Codename: Project A
A tactical multiplayer FPS was announced by executive producer Anna Donlon. From what we know so far, Project A is not set in the League of Legends universe, but rather a ‘near-future Earth.’
LoL Esports Manager
Ever wonder what it would be like to manage one of the high caliber LoL esports teams? Well, soon you will be given the opportunity with the new LoL Esports Manager.
Legends of Runeterra
Riot is re-imagining card games with Legends of Runeterra. While Leauge of Legends hosts a roster of 140 characters, the first card set will only feature 24. Instead of expensive booster packs, one will be able to buy the cards they desire with real money or in-game currency earned through playing.
Codename: Project F
Even if this game was not talked about directly, it has been teased via a press release. This game might allow players the opportunity to explore Runeterra with their friends.
Beyond PCs….
Riot did mention that they were interested in taking their games beyond PC. This makes sense since there are millions of console and mobile players out there. Additionally, this will allow for more growth within the Riot community and bring new players into the realm.
Wrap…
Riot’s mantra of putting players first and providing them with the best experience possible has led to their success.
Additionally, every time you meet a Rioter you feel their passion for the company. I believe this also showcases how strongly they are connected and committed to their community.
Ten years has been an amazing run for League of Legends. After viewing their anniversary live stream, I can imagine the next ten years will be just as exciting. With esports becoming an international phenomenon, there are endless possibilities for the future.
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