Is League of Legends Dying

It’s been 11 years since Riot Games Inc.’s League of Legends made its way into the gaming world.

Having existed this long is probably why people wonder, “Is League of Legends dying?”

Could this possibly be true?

Truth or Hoax?

Well, computer games are no stranger to becoming viral sensations one day, then gone with the wind at a glance the next.

A lot of experience conforming with the fad with like-minded company, and a few months in, find something completely new to the spotlight.

However, with Riot games, we’ve paid attention in their evidence of a slight decline only being due to an increase of new games in the market and a few company issues.

They are, nonetheless, still able to sustain a substantial player base even after a decade.

We’re here to tell fans that League of Legends is not dying.

For an in-depth look into the question, “Is League of Legends dying?” check out this quick read and see exactly how they fair today.

How many people play League of Legends?

League of Legends was initially released in 2009 by Riot, its developer.

Since then, the gaming community has gone into a frenzy leading up exponential increases of League of Legends players count.

In 2011, Riot released an official statement announcing 11.5M player numbers. Not bad at all!

After 2 more years, that number doubled! Fast forward to 2016, and it had made its 100 million League of Legends player count.

Over its first few years, with over 120 million players worldwide, League of Legends is said to be the biggest computer game phenomenon.

In recent years, following the introduction of a lot of competition in the gaming industry, especially with the likes of Fortnite and Call of Duty, Riot has been quiet about its player base statements.

However, in 2019, its 10th-year mark, they announced having a 90 million player count.

League of Legends may no longer be the current hotshot in the gaming community.

But having recently made lots of changes in favor to players, only time will tell if League of Legends can make a surprising comeback!

Is League of Legends still popular in 2020?

You’ve probably heard a few of Riot’s shortcomings.

We’ll get to them in a bit as well.

Despite these, League of Legends continues to grow and stay alive! Smurfing is equally as popular as it allows a good break from the highly stressful main account games.

Here are some reasons why League of Legends is still here to stay:

Popular eSports Presence

The statistics don’t lie. Even with popular games like Overwatch and Fortnite, League of Legends continues to adapt to matches with the game trends.

In 2018, LOL’s World Championship garnered over 205 million viewers at one time! That’s the highest viewership any gaming tournament, even over what the NBA finals or the Superbowl has ever recorded.

I guess League of Legends has been around long enough to accumulate viewers of old and new players.

This year, with the travel restrictions in place, the eSports championship will be broadcasted through streaming platforms.

No doubt will it stop spectators from attending the event from the comforts of their home.

Surely, the intensity of the tournament will still be felt by every avid gamer! A dying game, you say?

Encouraged Content Creation

With their K/D/A performance during the championship game and viral music video, League of Legends has increased fandom and made headlines around the world.

This novel augmented reality technology has definitely played in their favor.

Many have joined in the League Partner Program, where content creators and streamers develop unique LOL-related content.

On Youtube, these content creators reach up to 240 million views, compared to Fortnite’s 25 million.

With Riot’s support, giving incentives in the form of free skins to content creators, League of Legends is far from being irrelevant.

In fact, we’ve seen a rising success of this type of content into the mainstream out of its niche. A gamechanger in the gaming industry!

Most Viewed Video Game on Twitch

If you aren’t familiar with Twitch, it’s one of the largest gaming streaming platforms on the web to date.

It’s where a number of content creators show off their skills playing League for a living.

The highest-grossing topic viewed is still League of Legends. Next would be Fortnite and GTA: V.

As mentioned, LOL has ventured way beyond gaming niches like Twitch and has made its way to Youtube and other social media platforms. This is enough reason for it not to be a dying game.

Updates

There are routine upgrades to every patch, all in the efforts to improve the viability of tournaments. Overall, having a more enjoyable gaming experience. Riot always wants to keep it fresh.

Continuous Income Generation

No way is League of Legends dying with an annual revenue of 1.9 billion. They have so much money, they’re investing in other Riot games like Valorant and Legends of Runeterra.

Riot is confident its loyal players will continue to purchase their products like Prestige Skins to keep the game free to play.

This is precisely why players continue their patronage. Pay-to -win games usually put off any player.

Why is League of Legends Dying?

Well, in our opinion, the idea that League of Legends is dying is far from true. It’s only a matter of misconception.

The game is still very much popular. However, a few issues have shaken the game a bit that has given people reason to doubt:

Global Server Crash

There have been recent problems of a server crash that decreased active players for a number of days.

This definitely affected a good number, but fortunately, Riot Games addressed it quickly. If this lasted for weeks, it might have caused an even higher player drop in the game.

Change in Points System

Riot altered a few things in the game, making it harder for players to level up by decreasing the rewards. This sparked outrage in the gaming community.

It was much tedious to unlock new champions, thus driving away a lot of players.

Illegal Activities

There were cases of controversy regarding the manipulation of personal information using League of Legends as a platform.

Although there hasn’t been any concrete proof, the allegations on Riot Games should still be taken seriously. H

owever, it is good to note that the League of Legends terms and conditions clearly specify data protection and privacy before you start the game.

Competition

The growth of the likes of Fortnite, DOTA, Call of Duty, and other MOBA are the reasons why people question if LOL is dying. Fortnite, for example, changed the eSports game dynamic, having said to be more enjoyable.

Sometimes, even the gaming community becomes too big, competitive, and toxic. This could drive out some players and pushes a lot of them into playing on lower elo accounts.

How can Riot improve its reputation?

We can’t deny that every game has a season. It’s great that League of Legends has kept a decent player base over the years.

To avoid increasing irrelevancy, we’ve come up with some opinions and discussions users have expressed to help build a better gaming environment.

1. Riot should consult the millions of fans of its games before making any controversial changes on the meta.
2. Champions should be made more accessible. It will discourage gamers’ interest if a lot of playable characters have to be purchased.
3. Riot should make an effort to implement policies for a better atmosphere within the community to retain more players.

Conclusion

Yeah, sure, Riot has made a few mistakes. But not enough to result in the game dying.

League of Legends’ popularity has securely marked its name into the internet gaming world over the course of history.

For as long as Riot continues to improve and work up its stats, there is no reason anyone would not enjoy a good game of LOL.

Did we clarify your questions? Feel free to share us your thoughts in the comments section below!