Riot Games has two successful games with VALORANT and League of Legends. But is it possible that one of the two will be neglected?
Riot Games rose to fame with their game League of Legends, arguably the most successful MOBA in the world by now. In 2020, they then released VALORANT, which also quickly gained growth. But now some fans have the feeling that Riot prefers to focus on VALORANT and neglect League of Legends. Where does this thought come from and will VALORANT really take LoL’s place at some point? We want to answer these questions together with VALORANT and League of Legends Caster Lythi.
Content, Meta, Tournaments and more
VALORANT and League of Legends are two completely different games, but they both have other things in common besides the developer. For example, both are established in esports and have a large fanbase.
League of Legends offered its first international event in 2011 and to this day LoL esports is a huge success. But for about a year now, the meta seems to have changed little for both casuals and pros. Thus, especially in tournaments such as the LCK, the same champions are always played and banned. There is really hardly any variety to be seen here.
The fact that this famous ‘Caedrel reacts to the meta’ is from January and the meta is basically the same is very depressing. I’ve been watching since Season 1 and this is one of the stalest periods of pro play meta ever.
by u/Jozoz in leagueoflegends
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But there is little else new in LoL either. Originally, there were new game modes, special events or a Christmas map more often. In the meantime you can find a new event pass and a few quests every now and then.
Meanwhile, things look quite different at VALORANT. Just recently, a new game mode featuring Team Deathmatch was announced, two months after the last one. Plus, there’s often a lot of new content with each episode, custom songs and more.
“Probably the budget for VALORANT is higher right now,” Lythi tells us. “Because investments yield bigger returns as the whole thing is very young. LoL on the other hand is largely established and investments don’t deliver the same returns as they did five to eight years ago. And it’s not like Riot isn’t investing in LoL, see for example the Lil Nas X collaboration to Worlds 2022. “
Furthermore, the (broadcast times of the LCS, i.e. the American LoL League, have been changed), to probably give up to VALORANT the better times on weekends. However, this could also be due to the worse viewer:inside numbers of the LCS.
The summer heat is turning up the competition! As @LCSOfficial Summer 2023, @LEC Summer 2023, and @CBLOL Split 2 2023 unfold, a concerning trend emerges: Average Viewership plummets, especially in NA. 📉
Uncover the details here:
https://t.co/PHiVAjIBwFLeagueOfLegends pic.twitter.com/6S3qJZtQwJ
– Esports Charts 🇺🇦 (@EsportsCharts) June 20, 2023
But for the fact that VALORANT was released in 2020 and League of Legends in 2009, the shooter can already keep up very well. This is partly because Riot was able to learn a lot from the development of LoL for the construction of VALORANT, as it is hinted at in a (article by Riot) itself.
The fact that VALORANT is still so new is also a reason why fans feel the shooter offers more content, according to Lythi. “There is more going on in VALORANT, which I think is mainly because VALORANT is new. We see similar changes and innovations such as revamped league systems in Esports, massive international events, and new characters and content in LoL, just like in VAL. However, LoL has arrived in a habit factor because the game has been on the market for over a decade,” said Caster.
Has VALORANT already overtaken League of Legends?
Still the numbers of players:inside and viewership speak more for League of Legends than for VALORANT. However, with the falling numbers of LoL leagues, VALORANT esports could eventually become more successful. This thought was first brought to the minds of many by VALORANT player Khalil through a (interview)
So Lythi confirms it to us: “The possibility definitely exists in esports. VALORANT is a lot more beginner-friendly for spectators, in my opinion.” But if you look at the game as such, it looks different, the caster explains to us: “MOBAs are a much more accessible genre than FPS, especially for younger players. VALORANT is not going to replace LoL, at least not in the next 5 years. “
But even beyond the five years, he said, there’s no need to worry about League of Legends from Riot getting any attention at all at some point. “As long as LoL is making a profit, Riot will continue to take care of the game,” Lythi tells us.
This means League of Legends fans don’t have to worry about their game being forgotten, at least for the next few years. But it’s entirely possible that VALORANT will become Riot Games’ new number one game at some point.
