Summary
League of Legends (also referred to as LoL) is a popular multiplayer online battle arena (“MOBA”) video game created and published by Riot Games. Released in 2009, it has become one of the most played and watched esports worldwide. LoL is rated M due to its fantasy violence and online content variable, this would then generally be looking at 17+ players. While this game does contain fantasy violence, it is not a concern for players given the cartoon style. It is the in-depth knowledge and ability to play the game that really increases the age required to play for us. As such, we think that this game would be great for players 14+ if the online chat functions were muted. Otherwise, 16+ is a good age for players to play online with chat functions enabled as long as they understand online safety. LoL is available to play on Windows and MacOS, however, League of Legends: Wild Rift (which is a multiplayer online battle arena) can be played on mobile for Android and iOS users.
In LoL, players take up the roles of champions, each with their own unique powers, and compete in teams to destroy the opposing team's base. The game requires strategic and team-oriented plays which can constantly keep any player on their toes! League of Legends has a booming competitive scene, with professional leagues and tournaments attracting millions of viewers and giving prize pools worth millions of dollars!
Gameplay
LoL gives players lots of different ways to play and enjoy the game. The first (and most popular) game mode is the "Summoner's Rift". This is a classic 5v5 battleground where two teams fight to push down one of the three lanes to destroy the enemy team's base to victory. This is where the complicated ‘laning’ phases, team fights, and goal control happen. It's a fast-paced game that requires both individual skill and teamwork.
"ARAM" (All Random All Mid) is another popular gameplay mode and a great choice for people who want more excitement and chaos. This mode puts all players in one lane and assigns champions at random. This makes fights unpredictable really pushing the players out of their comfort zones. It also allows players to forcibly try new characters on the fly! If you really get into the game, the competitive mode of "Ranked Play" is where people who want to move up the ladder can test their skills. With sections and tiers, this mode lets players test their skills against real-life opponents of similar levels of skill, making the game more intense and strategic. But be warned this is not for the faint of heart!
LoL also has a unique extra mini game called Teamfight Tactics (“TFT”). This is an auto-battle mode for LoL, which is a strategic game mode where players must be able to change and make quick decisions. Eight players build teams by picking heroes from a pool and then putting them together in ways that work well together to form strong alliances. In addition to these main game modes, League of Legends keeps surprising players with new game modes, special events, and featured game types constantly. This keeps the game's gameplay fresh and new. Each mode has its own tasks and fun things to do, so it can be enjoyed by a wide range of players. So which is it! Do you play one of the above game modes? Do you practice against the A.I bot or in the training grounds? Do you join with your fellow teammates to create a custom game? Or, do you play the strategic card game of Runeterra for something different?!
While there are all these game modes available, the main thing to be aware of is the knowledge required to understand each different character, their abilities, and the items that help boost your character and when to choose different tactics in different situations. There are suggested items to help you out, but it can still be very difficult and time-consuming to understand. This is the main learning curve of the game and can be extremely difficult for beginner and non-experienced players.
Education
LoL is one of the most competitive video games online. People don't just play League of Legends; they also plan, work together, and solve problems. Players are not just trying to win, they're also improving skills that will help them in school and in real life. To be successful in Lol, you need to be able to think strategically, weigh the risks and benefits, guess what the enemy will do, and deal with problems that come up out of the blue! The game turns into a mental chess match which helps to improve a player's ability to think ahead. This can of course develop skills that help kids in school and when they need to solve problems in the real world. League of Legends is also a fast-paced game where you must be ready for tasks you didn't see coming. In real-time, players have to think on their feet and come up with answers when their well-thought-out plan falls apart and solve problems on the spot.
Also, no matter how good a player is on their own, they can't be successful if they don't work well with others. To reach your goals, players must talk to each other, plan their moves, and time their actions. This focus on teamwork helps people learn how to work together and get along with others. It also teaches them how important it is for everyone to succeed, which is useful for both school and work group tasks.
Violence/ Adult Themes
In League of Legends, sword clashes, magical spells, and fights go off in a big way! The violence is real, planned, and an important part of the game. With this, of course, comes issues of fantasy violence. Battles are fought by Champions, each with their own skills and ways of fighting. Magical spells, powerful close-range attacks, and strange weapons are used in the colorful and visually stunning battles. Even though the violence is cartoonish stylized and based on the story of the game, it adds to the immersion and makes the gameplay more exciting and lively. This lets players experience the strategic depth and thrill of battle in the League of Legends world. As you fight, characters take damage as they get hit by abilities and players. Numbers will appear on the damaged player to show how much damage they took. It's like a language used in games to let people know how strong their attacks are. There's also cartoon blood that splashes around when characters get hit, without being too accurate or graphic.
When talking about League of Legends's aesthetics, you can't leave out the bold fashion choices (or lack thereof) that some characters have. Characters in League of Legends have a wide range of outfits, from creepy/ scary outfits to armor that shows off those curves! It's important to see this as a form of artistic expression rather than trying to be inappropriate but of course, this may concern some parents out there and is always good to be aware of.
Monetization
Although playing and downloading League of Legends is free, the game uses a wide range of different ways to make money, giving players choices that can improve their game experience. There are two forms of currency in LoL. The first is the “Riot Points (RP)” which is the main in-game currency. This can be earned through leveling up your character and completing achievements, quests, or purchasing with real-life money. With RP, players can buy Battle Passes that can be used to get skins for their champions that change their moves, effects, and models for a more unique gameplay experience. Emotes, ward skins, and chromas can also be bought. Special event passes and packages also come with exclusive cosmetic items, icons, and prizes. Account boosts, which you can get with RP, speed up your progress by giving you more Blue Essence or experience points. RP can also be used to change a player's name or rune page, which makes the game even more personal.
The second currency is “Blue Essence”. You can get blue essence by leveling up, disenchanting champion shards, opening Hextech Chests, finishing missions, going to events, and getting matchmaking bonuses after games. In League of Legends, Blue Essence is a flexible in-game coin that is needed to unlock champions, add more players to a team, and use different playstyles. BE is also used to show off your skill with certain champions by raising your Champion Mastery level. The money can be used to buy runes, which have generally been part of a system that makes champions stronger and improves their skills and stats. You can also get BE by disenchanting champion bits that you get from Hextech Chests and Capsules. This gives you another way to buy things you need to unlock champions or other features in the game. Besides things you can get in-game, Riot Games also sells clothing, accessories, and collectibles with a League of Legends theme that you can buy with real money through their online store.
Safety
League of Legends is generally played online (although there is the option to play against the computer only). There is a big presence among LoL for online safety showing that they care a lot about keeping people safe, so it has a lot of strong safety features. LoL automatically has a complex system for tracking and dealing with bad behavior among players that keeps an eye on and punishes instances of abuse and cheating. Additionally, there is also a reporting system that gives players the power to report bad behavior. And in the settings the Chat & Friends menu allows you to enable language filter! One of our favorite features was when you first log into the game, you are required to submit a Code of Conduct which really reinforces the idea of online safety within the LoL community. However, even with these amazing features, online bullying and toxicity amount the community are still at large.
With LoL being primarily an online game, communication becomes a must. While LoL tries to build a safe online community, unfortunately, it is not always possible. Text chat and voice chat are available but let’s look at some ways to tone it down for your younger players. In the game settings, there are not a lot of options available, however by going to the chat options in the interface tab, you can change the chat visibility to “premade only”. This means that they will not see all text chats during the game. For Voice chat, you can go to the settings page and in the voice tab and click “mute me when I connect to voice League”. This will stop you from joining party voice chats by default when you log into the game. If you want a more specific way to control what you can say or receive there are a few commands that you can type in the chat to enable:
/mute: Silences all text messages from a specific player for the duration of your current game session.
/fullmute: Silences both text and pings from all players for the duration of your current game session.
/ignore: Mutes a specific player not only for the ongoing game but also for subsequent game sessions.
/muteself: Restricts your ability to chat, and notifies your team that you are muted.
/deafen: Prevents you from chatting, stops you from seeing text from other players, and notifies your team that you are deafened.
Tips and Tricks
For new League of Legends players, it's important to know that you will not have access to all the characters to play right from the beginning. As you finish the tutorial, you will gradually gain access to different characters. LoL does have a weekly rotation of Heros, which lets you play about 20 different characters. So, there's no need to rush to buy the whole roster. Instead, let your kids take the time to learn about the different characters. This allows them to see what character they would play often and learn to play them in a more planned and measured way, making sure you have a well-rounded and well-informed game experience (while saving you some money!).
Комментарии