A Deeper Look into the Upcoming Projects

Expanding the Universe

Besides the constant updates and modifications for the League of Legends everlasting MOBA (Massive Online Battle Arena) game, recently, we got more announcements. Indeed, to gain a little more attention, Riot, the original developers, came with exciting new ideas to show in the recent anniversary. First of all, besides the usual upgrades to the base game and it’s current “add-on,” Teamfight Tactics, they decided to go for the extra mile.

Intro
Welcome to Runeterra

Therefore, upon the recent news, we got to see thrilling “Projects” that will tend to expand the repertoire of the developer’s portfolio. As a result, we now have possible new video games that may use the current assets and lore of League of Legends and use it in exciting new ways. For example, who would have thought that someday we’ll get the chance to see a one versus one combat between Katarina and Jinx? That’s right, almost no one even imagined that eventually, we’d get announcements similar to the ones we had on the anniversary.

Now to take all this news even further, let’s discuss how these Projects will have an impact on the current gaming community and what examples Riot can take and learn from the best in the market.

The 10th Anniversary

On October (16th to be precise), Riot shared with the World through a stream over the Internet the colossal new Projects. First of all, we got frequent announcements about what it feels to be the same updates from the main game. Therefore, there were some sneak peeks about a new Champion, different Gaming Modes, and the other maintenance patches that come along. In contrast to the norm, this time around, there was massive news that practically gives us a lot more options to use our free time.

anniversary
Expanding the Universe

Indeed, all of these future projects will require a lot more codding, and without a doubt, they won’t be compatible with the core program. Hence, even though almost all of these new video games come with the League of Legends theme and lore, they require another Icon on your desktop. Therefore, also if these new projects look somehow similar in the aesthetic look, they’ll have a completely different function. Probably even require other peripherals besides the accustomed keyboard and mouse. Most noteworthy, some games may need some recent computer hardware to run accordingly.

Project A

Project A
Shooting some Minions

Between the lines of the announcement of this project, we can notice that this game will focus on the “shooting” mechanics. Furthermore, this is the only announcement that practically deviates a little further from the rest of all the other upcoming titles. First of all, it doesn’t seem to follow the lore of League of Legends at all, since (according to the development team), it follows a no so distant Earth’s future. Therefore, in the video, we only get to see weapons that look too similar to the military’s arsenal. For example, there were some sniper rifles and machine guns in action. As a result, all the magical and fantasy-like elements of LoL are almost non-existent.

Most noteworthy, we also got to see some team-oriented gameplay with some portraits over the screen representing your teammates. Hence, we can assume that you’ll need some coordination with your team and some sick reflexes to increase your winning chances.

The Tactical First Person Shooter Genre

Practically to achieve some winnings in these types of games, you need to point your sights and shoot the enemy. Indeed, it may look “simple” this is never the case in all of the Tactical FPS. Above all, you require high reflexes and dominance of your weapon’s “recoil” (that force that bounces your gun as you keep shooting). Furthermore, almost all of the guns have different properties that require different approaches and tactics. For example, a Sniper Rifle gun has a lot of recoils and takes a lot of time to load every bullet, which means that you’ll need to take your time and shoot in the right places.

Additionally, the “Tactical” requires a lot of coordination and awareness from you and your teammates. It seems like, with games like these, you cannot win by only using your talent. Most noteworthy, a team that uses a lot of strategy and the right tools can take advantage of the situation and completely neutralize the enemy team. Therefore if you are aware of the different abilities and when to use them properly, you’ll have a significant advantage in the battlefield.

Overwatch
Who wants some loot boxes?

Last but not least, it seems like every character in the game comes with different abilities in their arsenal. As a result, you don’t need to rely only on your weapon’s damage, since you also get different tactics to take control in one encounter. Above all, due to this gaming mechanic, we may get to see various “archetypes” or “roles” depending on the character. For example, there’s always a chance to see a fully armored “Champion” with skills that improve its defense even further.

Some Current Video Game’s Comparisons

  • Overwatch: Due to their fantastic art style, this is probably one of the best-looking shooters in the market. Consequently, we have different Heroes that come with multiple methods and gaming mechanics. Above all, in this game, you play in a 6v6 match with the usual roles, such as two tanks, two supports, and four DPS (damage per second) heroes. Furthermore, you do not win by killing your opponents, but by completing objectives in the map. Indeed the better cohesion the team tends to achieve, the better the outcome.
  • Counter-Strike: within this game, you always recognize two teams due to their objective. First of all, you have the terrorist, with the primary goal of deploying a bomb in specific parts of the map or neutralize the enemy team. In contrast, you have the counter-terrorist, which only need to defuse the bomb or neutralize the enemy team. Most noteworthy, this game tends to be as realistic as possible. Therefore a single shot can be devastating, and you cannot respawn, you have to wait for the next match to continue playing.
  • Rainbow Six Seige: This shooter is probably a perfect mixture between the last two examples. On the one hand, you have the precise shooting mechanics that can be deadly if you’re not careful enough. While, on the other hand, you have different “Operators” that come with their stats and abilities. Furthermore, to win a match, you either complete the main objectives or kill all the members of the enemy team. Due to its popularity, the development team keeps giving their support by constant updates that improve the performance or add entirely new stuff.
  • Apex Legends: Besides the famous gaming mechanics from the last examples, with this game, you also get to play within a Battle Royale setting. Therefore, you’ll see more players participating in every match, each with the primary goal to survive until no one else remains. Due to the distinctive characteristics of every Hero in the game, you always have to play this game in a team of three players. As a result, even if you like it or not, you need to stick with the other players on your group and give them any support for better survival.

How does it deviate from the current League of Legends MOBA?

Troops destroying a wall in the game Rainbow Six Siege
Destroying some Walls

The FPS genre is practically the polar opposite of the well-known MOBA games like League of Legends. First of all, you have the fast-paced gameplay, where every second count and you always need to stay alert for anything that makes a sound or moves. Secondly, almost all of the matches take no more than 15 minutes, which they are always full of non-stop action. Last but not least, there are still fewer Heroes or Champions to use in those games. Indeed, due to the complexity that always comes with a new item in the roster, they require a lot more testing to be available for the rest of the public.

Furthermore, they require a lot more maps to keep things interesting. In contrast to the classic Summoner’s Rift, having more than 15 different levels in these DPS seems to be the norm. Additionally, they require different main objectives to win the match. For example, they usually need you to control specific parts of the map or defuse a bomb. Last but not least, the different mechanics from multiple types of guns seem to be the key for these games, if you feel that the “shooting” is excellent, you’re on the right track.

Should you give it a try?

First of all, you need to check that you have what it takes to run the game accordingly. Indeed, since every second count, so does every frame that the game loads. Therefore you need to keep a constant 60 frames per second to keep up with all of the action. Secondly, you need a great Internet connection, the lower the latency, the higher is your response time in the game.

Counter Strike
Running to B

Furthermore, you always need to keep your adrenaline high and total focus on your screen. In contrast to League of Legends, you do not have little breaks between action (unless someone knocks you down). Additionally, within any FPS, you require a lot of skill to play well, that is having an excellent weapon handling and a lot of knowledge of your character. Most noteworthy, since they tend to be less forgiving, you need to play it safe and move accordingly on the map.

Between all of the previous examples, only Counter-Strike and Apex Legends have the “Free to play” feature, the other two have a paying wall to unlock some of their functions. As a result, if you want to give it a little try to the FPS genre, try those free games, and if everything goes well, you may opt to try the rest. Indeed, within this year of practice, you’ll have better chances to obtain victories when Project A finally goes available to all of the public.

Project F

Since we did not get too much information on gameplay about this particular Project, we can speculate about what is the main goal for the development team. First of all, we know that one of the leading gaming mechanics is to have some co-op between players. Furthermore, there’s the chance that it may be on the other level and add the MMO feature in this Project. As a result, you’ll be able to see tons of players from all around the World having a great time as you do in this game. Another plus is that it practically has lots of RPG elements built within the game, which means that you’ll be able to mold your character as you see fit.

Project F
Learning to Grind

Furthermore, in the little footage, we were able to see some champions fighting with multiple heroes at the same time, adding the ARPG affix to the genre of the Project. Above all, this video game seems to follow the League of Legends aesthetic and lore, which means that we will be able to see some familiar places and Champions.

The Action Roleplaying Game (ARPG) Genre

Finding the best builds and obtaining the most reliable equipment is what gives you a better performance in these types of games. Therefore, the more you play and try all of the skills, you’ll suddenly notice that some of them are more effective than the rest. Furthermore, the more time you spend in these RPGs, the higher the chances to earn ultra-rare items that boost your character’s performance. Additionally, almost all of these games in this genre have great lore and writing behind their gameplay, making a great story as you progress even further.

Indeed, you require a lot of time to see everything that these games have to offer, and you’ll need to “Grind” to collect all of the different items that become available to you. Sometimes, you’ll have to kill the same “Boss” over and over again, until it drops that unique item for your character. Still, though, like League of Legends, even if you do the same thing a thousand times, you have fun hunting for the best items in the game. Above all, if you want a video game that will require a lot of hours to complete the main story and a couple hundred more to gather the best equipment, look no further.

Some Current Video Game’s Comparisons

Diablo
Got me some Loot
  • Diablo: one of the “fathers” of this genre and still known as a classic to its player base. Diablo made some modifications to the “Strategy” video games by letting you use only one powerful unit against countless enemies on a map. First of all, you pick your class, which has its abilities and stats. Furthermore, you only need the mouse to move and attack; while you press the respective keys on your Keyboard to activate skills and drink potions. Most noteworthy, the more you progress in the game, the higher the difficulty rises, making things more interesting as you progress in the story.
  • Torchlight: This is practically Diablo on training wheels since it gives you a lot of gaming mechanics to make things a lot easier. Similarly to the other ARPGs, you pick a class and start your journey as you try different abilities and items that you gather across the map. In contrast, though, there’s a pet system that you some advantages in the middle of the fight and also gives you the option to send unwanted items to a shop and sell them as you keep discovering what lays ahead. Furthermore, due to its artistic style, it contains a unique art that makes it appealing to its audience.
  • Titan Quest: This game is one of the best Diablo-clones in the market that still has some support from the developers. First of all is set in the Greek Mythology setting, where you fight against Satyrs, Centaurs, or even the gods themselves. Furthermore, you’ll discover other mythological creatures from different regions, like the Norse and Asia beliefs. In contrast to the other ARPG, you start with a generic character and have the chance to assign two Masteries, which come with a set of abilities. As a result, you’ll have a lot of options to build the character that you like and discover what combinations work best for you.
  • Path of Exile: Besides the well-known gaming mechanics from all of the ARPGs, in this example, they also have implemented an MMO system. Therefore, you’ll see multiple players when you visit towns or resting places and check their inventory or invite them for a co-op experience. Another plus from the Path of Exile is that it has that appealing “Free to Play” business model. Hence, you have the liberty to download the game and try everything that it contains. Above all, the development team keep their support for this game and take the player’s feedback to improve the recent changes.

How does it deviate from the current League of Legends MOBA?

All of the ARPGs have a lot of familiar gaming mechanics with any other MOBA in the market. First of all, you have a main character that belongs to a class with unique abilities and stats that also improves as you keep leveling up. Secondly, both of the genres give you an inventory where you have the option to equip different items that will enhance your characters even further. Likewise, there are countless gaming guides over the Internet that give you a better idea of what abilities to use and what items to obtain. In contrast, though, you can collect items in ARPGs with randoms drops from the enemies, instead of using gold to buy everything that the build requires.

Indeed, both genres have a “bird-eye” camera where you see everything from above and have a clear view of the different threats over your screen. Hence, they play best with a combination of Keyboard and Mouse to activate your abilities and use them precisely.

Most noteworthy, each of these genres become more fun when you’re playing with some friends. As a result, you’ll experience the adventure with other people and create team tactics to overcome the dangerous bosses that you’ll encounter in these games.

Should you give it a try?

Path of Exile
Did someone say online?

If you like MOBA games like League of Legends, you should give them a chance. Due to the similarity in the gaming controls and player perspective, you’ll find it easier to accustom with their core gameplay. Even though almost all of them lack the “Player versus player” system, you’ll still have a lot of fun overcoming numerous mobs and changeling bosses on your journey. Furthermore, since all of the ARPGs require a lot of defense movements to keep your character alive, you’ll find it that at the same time, it’s helping you with the Mouse coordination. As a result, you can play a couple of minutes in any ARPG to prepare for any random changeling match in the Solo Queue madness.

At the moment, only the Path of Exile is free to play, but still, every game from all of the examples has a lot of depts and solid gameplay. Additionally, you can always practice with each of these games, until Project F comes along. Indeed, remember to level-up your character and use those skill points wisely. Furthermore, remember that it requires a lot of time to “farm” for the best items in those games, which means that you’ll need lots of gaming sessions to collect the good stuff.

Project L

Last but not least, we got some images and gameplay about what seems to be a Fighting Game with the League of Legends assets. Indeed, even though what they have shown was a little brief, we already got a better idea of what this development team aims to achieve. Rather than looking for other alternatives that aim to focus on the vast Lore and Story, we’ll now seem to have an “Arcade” to give us another perspective. Due to the loving and hating relationships between all of the different Champions in League of Legends, it never misses creating some Drama around Runeterra.

Project L
Kicking and Punching

Therefore, one of the best ways to show the World all of these possible conflicts is to have two different Champions fighting one versus one for their lives. As a result, if you think that there’s unfinished business between Vi and Jinx? Well, what better place than a Fighting Stage where they throw punches and more, until only one of them remains standing. Examples like this can give the development team ideas of what Champions they need to program inside this Project and improve the Lore between those selected fighters.

Most noteworthy, people that only like to play games like these will have the chance to know more about Runeterra and their native habitats.

The Fighting Genre

It can never get more personal than this; two (or even a team) of opponents fight until one becomes a victor, and the other ones get knocked down (or dead) in the ground. First of all, in the “Combat Screen,” you see two characters facing each other in a fighting stance. Secondly, almost all of the games in this genre show you through the “HUD” (Heads Up Display), each of the character’s life bards, their names, and the remaining rounds. Indeed, your main objective is to reduce your opponent’s health before they do the same to you. Hence, to achieve this conclusion, you need to move your character and throw some punches, combos, or even special abilities.

Street Fighter
Shoryuken!

Even though each character comes with somewhat the same move-set, everything else becomes unique. Therefore, some of the characters will get the chance to throw Fireballs, while others prefer the head to head combat and become deadly when they get close to their target. Furthermore, the more you play these games and get used to its “flow,” you’ll be able to go creative and combine different punches, kicks, and special moves where your opponents cannot do another thing but watch.

Last but not least, these games have more appeal when you’re fighting against other players, next to you in the same room, or over the Internet. Indeed, they lack the story, but the gameplay keeps you wanting more of this type of action.

Some Current Video Game’s Comparisons

  • Street Fighter: One of the first games in this genre and the franchise that practically stablished the flow of all the fighting games. First of all, the little story it has involves different fighters across the World with a single goal to participate in a tournament and defeat a somewhat powerful dictator. Indeed, since one of the developer’s objectives is to have diverse types of characters, you’ll see participants from almost all of the continents. Therefore, within these heroes, you’ll learn a little thing or two about different cultures, attires, and some fighting styles.
  • Mortal Kombat: This game was one of the reasons why we have a rating system in every video game that hits the stores. Because of its dominant display of realistic violence and gore, politicians were obligated to ban this game to kids and teenagers. Still, though, it does contain unusual gameplay elements and interesting lore behind the endless bone-breaking action. Above all, this game has characters with different deadly weapons and deadly abilities. In contrast to almost all of the famous fighting games, once you defeat your opponent, you still have another chance to land a powerful finisher that practically “solves” any drama.
  • Tekken: One of the first games in this genre that enables a somewhat 3-D fighting mechanics. Therefore, you can dodge attacks by moving around the arena and sneak behind your opponent. In contrast to the other examples, this game focusses more in hand to hand combat, leaving those flashy fireballs for the competence. Furthermore, one little mistake can leave you in a lousy position and give your opponent enough opportunity to drain your health bar in an instant.
  • Dragon Ball FighterZ: This time around, you get the chance to create a team of three different fighters and challenge another group of three for the victory. Since this game has some inspiration from an “Anime,” all of the characters and their special moves come from this source alone. Furthermore, one of the main gameplay mechanics allows you to make some “flashy” powerful attacks that have the potential to knock-out your opponent, and even destroy the planet in between.

How does it deviate from the current League of Legends MOBA?

Dragon Ball
How many Gokus can you fit? YES

Well, to be precise, almost in every possible way. First of all, the aesthetic does not compare at all; since the fighting games usually move the camera, checking both characters sideways. Secondly, the controls do not require a Mouse, and even using a Gamepad will give you better results. Last but not least, you are on your own, fighting against another player, with no other teammate to back you up or make things worse. Indeed, every second count and if you lose focus for a couple of seconds, you’ll probably lose some fights as well.

Should you give it a try?

Sadly, all of the examples in this genre are behind a paywall, which means that you’ll probably have to think twice before you try one. Still, though, every fighting game comes with a lot of exciting gameplay elements and challenging difficulties. Furthermore, the adrenaline that you’ll get in every single fight may give you some addiction and keep you wanting for another round. Most noteworthy, it is recommended that you pick a gamepad first. Luckily every PC has the potential to add every type of controller from the latest consoles without too much hassle.

Conclusion

conlcusion
Learning from the Best

Without a doubt, every Project from the announcements has a lot of potential in the gaming world. Indeed, we can only hope that the different development teams take a little knowledge about the various examples in this article and mold something entertaining to all the player base.

Additionally, every game on this list will give their audience a little more understanding about the lore of League of Legends, as well as an introduction to the different Champions that we know so well. Therefore, we’ll get the chance to expand the player base with diverse communities that share some interest in Runeterra.

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