Some publishers have been branching out even farther into areas like user-generated content as demand for live service games rises. Developers' labor has allowed Roblox to grow, and Epic has been promoting Fortnite Creative via in-house studios. However, it seems that Riot Games, the firm behind League of Legends , is not interested in their MOBA following suit.
We had the chance to ask League leadership a few questions about the game's future during a recent Riot Games press event. After achieving great success with Teamfight Tactics, Riot Games was asked whether they would ever be interested in investigating user-generated content (UGC) outside of their MOBA. At least for League of Legends, Andrei van Roon, head of League studio, says he is less interested in user-generated content.
Van Roon said, "You know, we might pursue it elsewhere in Riot at some point." "However, we believe that much of what we've built on League, where we excel, is more about providing specific experiences for players than it is about creating a UGC platform. For example, we use these characters in competitive or semi-competitive settings, play to the strengths of MOBA, that action-strategy mix, etcetera."
Game director Pu Liu said, "I think UGC is primarily a platform and technology play." Additionally, it seems like a winner-take-all market to me. I don't believe I'm going to go start that battle with Epic after considering Riot's advantages over the competition. My employer Andrei could advise me that we ought to. However, I believe that this is a technological platform play that we are unlikely to win.
Riot's League leaders discuss the impact that game modes like as Teamfight Tactics have had on League of Legends during the same Q&A session. The auto-chess version was developed inside the design space of the League and is housed in the same client, at least on PCs.
Riot doesn't seem to be welcoming to outside creativity, despite the fact that it appears eager in growing inside. Perhaps this is a good thing, as although user creations may attract a lot of attention for Epic and Roblox, they may also run into new problems.
Riot does, however, seem eager to address new audiences. Liu mentions in the previously stated Q+A that the League audience is becoming older and that the League is not in the same place as it was ten years ago. Initiatives such as the card game Legends of Runeterra, the fighting game 2XKO, and the Arcane series on Netflix seem like attempts to connect with new fan bases.