Factions game mode launches fifth arc. Playable factions: Piltover, Bandle City, Zaun, Demacia.
If you've never heard of Factions, click here for a quick introduction.
We're excited to announce the launch of the fifth Factions storyline: Hextech Revolution. This storyline will develop based on faction versus faction matches, organized as custom games which anyone can start or join anytime and fought using faction-specific Champion rosters which expand as the arc progresses. Factions gain points from victories and lose points from defeats. The resulting balance of power determines what happens next and which side will ultimately stand victorious.
The Factions game mode gives players the opportunity to:
- Play some interesting limited-roster matchups that reward counter-meta strategies. Each faction has distinctive strengths and weaknesses for players to discover and work with as a community. Many strategies (and Champions) not particularly viable in the 100+ Champion context can be effective in Factions.
- Participate in dynamic lore driven by player actions. The Factions saga has developed according to match outcomes and interactive lore events, giving players a stake in the story. We also invite Summoners to contribute lore to help build the Factions universe.
- Join a community of Summoners of all ranks. Factions offers a rare chance to play with and learn from Summoners of all levels.
Read the introduction to the new arc here.
This sets the stage for the dispute and explains what each side aims to accomplish. This story will develop based upon matches you fight and interactive lore events.
Sign up here to get in on the action.
Signing up doesn't obligate you to play any particular matches; it simply allows you to join in whenever you feel like it.
Here's an overview of previous storylines, with balance of power charts and lists of participating factions.
Factions launched last year. Since then, over 800 matches have been fought, and thousands of Summoners have signed up — including a few Rioters. (These Rioters are participating in their personal capacities; Factions is a community initiative, not operated by Riot.)
And tune in this Saturday, starting at 12:30 p.m. Pacific, for this new arc's first round of Saturday Featured Matches.
Although most Factions matches are pick-ups which anyone can start anytime, we also hold shoutcasted Featured Matches worth bonus points. We are fortunate to have LoL Tourneys volunteering to cast and stream these matches. The first set will be between Piltover and Zaun.
In this episode, a potent hextech energy source has been discovered in the Shurima desert, which could revolutionize Valoran with new technology — but which also shows troubling hints of the Void's influence. Four factions of Runeterra battle in the League of Legends to decide who will lead this hextech revolution:
- Piltover, the city of progress, believes it could use this power to lead Valoran into a bright new post-steam future — but also fears that Zaun's reckless and greedy ways could endanger Runeterra if it prevails.
- Bandle City, growing tired of its "sidekick" role, sees a chance to surpass Piltover at last, and possibly even refuel the Mothership.
- Zaun scorns Piltover's lack of vision. This is no time for squeamish half-measures: we stand on the brink of a glorious hextech revolution! As Noxus falls into chaos after the devastation of the Void War and a disastrous defeat on Shon-Xan, Zaun has plans for a massive techmaturgic army to rival the might of Demacia.
- Demacia, horrified by the possibility of another Void invasion, seeks to end this dangerous experimentation with Void-tainted hextech. The safety of the people of Runeterra must come before the pursuit of economic gain and technological gadgets.
Click here to declare for a faction here and get playing.
Although your declaration stands for the duration of the storyline, you're free to declare for a new faction next arc.
We don't feature every faction every arc, for various reasons, not least of which is that it's easier to get matches together when people aren't too spread out.
Note: Factions currently exists only in NA. I cannot personally commit to running Factions anywhere else, but I would be delighted to offer any help and advice I can to anyone who wants to launch Factions in their region. Contact me if you're interested.