My opinion/feedback of the new Star Guardian gamemode

So the second co-op gamemode just got released, and I was kinda hyped. Always felt like League should have some co-op gamemodes and it sure was exciting to hear about this. But how good is the new gamemode?

First of all, let's start with the theme: Star Guardians. What had always made me hyped about getting a real co-op gamemode for league was the narrative and story aspect it could have, (I really like League lore btw). Finding out that this gamemode would be done in the Star Guardian universe, was a huge disappointment for me. I'm sure a lot of people like the Star Guardian theme, but for me it just feels to overdone. I'm not exactly a fan of anime, and the Star Guardian theme clearly took inspiration from such things. Fighting through the streets of Piltover against some Viktor robot army (a bad example I know), or playing as Graves or Twisted Fate in the Bilgewater event back then. To me, the Star Guardian theme feels like wasted potential.

Let's get into the actual gamemode. I am pleaseantly surprised about the variance in levels that Riot has created. A lot of levels, even though they may be on the same map, feel very unique and different. Combine this with a pretty good enemy variety, that all have strengths and weaknesses, and it is clear that Riot has done a good job in this department. There are however a few problems. The complete spam of Vel'Koz monsters can feel frustrating, especially when you have 4-5 locked on to you and you try to revive people. The escort level where you get completely bombarded by about 7 or 8 Vel'Koz monsters is without a doubt the most frustrating mission in the event. Especially considering that whenever someone of the team got hit by a Vel'Koz bullet, it bounces to the side, often hitting 2 other players, because of the lack of space in the level.

Maybe the biggest letdown of this event were probaly the rewards. A ward skin and a Hextech Mystery Champion? Really? Those are both super uninteresting rewards, and definitely not worth grinding through all the missions. Because the missions do feel like grind, especially if you are going to lose a lot of games, which won't make you progress at all. The missions requiring you to play as 5-man premade are especially disappointing. Getting 5 people together is hard enough, and not everyone wants to do that. But making them grind with you to get an S in this gamemode feels almost impossible.

All in all, I think these co-op gamemodes have potential, and I would love to see more of them. However, Riot needs to think about how to make missions feel less frustrating, and more rewarding to win. Leaderboards, ranks, and Hextech Chests, are examples of how to make a much more rewarding experience for a co-op mode. Also, I was personally disappointed in the Star Guardian theme, and I know a lot of people who are disappointed too.

That was all from me.