Why I Love League - An Open Letter To Riot

Hi Riot,

I know you might be wondering why I'm posting something like this in your story forums, but I promise it's relevant. There's many reasons that I enjoy playing your game, and there are plenty of reasons I become frustrated at times while playing it. But in spite of all the highs and all the lows, there is one thing about League of Legends that has always been a huge draw for me. I love the world building and the lore, and I love "taking part" in it, so to speak, being a summoner and all. Maybe this sounds really geeky, but I think you've done an incredible job of constructing a fantasy world where the players can interact and take part in what happens thanks to the brilliance of the writing behind THE League of Legends.

I started playing in Season 2, I think around the time Diana was released, and after briefly jumping into it, I took a year off to focus on school. I then jumped back in during Season 3, right before Lucian was released, and the biggest reason I came back was the fascination I found in the stories of characters like Galio, and Cho'Gath, and Annie. I do enjoy playing the game -- practicing the skills I've learned, applying them in games, learning about macro play, and bettering my communication skills to work with my teammates more effectively -- but perhaps the greatest thrill I find in the world of League is that of exploring the rich fabric of stories you've woven. Everything from the relationships of different champions to the politics of Demacia and Noxus, the calamity behind the Shadow Isles, the lively culture of Bilgewater, the impending horror of the Void, and even the autonomy of a steam golem, all of it and more is what I love about this game. You've given me and many others a wide and bountiful range for our imaginations, one where we can appreciate a world of colors and sounds and sights and smells just by looking at Summoner's Rift and seeing the plethora of diverse champions that fight upon it for honor and peace and power, whatever their motivations may be.

I enjoy being a part of that world, even if I do live on the relatively static end of the gaming experience, and it is why I appreciate all the more those events you put out like the Harrowing and Snowdown. You give us plenty of opportunities to enjoy the lore as fans in a way that is almost tangible. Sure, there's always the benefit of micro transactions on your end, and that is facilitated by a lot of this stuff, but I also don't believe you're a heartless business (not gonna lie, chroma skins still have me wondering, but whatever lol). I think you do care about your fans, and you do want to provide us with an experience that is enjoyable because you yourselves enjoy the process of building it, and why shouldn't you?! By many standards of the word, I think you could define the process of building League of Legends as an art of its own. I do feel as if the emphasis placed on the lore has been shifted to better accommodate the competitive culture inherent to League, and it does make me sad to see things like reworked champions receiving much shorter lore blurbs in client, but I also understand that the needs of the community and the game change over time. All I ask is that whatever you do, you never lose your passion for the story. Without a world of incredible fantasy behind it, I think League of Legends would be a much duller place. It makes me happy to be a part of this, small as that part may be, so thank you.

• Viddax