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Factions: A Community Game-Mode made by players!

RaptorAttacks·9/25/2015, 8:53:38 PM·17 votes·1,275 views

Looking for something new to try in League?

Looking for something to do in League?

Want to try a new Game-Mode made and run by the community?

Interested in the Pre-Retcon Lore of the League?

Then you should try FACTIONS!

Factions is a cool way to test your skills, by not only limiting rosters, but also matching you with different and interesting people! It has a healthy community, dedicated staff, and it even has its own forums. We have featured matches at weekends, which are streamed and casted. We rotate Factions every arc, and are currently doing Shurima, Piltover and Noxus.

Not only that, but at 5PM Pacific Standard Time, we have FACTIONS FRIDAY, where we get as many games going as possible.

So come visit us, in the ‘FACTIONS’ chat!

Frequently Asked Questions: Is this NA only?

While the majority of Factions events take place in North America, they have a much, much smaller presence in Europe. On other servers, Factions is somewhat... well, non-existent.

Why isn't my favourite faction up for play?

Factions cycles through 'Arcs'. We play three-to-five months of the same faction, then proceed to switch to another arc with different factions. Currently, we are on Arc VII: Lines in the Sand, featuring Shurima, Piltover and Noxus

Why don't you follow the CANON universe?

Well, here's the thing: Factions wasn't just set up a few weeks ago, Factions was around in late 2013, when Heimerdinger still looked like he had his brain hanging out. Back then, Summoners DID exist, as did the Institute. So, that's what we went by: For 6 whole arcs, nothing but fun times with summoning. Then the Lore Retcon dropped, and with the amount of events that have happened in Factions Canon, we could not switch to the new lore without completely breaking everything. There are MORE reasons, of course, but I'm just the Community Manager, not the Lore Writer.

6 Comments

AbiwonKenabi9/25/2015, 8:59:14 PM2 votes

Come be a Factioneer!!!!!11

insaiyanbacca9/25/2015, 9:00:43 PM2 votes

10/10 would faction again

warpenguin5559/25/2015, 9:56:41 PM2 votes

how do i get picked for a game? just hang out in the chat room? ive already signed up and stuff

Blastires9/26/2015, 4:35:54 AM2 votes

I'm so interested in this!

freeformline9/26/2015, 4:53:24 AM2 votes

I absolutely love Factions! It embodies the heart of the gameplay-lore connection-that-was that appealed to many players before the removal of the Institute. By allowing players to shape the world of Runeterra through their work as summoners, Factions immerses its players in the lore more deeply than any Riot-sponsored game mode ever has.

The pre-retcon lore was the main reason I kept my interest in League long enough to reach level thirty, but even then I felt that the connection between gameplay and lore was not very compelling. It confused me that match results were not used for shaping in-lore events----that lore fans could not contribute to canon storytelling despite the obvious potential of what is now the Factions mechanic. I was thrilled to discover Factions, but I am disappointed that Riot has not implemented anything like it as a permanent feature of the game.

A Riot-sponsored Factions mechanic would appeal to players who are strongly attached to the lore, characters, and faction identities, encouraging deeper investment in the game's narrative than the current lore does by allowing them to contribute to the storytelling, rather than simply consuming it. It could shape "the lore" into "our lore," a series of stories created dynamically by the players and the game designers. It could also foster thoughtful lore discussions, as Rioters and the community discuss whether or not a given champion would involve his/her/their/itself in a given issue, and for which side of the issue they would fight.

The Factions mechanic could also offer a serious competitive mode apart from Ranked. By using match results to affect faction standing and story events rather than individual standing, a competitive Factions mode would allow players to focus on maximizing their potential as team members rather than as individuals. Such a mode would cultivate group identities and pride, which would make more loyal fans and, presumably, better merchandising opportunities. Factions games could be less stressful or toxic than ranked games because match results would not risk the player's individual standing in the ranked ladder. The common goal of helping the faction rather than individual climbing might encourage players to focus more on team play than on personal glory, preventing some of the unfortunate behavior that comes with the solo-carry mindset.

Official Factions events could make very good use of the Crystal Scar, Howling Abyss, and Twisted Treeline, given their firm basis in regional lore, and could finally bring serious competitive play to the Dominion mode.

There would inevitably be community toxicity problems, such as smurf accounts being used to cause losses for rival or unpopular factions, but I would hope that the culture that could be built around a full, Riot-backed manifestation of Factions would be decent enough that it would, on the whole, still be much less unpleasant than the mainstream Rift/Ranked community.

Regrettably, the Institute and League were removed from the official lore, dashing my hopes of a permanent, Riot-sponsored Factions mode or any other long-term opportunity for players to shape the lore through their gameplay. The Factions community remains, however, and I have high hopes for its continued growth. My champion pool currently prevents me from playing Factions, but I eagerly look forward to the day when I can finally contribute to its community and community-driven lore.

TL;DR: I am sad that Riot never made anything like Factions, despite it being an obvious way to boost player investment in the game, but I am happy that a bunch of really cool players came along and made Factions for themselves, since it is essentially what I have always believed League of Legends should be.