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| League of Legends champions | |
|---|---|
| Title | League of Legends champions |
| Developer | Riot Games |
| Publisher | Riot Games |
| First release | 2009 |
| Genre | Multiplayer online battle arena |
League of Legends champions are the playable characters in the multiplayer online battle arena title League of Legends. They serve as primary agents for players representing factions, regions, and narratives tied to institutions like Demacia, Noxus, Ionia, Piltover, Zaun, Shurima, Freljord, Bilgewater, Bandle City, and Targon. Champions are central to competitive events such as the League of Legends World Championship, the Mid-Season Invitational, and regional leagues including the LCS, LEC, LCK, and LPL.
Champions are distinct hero units that embody archetypes familiar from titles like Dota 2, Heroes of Newerth, and earlier Defense of the Ancients custom maps, while drawing narrative inspiration from sources such as Greek mythology, Norse mythology, Asian folklore, and modern works like Blade Runner and Steampunk. Each champion is tied to lore published by Riot Games and narrative projects including Runeterra (setting), augmented by collaborations with entities such as Marvel Comics-adjacent storytelling methods and multimedia partners like Fortiche Production. Champions interact with in-game systems that echo mechanics from titles like StarCraft II for resource control and Dota 2 for hero itemization.
Champions are categorized by traditional MOBA roles—top laner, jungler, mid laner, attack damage carry, support—and by design classes such as assassin, fighter, mage, marksman, tank, and supporter archetypes. Riot's classification references competitive frameworks from tournaments hosted by organizers like Riot Games and broadcasters such as ESPN and Twitch. Role definitions influence draft formats in events like the World Championship and strategy documents produced by teams including T1, G2 Esports, Fnatic, Cloud9, and Royal Never Give Up.
Champions possess four basic ability slots plus passive traits, summoner spells, and ultimate abilities, paralleling systems seen in Dota 2 and Heroes of the Storm. Core mechanics include resource management (mana, energy, or unique resources), cooldown interactions, crowd control, mobility, and scaling with items from the in-game shop that reference balancing practices similar to ELO-based matchmaking and patch cycles influenced by developers like those at Riot Games. Abilities frequently interact with map objectives such as the Baron Nashor analogue, Dragon variants tied to elemental aspects like those in Freljord or Shurima, and warding systems related to vision control championed by teams at events like the World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational.
Design teams at Riot Games iterate on champions through playtesting, balance patches, and reworks informed by analytics comparable to practices from companies like Valve Corporation and Blizzard Entertainment. Champion releases and reworks are often announced via channels like Patch notes, developer blogs, and cinematic trailers produced with studios such as Fortiche Production. The process balances player feedback from communities on platforms such as Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and content creators participating in tournaments organized by Riot Games. Intellectual property considerations engage legal frameworks overseen by entities like ESRB and PEGI for regional ratings.
Champion viability shifts across metas shaped by patch changes from Riot and strategic innovation by teams including T1, G2 Esports, FunPlus Phoenix, SK Telecom T1 (historical naming), Invictus Gaming, and EDward Gaming. Tournament formats like the World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational create environments where champions are prioritized or banned based on win rates, pick rates, and synergy with compositions favored by coaches and analysts from organizations such as Team Liquid and broadcasters like Riot Games and ESPN. Esports commentators—formerly players and coaches from backgrounds including Faker, Caps, Perkz, Uzi, and Rekkles—influence public perception of champion strength and strategic trends.
Champions have transcended the game through music releases like virtual group projects produced with K/DA and Pentakill collaborations, cinematics showcased at events like Worlds 2019 and partnerships with studios such as Fortiche Production. They appear in tie-ins including comics, novels, and spin-offs developed by Riot Forge, and cross-media works released to platforms like Netflix and YouTube Premium. Champions feature in merchandising distributed by retailers and partners in markets regulated by entities like Amazon and Walmart, and have been subjects of academic analysis in studies presented at conferences related to game studies and media institutions such as SIGGRAPH.
Category:Video game characters