How Riot Games is taking on the biggest games across esports and exploration with its own unique titles.

Ben Roberts, Content Director (EMEA)

April 28, 2020

2 Min Read
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Riot Games has brought a wave of titles to the esports scene in the past, including “League of Legends” and “Legends of Runeterra.” Now, two new titles are hinting at the developer’s aim to hit new markets and dominate esports.

Valorant,” the first of the two new titles, is a tactical shooter that combines the meticulous strategy needed in a digital firefight with the unique character abilities that made games like “Overwatch” and “League of Legends” so popular. Different characters have differing advantages and, when combined with its 5v5 shoot ‘em up gameplay, the ”Valorant” brand is engineered to take flight in the esports leagues.

Even the tech, graphics and latency modules behind Valorant have been built to maximize speed and precision when playing across fast-paced servers to keep the game 100 percent accurate and without lag.

Currently accessible in closed beta stages via a Twitch account and a submitted request, “Valorant” will launch in 2020 and will be free-to-play, meaning a massive following is sure to follow with its own leagues, fans and clans.

While the launch of “Valorant” will directly challenge gaming brands like “Fortnite” and “Overwatch” – two of the most popular esports games alongside Riot Games’ own “League of Legends” – the studio isn’t stopping there.

Last April, after acquiring Hypixel Studios, a developer brand working on a new sandbox, exploration and construction game, the Riot Games team has been building its roster of must-have titles even further by challenging the likes of “Minecraft” and “Roblox” with Hypixel Studios’ debut IP “Hytale.”

“We’ve known the team behind Hypixel Studios for several years, and from the start they’ve been the kind of visionaries that we aspire to support, a passionate studio committed to delivering a groundbreaking, genre-defining experience for players,” said Dylan Jadeja, president, Riot Games. “Over the last 18 months, we’ve been fortunate to advise Hypixel Studios as they build toward their vision for evolving a game genre that reaches an incredibly diverse range of players around the globe. Now, as they prepare to enter the next chapter, we’re thrilled to take our partnership to the next level through this acquisition. We look forward to supporting Hypixel Studios’ journey through the development process, helping them grow and learning from them as well.”

“Riot’s been an important partner from the start, and this is a natural next step in our relationship,” said Simon Collins-Laflamme, co-founder, Hypixel Studios. “It’ll help the studio take another leap forward in our journey from mod team to professional developers and allows the team to realize our vision for Hytale.”

With new markets being opened up through community-driven sandbox play and a game designed to be a flawless tactical shooter, combined of course with the most sought-after game in the esports arena, “League of Legends,” Riot Games is not only bringing it’s A-game to the esports scene, but two new licensable brands with an already growing following.

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Riot Games

About the Author(s)

Ben Roberts

Content Director (EMEA), License Global

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