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| (Image Source: Yugatech/Riot Games Philippines) |
Games developer Riot Games celebrated its reacquisition of the popular online game League of Legends’ publishing rights with a party for the Filipino gaming community held last February 24 at The Platform, Newport World Resorts, Pasay City. League of Legends (LoL), sometimes simply referred to as ‘League’, boasts an estimated 180 million players around the world. During the League of Legends Worlds Championship 2022, the game achieved the honor of being at the center of the most-watched eSports event in history. Overall, the game is the most popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game today.
The event, dubbed the League of Legends Summoner’s Rave, marked the transition of the game to servers supported by Riot Games. The transition allows Filipino players to join in-game events and cross-franchise campaigns already available in other regions. They'll also have better access to player support and other resources, a new ranked season, and a new in-game tournament mode. Finally, Riot Games will also bring more hyperlocal moments and offline events to the local gaming community. According to Riot Games Philippines Country Manager Joel Guzman, League’s return is the result of an extensive period of hard work. Guzman detailed, “The migration of League of Legends back to Riot Games took a lot of Rioters to accomplish. It took people from the local team here in the Philippines, the central team in Los Angeles, and also from our Asia-Pacific hub in Singapore.” The push to return League to Riot Games is part of an initiative to serve Filipino players better and reduce delays to game updates while also improving engagement with the local League community.
| DJ Bandit cosplaying as True Damage Yasuo livening up the League of Legends: Summoner's Rave homecoming event (Image Source: PinoyGamer.ph/Riot Games Philippines) |
| Riot Games Philippines Country Manager Joel Guzman delivering his remarks during the LoL homecoming event (Image Source: PinoyGamer.ph/Riot Games Philippines) |
| (Image Source: PinoyGamer.ph/Riot Games Philippines) |
The colorful Summoner’s Rave featured live DJ sets, cosplayers, a PC battle room, special messages from the Riot Games team, and the awarding of in-game ranking and other prizes. Hosted by eSports commentators Autolose and Osiris, the event kicked off with a live DJ set from Hannah Ichiko cosplaying as the skin DJ Sona. This was followed by remarks from Country Manager Joel Guzman before segueing into two batches of ranking awards from the Riot Games team. Brand Manager Kimi Salazar gave a message of her own before making way for the awarding of a Secretlab gaming chair. Finally, the event wrapped up with a DJ set by DJ Bandit, cosplaying as the character True Damage Yasuo. Gracing the said event were Sparkle GMA Artist Center talent and popular gaming streamer/cosplayer Myrtle Sarrosa as well as cosplayers Charess, Aryanna Epperson, Prince De Guzman Transformations, and more.
During his remarks, Guzman explained that the return of League to Riot Games is the first step in continually bringing high-level player experiences to Filipino gamers. “We want to bring high-level experience to Filipino Rioters either through bringing international gaming talent to the Philippines or even elevating local gaming talent to the world stage." Guzman concluded, “Our team is excited to create activities that will really cater to the Filipino gamer community. We want them to remember these experiences and understand we’re here for them.” Overall, Riot Games is looking forward to bringing a new and improved League gaming experience to Filipino players. The developer invites everyone to download the game for free on Google Play and Apple App Store and join millions of players worldwide enjoying the world’s #1 MOBA with Riot Games.
