Tag: League of Legends: Wild Rift

Singapore – The popular mobile game League of Legends: Wild Rift, based on the League of Legends franchise, now officially joins the list of other multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games such as Mobile Legends and Arena of Valor that have crossed the$1b consumer spending milestone. This is according to the latest data from data.ai.

The game has seen its highest downloads in China (inclusive of iOS downloads only), followed by Vietnam and Brazil, resulting in a global total of 22.4 million. This pushes its overall lifetime downloads to 111 million worldwide.

Notably, consumer spending in the game was most significant in China, reaching close to $141m over the same period, with the United States following at approximately $8.2m.

The data notes that due to the game’s mobile optimisation, the mobile adaptation maintains the original core mechanic of picking champions and duking it out on a simplified three-lane map, and adopted touch based control mechanics for accurate movements and targeting. 

Moreover, the graphics and character animations were optimised for smaller screens, while retaining high production values and iconic team battle action gameplay that the franchise is known for.

“Newcomers to the genre are greeted by beginner-friendly tutorials that get them in the game, and a revamped deep-progression system has been crucial in maintaining long-term player engagement. Ultimately, Wild Rift complements the PC version, driving downloads and spending by giving players a solid mobile alternative,” data.ai said in a press statement.

Singapore — Video game developer Riot Games has appointed GosuGamers as its official media partner for this year’s Wild Rift Champions Southeast Asia Finals. The agreement enables GosuGamers to provide coverage for the tournament on the esports front as well as dive deeper into individual teams that are making waves in the MOBA mobile game, League of Legends: Wild Rift.

Esther Quek, head of marketing of GosuGamers, said that they want to capture the attention of the young generation, gaming community, and Wild Rift lovers by creating more meaningful, inspiring and entertaining content for the community.

“By delivering content that is entertaining, educational, and vital to these fans, we hope to continue to be the best place to visit when it comes to global esports tournaments that have the potential to create positive impacts,” Quek said.

Of the 11 teams that have qualified for WCS 2022, GosuGamers will be inviting fans for a closer look at Team Flash from Vietnam, RRQ from the Philippines, Buriram United Esports from Thailand, and Flash Wolves from Taiwan. Esports fans can enjoy more updates surrounding these teams and the tournament itself via GosuGamers, alongside editorial and social content.

In addition to the premier esports coverage that is the signature of GosuGamers, the portal will also be holding the GosuAwards: Wild Rift Champions SEA Finals, designed to recognise players and teams for their outstanding efforts at the tournament, as well as serve as a reminder of the excellent play on display.

The GosuAwards will run after the WCS Finals from May 15-29, 2022. The winners will fall under the two categories of either Editor or Community Choice. The winners of Best Newcomers, Best Player in Each Position, Best Moments of the Tournament, and the Overall MVP will be recognised with coveted GosuAwards plaques that are fully customised.

Singapore – Esports championship series ONE Esports has been tapped by gaming company to be its official media partner for the upcoming League of Legends: Wild Rift Championships SEA tournament, to be held from 23 April to 8 May 2022.

As part of the partnership, ONE Esports will produce a Wild Rift esports video series titled WCS x ONE Presents: Rift Week! which comprises a five-part episode about WCS that will delight fans. This hosted series will feature tournament highlights, player interviews, fan interactions, and more. ONE Esports will also publish a series of articles covering the WCS. All editorial content will be available in English, Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese, and published on the ONE Esports website, oneesports.gg.

James Lu, chief editor at ONE Esports, said, “There is no question that Southeast Asia is at the forefront of the mobile esports boom. According to our research, 87% of gamers in Southeast Asia regularly engage in mobile gaming. Wild Rift, which brings the League of Legends experience to mobile, is set to become one of the hottest esports titles in the region, and we are proud to be selected as official media partner for the WCS. We look forward to deepening our relationship with one of the most renowned game developers in the world, and we hope that fans enjoy what we have in store for them.”

The WCS spans across competitive leagues in Asia Pacific, namely Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The four winning teams of the pan-regional WCS Finals will represent Asia Pacific in the Wild Rift Icons Global Championship taking place in Europe this summer, where participating teams will compete for a US$200k prize pool.

Meanwhile, Jem Loh, head of communications and channels for APAC at Riot Games, commented, “The WCS tournament this year has been characterized by some truly outstanding performances by local talent from around the Southeast Asia region. As the very best 11 teams come together to compete at the WCS Finals, we are thrilled to work with ONE Esports to bring specially curated WCS content to our passionate Southeast Asian fans. We look forward to bringing more meaningful ways for our fans to engage with the tournament and hope they enjoy the WCS x ONE Presents: Rift Week.”

ONE Esports has been ramping partnerships recently, including being tapped by Electronic Arts for the upcoming EACC 2022, as well as partnerships with brands such as HSBC, Samsung, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Manila, Philippines – While the esports scene industry in the Philippines has been thriving, thanks to a combination of local area network (LAN) gaming centers or more known as ‘computer shops’ and mobile gaming accessibility, the industry has seen its fair share of struggles maintaining mainstream focus, a new report from strategic advisory firm YCP Solidiance shows.

According to the report, the local industry has yet to prove that esports titles hold a lifespan long enough to support professional players’ careers, unlike traditional sports that have a long-proven history of consistent returns and established fan support. In contrast, international leagues such as The Overwatch League and League of Legends: League Championship Series have successfully proven their success in other countries, paving ways for a profitable future for the Philippine esports market.

On the other hand, while these esports tournaments have yet to see themselves ‘ripen’ in the local scene, the esports industry in the Philippines currently has over 43 million active gamers, a number growing steadily by 12.9% yearly since 2017. The country’s most played game, Mobile Legends, reached a whopping peak of 2.65 million active users daily (from data by the Google Play store in April 2019), and has shown consistent growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9%.

The report also suggests that in order for the esports industry to thrive in the country, they need to combine three elements: content, packaging, and accessibility. In the case of establishing an esports league tournament in the country, for instance, the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) in the Philippines, they have one of the highest levels of Mobile Legends competitive play that is accessible today in the country.

“Even better is that it shows a marked improvement, exponentially growing the viewership number from the previous seasons, and a growing loyalty amongst its viewers as seen with the returning support after multiple editions of the tournament. Though more outside investments and direct sponsorship support is not yet prevalent, it stands to reason that future editions of the tournament will very likely catch the eye of many non-endemic sponsors,” the report stated.

They added that at the end of the day, it is a ‘delicate balancing act’ that requires concrete efforts on all ends to make sure all bases are covered. Such efforts require considerable investments, but when these are done right, successes such as the one Mobile Legends has shown is a definite possibility. 

“Especially now that Mobile Legends’ success along the way is converting many nonparticipants of esports into potential audiences of tomorrow, the esports industry in the Philippines has never looked more approachable and primed to succeed in the coming years,” the report concluded.

Manila, Philippines – The Philippine Pro Gaming League (PPGL) is hosting a virtual match on March 8, where 15 registrants will have the chance to play against select members of the Philippine idol group MNL48 on the popular mobile game League of Legends: Wild Rift.

PPGL is the largest multi-title esports league in the country, having hosted a total of five seasons since its initial match-off in 2019.

Through the upcoming event, the registrants will have a chance to virtually meet and compete with MNL48 members namely Cole Somera, Abby Trinidad, Sheki Arzaga, Gabb Skribikin, and Coleen Trinidad.

MNL48 is a Filipino idol group, originally established in 2018. Known to be a part of the larger J-pop genre scene based on its mother group AKB48. They have since released a total of six singles, including ‘Pag-Ibig Fortune Cookie’, ‘High Tension’, and more recently ‘River’.

MNL48 fans took to Twitter to express excitement for the upcoming virtual match.

One fan said that it is noticeable that some of the more popular members were included in the lineup.

The virtual match also came days after MNL48 recently concluded its Third General Elections, in which voting power from the fans through buying merchandise determined the lineup of the group’s upcoming single.

The PPGL x MNL48 match is organized by the Philippine arm of esports organization Mineski and Philippine telco Globe, where the event will be also available on its newest service Globe Virtual Hangouts.