As An Arcane Fan, Here's 5 Things I Want To See From The Riot MMO

Look, I’m gonna keep things real. I’m one of those people who have never played League of Legends in my life and know everything I know about the world of Runeterra through the Arcane show. However, this show was such an artistic masterpiece that it has prompted a long-term interest in the characters and lore of Runeterra for me, as well as many others around the world. It’s also a rather well-known fact that Riot Games has been working on an MMO game set within the world of Runeterra.

This provides the perfect opportunity to draw a larger audience of interest in the characters and world, aside from the usual MOBA crowd. But what exactly will the Riot MMO include? Well, things have been kept under pretty tight wraps thus far. League players may, of course, have their own ideas that they’d like to see in this new project. However, it is also important to consider fans such as myself who have become invested through Arcane or other means. Without further ado, as an Arcane fan who is unfamiliar with League of Legends, here are 5 things I’d like to see in the world of Riot’s Runeterra MMO.

In-Depth World Exploration Portraying Runeterra’s Deep Lore

First of all, if there’s one (slightly overwhelming) thing I’ve had made clear to me regarding Runeterra, it’s that the world is absolutely massive and there are hundreds of characters located throughout the many locations, each containing their own backstories and lore developments. A world with so much lore should feel alive and bursting with hidden mysteries to explore. It’s the little things that will matter, too - players want to walk around the streets in which their favorite characters grew up, visit historic locations and landmarks, and forge their own paths of adventure throughout familiar worldbuilding and storytelling environments they have come to love.

The thing that I am perhaps most excited about when it comes to a Riot MMO is simply learning more about the world of Runeterra along the way. I witnessed just two cities in the storyline of Arcane - Zaun and Piltover. And as much as I am excited about possibly being able to explore these locations, it’s the unfamiliar that really gets me excited about the concept. After all, it’s a huge world, apparently - I wouldn’t really know yet, remember? That said, based on the quality of Riot’s previous projects, I do have high expectations for gorgeous terrains, quirky townships, memorable characters, and the ability to utilize plenty of weapons, magic, and tech devices/powers to enable you with creative new ways to navigate the world.

Lively environments with Recognizable Companions/NPCs

One of the coolest things about the world of Runeterra is the large variety of characters throughout the lands. While seeing every hero might be a bit of a stretch, it would be a no-brainer to include at least a good chunk of some of the most popular characters from League. The most likely route is having them become intractable NPCs in relevant locations, providing story or quest information.

Taking it a step further, if the option to recruit these characters even temporarily for certain quests were available, this would add to the immersion and give everyone a personal connection to their favorite heroes and villains. In all honesty, the world would feel a little bit odd without any trace of familiar characters included, but to keep the scope realistic, devs will likely need to be fairly selective. However, this approach could open up opportunities to follow up with seasonal content or notable updates that add new familiar areas to explore, and use this as an opportunity to add some new NPCs or companions each time.

Weapon Classes & Types That Offer Unlimited Build Potential

This is where things get interesting, because obviously, there are your classic physical weapons. But Runeterra is also bursting with magic, Hextech, Chemtech, and plenty of other things, I’m sure. It has been heavily implied that the game will be a third-person MMO with action-based combat. Imagine being able to build and customize your character’s approach to combat not just through their weapon type (gun, dagger, sword, hammer, etc) but also through a weapon ‘class’. Perhaps each category could offer different bonus effects, or provide buffs, nerfs, or passive perks to the player when in use.

It would also be very interesting if players, perhaps start with basic weapons, but could learn to craft Hextech or Chemtech through quests, skill development, and item acquisition. Learning how these technologies work could be a very fun experience and part of the classic MMO ‘grind’ for optimizing your build under a particular theme or playstyle. Just look at how crazy people went with builds in Baldur’s Gate 3 due to all of the weapon + skill/race/item combinations; it’s just one of those things that can really draw players in.

Alternatively, combat and progression could work much the same for magic type and magic classes, should a player opt to forgo physical weapons for something a bit more flashy. After all, there are three core magic types in Runeterra - Elemental, Spirit, and Celestial Magic. Each one of these magic types has many different sub-categories, so it would be interesting to start with fairly basic Elemental magic capabilities and unlock different forms of magic through knowledge and skills as you progress. Being able to focus on one or a combination of select magical forms to become proficient could further amplify them in combat, giving users a real sense of progression. Weapons, magic, and technology influence much of Runeterra, so that connection should become a priority. It’s something like this, where each type of character build, even under the same ‘role’ or ‘class,’ has the possibility of being totally unique from one another, which could completely grab my attention and cause me to sink a concerning amount of hours into a game.

Strong Player Interaction Through Factions & Raids / Group Quests

Factions are a standard feature in a lot of MMORPG games. In Arcane alone, which, again, takes place in one location within Runeterra, there are several groups that could become in-game factions - the Enforcers, the Jinxers, the Firelights, the Chem-Barons, and the Noxian Forces. An ability to dedicate yourself to a particular group or faction and gain unique collectibles, in-game items, and rewards, or even abilities/passives, could be a lot of fun. For example, from the example above, Noxian Forces could gain passive buffs to combat-heavy stats and a special attack, whereas the Firelights could gain a movement speed passive and Hoverboard access.

However, with so many potential factions to consider throughout Runeterra, perhaps it would be best to take a different approach from factions. I think it would be interesting to be able to interact with multiple groups/in-game factions through specified questlines to earn different items, weapons, and cosmetics. Then, on the player side, it could be really interesting to have a more classic guild system where players create their own faction. Imagine having your own secret meet-up spots with other guild members throughout the map, being able to swap items, set up a base or hideout in a designated city/area, and even take on special group/faction-based missions around the world. Raiding other factions could involve action-based combat, provide a way to earn/steal valuable loot and items, or even take over enemy territories. There’s really an unlimited potential for what kind of player interactions and PvP / PvE could be worked into the game.

In-Game Eater Eggs Around Arcane (& Welcome to Noxus)

Of course, there are so many things that can be discussed when talking about an MMO set in the world of League of Legends’ Runeterra. However, as an Arcane fan, if there’s one thing I want above everything else, it’s some Easter Eggs to the Arcane storyline! While I’m eager to explore and learn more about new areas of the world, the idea of being able to visit Zaun and Piltover as locations in an MMO is incredibly exciting. I want to be able to walk through streets filled with Piltover's civilians or parkour my way across the rooftops towards Zaun. I want to be able to visit areas where the characters grew up and iconic locations from the show, such as the Kiramman estate, the council room, Jinx’s hideout, Silco’s lair, Stillwater Prison, the Firelights base, and more.

Even some of the characters and their associates are known by things as simple as an item or symbol. Imagine finding an old trace of Jinx’s classic scribble-like tags throughout the streets of Zaun, or being able to view the painted mural found at the Firelights base/tree. Even little details, such as being able to discover and read old studies on Hextech or Jace and Viktor’s development notes, or being able to walk through a cemetery that pays tribute to some of the more notable deaths that occurred in Arcane, would go a long way with immersion and give fans something recognizable to draw them in as they discover more about the world as a whole.

Most importantly, adding Easter Eggs from the show doesn’t have to be exclusive to Arcane. Riot is continuing its animated series with Welcome to Noxus, which opens up the possibility for even more content, such as limited-time quests tied to the ongoing story, new areas of relevance opening up on the map and being made discoverable, or even new items, weapons, and cosmetic additions themed around the series. It’s really an opportunity to connect fans of the Runeterra world from individual games and media such as League of Legends, Arcane, Teamfight Tactics, and other spin-offs.