On December 10, the beta of League of Legends: Wild Rift starts for Europe, including Germany. Anyone can participate in the beta for free and try out the MOBA. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch is particularly excited about the LoL Mobile – due to the short matches and fair gameplay.
Update December 7: In the meantime, I have been able to play the game before its release. I share my experiences in this preview article about Wild Rift with you.
What kind of game is this? Wild Rift will be a standalone mobile version of LoL. The matches are supposed to be shorter, the controls will be adapted to smartphones, and there will be a smaller champion pool.
Otherwise, it is supposed to provide the familiar League of Legends feeling. You compete in 5v5 matches with and against other players, take on the role of champions, farm XP and minions, and can purchase items during a match to become stronger.
Who is Wild Rift interesting for? If you are already actively playing LoL, you should definitely check out Wild Rift. After all, it is basically the same game on a new device.
But Wild Rift is aimed just as much at newcomers and gamers who have not tried LoL so far:
- You no longer need a PC, which especially benefits console owners or mobile gamers
- You don’t have to plan as much time, as the matches are significantly shorter
- You can access the game from anywhere
- Wild Rift completely avoids Pay2Win and time blockers, as seen in other mobile games
I myself have been playing LoL for almost 10 years and was at Platinum level for a while. However, in recent years I have lacked the time to experience the MOBA intensively. That’s why I am so excited about Wild Rift.
For MeinMMO, he has already tested games like EVE Echoes and numerous mobile MMORPGs, for which he created a top list.
LoL for on the go and on the couch – Perfect for me
What makes Wild Rift so good for me? Because of the shorter rounds, which I can also comfortably play on the couch, in bed or while on the go with good Wi-Fi, the game is particularly appealing to me.
Simply sitting at the PC for 25 to 50 minutes to play a round of League of Legends is often no longer possible.
Even the mobile version of Teamfight Tactics led me to actively play Auto Chess to LoL. I can comfortably manage several rounds per week there.
As a cool side effect, Wild Rift also offers daily login rewards. Through these, you can earn in-game currency for new champions, as well as specific champions directly. For me, a sensible addition.
A fair mobile game: Furthermore, Wild Rift is one of the mobile games that focuses entirely on fairness and avoids annoying elements like time barriers or Pay2Win. Like in the PC game, there are free heroes and others that I can earn through in-game currency.
Instead, I can spend money on prettier skins or cosmetic content like symbols or new emotes in the game.
A clone of LoL is already successful as a mobile version
Can a LoL mobile work? In 2015, the Chinese giant Tencent launched a MOBA for smartphones. With Honor of Kings (Arena of Valor in Europe), a LoL clone – which, however, is incredibly successful in China was released.
In 2017, more than 80 million people reportedly played it daily, which corresponds to about the population of Germany. Even anti-addiction measures for children had to be initiated to limit the daily playtime.
Interestingly, there were discussions between Riot and Tencent about a mobile version of LoL prior to its release (via Dotesports). After all, the Chinese giant Tencent bought the last shares in Riot Games in 2015 and “owns” the company Riot Games now.
However, Riot decided against cooperation. It was said that Riot had concerns that they “might not be able to transport the LoL feeling from PC to mobile.”
Tencent therefore developed its own game:
- In China, it became a mega-hit as “Honor of Kings”
- In the West, however, the game could not establish itself as Arena of Valor, also because there were significant version differences between China, the rest of Asia, and the West. In addition, Riot Games raised alarms: They apparently didn’t like that Tencent was competing with their LoL with “Arena of Valor”
The end of the story was: Riot Games gave in and developed a “LoL Mobile” after all.
What speaks for the success of Wild Rift? League of Legends is a strong brand for us. In addition, the acceptance of mobile games in the West has significantly increased in recent years. Good titles like Pokémon GO or CoD: Mobile are even very popular here in the West.
With Wild Rift, an interesting new title is added that you should not miss. We at MeinMMO will accompany the release and provide you with all important information.
Everything you currently need to know about Wild Rift can be found here summarized:
Wild Rift: Everything we know about LoL Mobile – Beta, Release, Champions
