A Quick Introduction To League of Legends
You’ve likely heard about League of Legends in the news or from a co-worker or friend. It is one of the most popular games in the world and has built a massive eSports following. In fact, its annual World Championship is streamed to hundreds of millions of fans. Many more tune in to watch League of Legends than the American Superbowl.
The League of Legends World Championship was the second most-watched competition in 2019, with more than 3.99 million viewers. You can see the immense growth of League Of Legends by checking their website, other esports channels, esports industry statistics, or having a look at research on the esports industry. Among the top five Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games is the second with its popularity, going side by side with Dota 2, Arena of Valor, SMITE, and Heroes of the Storm. MOBA tournaments are known to have the highest payouts in esports. The publisher behind the League of Legends Riot Games is being watched more than 35.5 million online hours on average.
In this quick introduction to League of Legends, we hope to familiarize you with the game’s basics and most essential concepts. If you are an experienced League of Legends player looking for more in-depth League of Legends guides, you can check out the many League of Legends guides and champion stats available from MOBA Champion.
What is League of Legends?
League of Legends is an online action and strategy game in the overall category of Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBA). The game was initially released in 2009 and has only grown in popularity since. It is currently played worldwide by more than 100 million players each month and is easily the most popular PC game in the world.
While the game has several game modes, most play their classic mode where two teams of five human players face-off against each other. The objective of the game is to destroy the other team’s base. To do so, they must battle their way through the enemy team’s minions, towers, and champions.
A typical game of League of Legends lasts anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. Some matches last longer, but they rarely last longer than 60 minutes.
Gameplay Basics
As a new League of Legends player, you should first familiarize yourself with the game’s basics. At the beginning of every match, players start at level 1 with 500 gold. Though players earn a small amount of gold every second, you will need to acquire most of your future gold by killing enemy champions and minions.
Gold is shared on champion kills. However, only the person who got the kill against a minion will earn that minion kill gold. One of the most essential skills in the game to master is the last-hitting minions for kill gold. This is usually your best source of income. New players should focus on developing this skill over almost any other skill.
While champion and minion kills are essential steps to winning a game, they aren’t objectives in themselves. If you managed to rack up 100 kills, you could still lose if your base is destroyed. Always focus on taking down objectives, such as enemy towers and inhibitors. If none are open and unprotected, concentrate on earning gold.
The League of Legends Map and Player Positions
League of Legends is played on a map called “Summoner’s Rift.” An overview of the map is shown below. Each half of the map (split by the river in the middle) is controlled by one team at the game’s start.
Minions spawn in each base and march down each lane (shown below as dashed lines). Within the jungle, neutral monsters can be engaged or ignored depending on if the nearby champion has the strength and desire to defeat them.
In a typical team setup, one player from the team will run to the top lane, one to the Mid lane, and two to the bottom lane. The remaining player on the five-person team will roam around the jungle and between lanes to support those in need.
This kind of positioning is prevalent and persists for about the first 15 minutes of the game. After the first towers begin to fall, other players will start to roam around, and the game shifts to become more about vision control and strategy.
League of Legends Terminology
After almost 12 years, League of Legends has built its own ecosystem with its own unusual terminology. For new players, this can sometimes be daunting. We’ve compiled a list of the most common terms to help you communicate in-game.
- LoL: In League of Legends, LoL isn’t “laugh out loud.” It’s simply a short way of saying “League of Legends.”
- CS: The acronym CS is very commonly used and refers to how many minions a player has killed. It stands for “creep score.”
- Gank: When a player appears out of nowhere to help their ally secure a kill, it is called ganking.
- Meta: The game’s meta is the current collection of what players think is reasonable and common. When players refer to “the meta,” they are referring to typical gameplay. Players that do random things and don’t follow “the meta” are often frowned upon (unless they win).
Final Thoughts on League of Legends
League of Legends is a very complex and engaging game with a massive fanbase. It also has a very approachable learning curve with an enormous abundance of guides and advice available.
If you are looking for an exciting multiplayer game that will be around for a long time, you should seriously consider League of Legends!
Mustafa Al Mahmud is the Founder and CEO of Gizmo Concept and also a professional Blogger, SEO Professional as well as Entrepreneur. He loves to travel and enjoy his free moment with family members and friends.