What is League of Legends?
An overview of what League of Legends is, how LoL works, and why you should play it. The objective of League explained for complete beginners.
League of Legends is a competitive multiplayer video game developed and published by Riot Games. It falls into the genre of so-called MOBA games, which stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena.
That all sounds great, and now you have the Wikipedia-worthy definition. However, if you’re interested in what League of Legends is about, that sort of answer probably won’t do you much good. There’s a reason millions of people all over the world play LoL every day. If you’re looking for that reason, welcome to our crash course for League of Legends beginners.
Introduction to League of Legends
Before we get into analyzing what makes League of Legends good, we’ll need to start with the very basics. We’ll assume you know very little about how games like these work in the first place. Feel free to skip ahead if you already have a basic understanding of MOBA games. This article is focused on the broad strokes of how League of Legends works instead of teaching you how to play.
LoL is a team-based, player-versus-player (PvP) game that pits two teams of 5 players against each other. When you first open and play League of Legends, the game uses a matchmaking system to form the two teams. This system is based on matching players with a similar level of experience and skill. Otherwise, you would have newbies playing against long-time veterans, and that wouldn’t be fun to anyone.
Once the teams are matched and ready to go, an LoL match can begin. A single game can last anywhere between 15 minutes and more than an hour. On average, though, a match goes on for about 30 minutes.
Each time a match begins, every player picks one character – Champion – from a roster of 157. No two players can play the same Champion in a single game, but this choice is pivotal for how to play League of Legends. All of them have their own set of abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. The interactions and fights between these LoL Champions are at the very heart of what makes the game engaging.
How League of Legends is Played
Each player controls only their single Champion using a combination of mouse and keyboard commands. This is a strategy video game, and the focus is on using your Champion’s abilities to defeat opposing players and complete the game’s objective. You interact with all of it from a bird’s eye perspective.
All of this happens on a playing field, most often called a Map. The default and most-played Map is called the Summoner’s Rift. It’s populated by the two teams' bases as well as various neutral creatures – more on that later.
For now, you need to understand what this video game is all about teamwork. If you ever wondered what type of game is League of Legends, that’s easily the most important side. Sure, multiple aspects come into what makes an LoL player good. Reflexes, planning, strategy – all of it plays a part. It’s an extremely multi-faceted game with a lot of depth. However, if you don’t coordinate with your team, the match is as good as lost.
The Objective
The goal of League of Legends is seemingly straightforward. At the heart of each team’s base is a Nexus. To win a game of LoL, your team has to break the opposing team’s Nexus before they do the same to you. Obviously, your opponents will do their best to stop you, and you can only win by outplaying them.
Moreover, each Nexus is surrounded by layers of defenses. These include defensive Turrets, non-player Minions which fight for the teams, and more. Anything that’s not a player Champion is controlled by the AI – Artificial Intelligence. However, such obstacles act according to predictable patterns and won’t pose a big threat to player Champions on their own. Still, all of this means you can’t just walk into the enemy base and take the game.
You’ll need to get stronger first. Defeating enemy Champions, Minions and other defenses grant your Champion experience and gold. Over the course of the match, experience increases your character’s level. Leveling up makes the Champion stronger, tougher, and grants new abilities. Similarly, gold can be used to purchase various items.
Effectively fighting and defeating enemies won’t win the game on its own. However, it will make sure your team has an edge, which eventually leads to victory. Knowing how to win League of Legends usually comes down to a series of small victories which eventually lead to triumph.
What Is the Point of League of Legends?
The point is to have fun, of course! There is more to it than that, though.
If you’re new to video games in general, it might help to think of League of Legends as a sport. And by that, we don’t just mean there are professional League of Legends players and competitions.
Playing a sport is often its own goal and reward. As you play, you’ll also improve, learn new skills, meet like-minded people, and so much more. While some players strive to become the best, that doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone. Think of it this way – not everyone who picks up a basketball necessarily wants to become an NBA player.
And just like in many sports, each match is a self-contained experience. The goal of a match is to win, yes, but there are also long-term objectives. The most obvious one is getting better at the game. In League of Legends, skill and experience are not only internal. The game keeps track of how you’re doing and ultimately rewards your efforts.
For one, there is Summoner Experience. The game refers to players as Summoners, and playing matches and completing objectives will grant Summoner XP. Unlike Champion XP, this acts as a long-term League of Legends progression system. It’s not limited to one game like your Champions are. As you play and get more experience with the game, you unlock additional LoL features.
Also, remember the matchmaking system we mentioned earlier? Well, it divides all players into different ranks. There are 9 tiers in total, ranging from Iron to Challenger. As you win games, you climb up this ladder and face even better players. Hopefully, you’ll keep getting better and earning more bragging rights!
Conclusion
You should now have a broad understanding of what League of Legends is about. However, if you’re thinking that not much of this information will help you know how to win League of Legends – you’re probably right.
That’s why we’re here for. Our dedicated LoL guides and tutorials cover everything from beginner’s guides to League of Legends to Champion strategies. If you’re looking for ways to get better at the game, you’re in the right place.