League of Legends (abbreviated LoL or just League) is a multiplayer online battle arena, real-time strategy video game developed and published by Riot Games for Microsoft Windows[1] and Mac OS X. It is a free-to-play game supported by microtransactions and inspired by the mod Defense of the Ancients[2] for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.
In League of Legends, players assume the role of an unseen "summoner" that controls a "champion" with unique abilities and battle against a team of other players or computer-controlled champions. The goal is usually to destroy the opposing team's "nexus", a structure which lies at the heart of a base protected by defensive structures. Each League of Legends match is discrete, with all champions starting off fairly weak but increasing in strength by accumulating items and experience over the course of the game.[3]
League of Legends was generally well received at release, and grew in popularity in the years since. By July 2012, League of Legends was the most played PC game in North America and Europe in terms of the number of hours played.[4] As of January 2014, over 67 million people played League of Legends per month, 27 million per day, and over 7.5 million concurrently during peak hours.[5]
League of Legends has an active and widespread competitive scene. In North America and Europe, Riot Games organizes the Championship Series, located in Los Angeles and Berlin respectively, which consists of 10[6] professional teams in each continent. Similar regional competitions exist in China, South Korea, Taiwan, South AmericaLeague of Legends is a 3D, third-person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game.[12] The game consists of four game modes: Summoner's Rift, Twisted Treeline, Crystal Scar, and Howling Abyss.[13] Players compete in matches, typically lasting 20–60 minutes. In each game mode teams work together to accomplish a terminal objective and achieve a victory condition, either to destroy a central objective...