League of Legends is Riot Games' multiplayer online battle arena and, by player count, one of the largest games in the world. Two teams of five each control a champion and work to destroy the opposing Nexus.
The map has three lanes and a jungle between them, and the five roles that emerged from it — top, jungle, mid, bot and support — are now the standard structure of the genre. Each has its own rhythm: the jungler moves between lanes creating advantages, the support protects a carry who scales into the late game, and coordination between them decides most matches.
The champion roster runs to well over a hundred and fifty, each with a passive and four abilities. New champions arrive several times a year and the balance patch cycle is roughly fortnightly, so the metagame moves continuously rather than settling.
A match runs 25 to 40 minutes. Gold from minions, jungle camps and kills buys items that shape a champion's build, and objectives — dragons, Rift Herald, Baron Nashor — give team-wide advantages worth fighting over.
Free on Windows and macOS, with a rotating free champion pool, champions unlockable through play, and revenue from cosmetic skins. Ranked play and a large international esports circuit sit on top.
Riot Games has developed and operated League of Legends since 2009, running its balance patches, seasonal ranked cycles and the international esports circuit including the World Championship.
