League of Legends: Wild Rift is building its own self-sustaining esports ecosystem
Riot Games has just provided details on its foray into mobile esports with League of Legends: Wild Rift. The popular MOBA’s head of esports Leo Faria has talked about the competitive landscape today and Wild Rift’s place in that ecosystem, which is independent of League of Legends.
According to Faria, League of Legends’ success in the esports arena doesn’t mean the same thing can happen to Wild Rift. The mobile space is entirely different, and catching lightning in a bottle is no easy feat. As such, the esports ecosystem for the mobile game will be self-sustaining instead.
“There is a lot to learn and leverage from the broader League of Legends ecosystem, but Wild Rift esports is not viewed here at Riot Games as a gateway to LoL Esports. Being the Wild Rift World Champion should feel just as amazing and prestigious as being the LoL World Champion. Winning in Wild Rift is the ultimate goal,” says Faria.
“We’re seeing a great appetite for Wild Rift esports. Since we announced the game back in 2019, influencers, pro teams, partners, and the media have constantly asked us if we are doing esports for Wild Rift and how they can join. Not doing it would mean stamping out the fire for competition that is very real in the community,” he adds.
Of course, the process will take time, as esports isn’t exactly optimized to be viewed on smaller screens. Riot is “all-in” though, and we can only expect to see bigger and better announcements in the weeks to come.
In the meantime, you can get in on the action by downloading League of Legends: Wild Rift on the App Store and on Google Play. It’s a free-to-play game with in-app purchases.
Looking for more battle arenas? Check out our list of the top 12 best MOBA games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)!