Time Magazine says League of Legends is one of decade’s best games

Riot Games’ flagship MOBA secured a prestigious position on Time Magazine’s curated list of the “10 Best Video Games of the 2010’s,” establishing its legacy as a defining entertainment experience of the decade.

League of Legends stood alongside nine other distinguished titles in Time’s selection. Notably, Riot’s competitive title and Epic Games’ Fortnite represented the only multiplayer-focused games recognized, distinguishing them in a field dominated by narrative-driven single-player experiences. While the game officially launched in October 2009, its transformative growth and cultural penetration occurred entirely within the 2010s, evolving from a niche title to a gaming institution.

This recognition highlights a critical industry shift toward live service games that maintain engagement through continuous content updates and competitive ecosystems.

While League maintained consistent year-over-year growth since inception, the latter half of the 2010s witnessed exponential expansion for the multiplayer phenomenon. During Riot’s 10th anniversary celebration on October 15, 2019, the developer disclosed unprecedented metrics: League of Legends consistently achieves peak concurrent player counts exceeding 8 million daily across global servers.

To contextualize these numbers, Valve’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive reached its all-time peak of approximately 850,000 players in March 2016 and has never again approached that threshold.

Understanding player retention patterns reveals why League succeeds where others plateau. The game’s design encourages regular engagement through ranked seasons, champion rotations, and evolving meta-game strategies that keep the experience fresh for veteran competitors while remaining accessible to newcomers.

Riot’s strategic approach to game accessibility represents a masterclass in market penetration. The free-to-play model eliminates financial barriers, while modest hardware requirements ensure compatibility across diverse global markets, from high-end gaming rigs to budget computers.

League of Legends exemplifies the “easy to learn, challenging to master” design philosophy that has proven so effective in competitive gaming. The substantial skill differential between novice and experienced players creates natural progression incentives, while Riot’s continuous introduction of new champions and gameplay adjustments maintains long-term engagement.

For players transitioning from other competitive titles, understanding League’s unique mechanics requires adjusting to team-focused objectives rather than individual performance metrics that dominate other shooters.

Esports multiplies League of Legends’ popularity

League’s widespread appeal receives significant amplification from the world’s most viewed competitive gaming ecosystem. Riot Games operates structured professional leagues across multiple global regions, creating localized fan bases with international reach. Weekly viewership numbers consistently reach hundreds of thousands as enthusiasts follow their preferred teams’ competitive journeys, while professional competitors achieve celebrity status comparable to traditional athletes.

Annually, these regional competitions culminate in the League of Legends World Championship, commonly referred to as “Worlds” within the community.

The 2019 World Championship in Paris, France, attracted more than 100 million unique viewers throughout its five-week tournament duration. The championship match featuring Europe’s G2 Esports against China’s FunPlus Phoenix achieved a staggering peak of 44 million simultaneous viewers.

For organizations building competitive rosters, the regional league system provides structured pathways for talent development, similar to how effective class selection creates strategic advantages in team-based shooters.

Riot’s content strategy extends beyond gameplay into original music production, particularly through championship anthems and character-themed releases. The 2018 release of “POP/STARS” by virtual group K/DA, composed of League champions, demonstrated the game’s cultural reach beyond traditional gaming audiences.

This hip-hop/pop fusion track featured four prominent vocalists each representing distinct in-game characters. The composition achieved remarkable commercial success, accumulating over 111 million Spotify streams while its accompanying music video surpassed 293 million views.

League’s cultural significance reached new heights through the unprecedented partnership with luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton announced September 23, 2019. The collaboration produced an exclusive trophy case alongside a dedicated clothing collection, with premium pieces priced in the thousands selling out within minutes of availability.

These cross-industry partnerships mirror how successful weapon mastery in tactical shooters requires understanding both equipment capabilities and strategic deployment.

League of Legends completed Time’s prestigious list alongside genre-defining titles including Minecraft, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and the mobile sensation Pokémon Go.

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