League of Legends’ recent return of Arena proves that the developers have what it takes to make the MOBA fun once more, instead of focusing on the game’s ranked and competitive aspects.
Arena has been one of the most successful League of Legends limited-time modes in the game’s history. The team-based 2v2 mode has already made a comeback three times proving just how popular it is. Now in its third iteration, the devs have gone all out with the number of augments, items, and arenas on offer, proving that Riot can make League fun again.
Arena focuses on the wild and whacky aspects of League, like combining certain augments and items to craft the ultimate build. This is in stark contrast to the game’s ranked mode, which is entirely about optimal play and strategy resulting in overly competitive and frustrating gameplay.
The mode harkens back to an older time before the game was solved, when players would run Ashe with teleport and use it to follow up on their own ultimate. Arena does this in a similar fashion, where players are constantly discovering new techniques and ways to play the game.
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The success of Arena’s most recent run proves that Riot can make fantastic and fun game modes for the more casual player base to enjoy. The devs know what can make the game fun, and are able to do so, provided they’re given the resources and time needed.
It’s also possible that Arena remains as a permanent game mode, with player feedback and engagement dictating whether or not this is the case. If so, it opens up the opportunity that we could see even more modes in the future, more that stray away from the overly competitive ranked mode.
With Arena constantly being revamped and made better each time it returns, this is likely just the start of what Riot has in store, hopefully being the start of the dev’s endeavors into more fun-focused modes.
