League Of Legends: Wild Rift - What We Know So Far

League of Legends remains dominant in the esports industry — and thanks to League of Legends: Wild Rift, it may become even more so. The more approachable version of the mobile online battle arena game (MOBA) for PCs is now looking to appeal to a wider audience than ever. 

League of Legends: Wild Rift is an original game built from the ground up and will be completely separate from the PC version, with its own update schedule. It has a map that's "smaller, faster, and specced for mobile," according to Riot Games, but like the original, it's meant for 5v5 player battles. Matches take 15-20 minutes, so it offers a streamlined, bite-size version of League of Legends with an altered control scheme based on its different platforms. It's meant to feel like the authentic League of Legends experience, though, with normal, ranked, co-op, and custom modes and all the familiar champions, tactics, and gameplay.

What else do we know about the new game? Read on to find out.

Beta testing has already taken place internationally. In spring 2020, the Alpha test was launched in Brazil and the Philippines, and a Regional Closed Beta began in September 2020, starting with Indonesia on Sept. 16 and followed within a couple of days in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This Beta was held mostly on Android devices, but a limited iOS Beta was done as well. In October, South Korea and Japan were added, and a Regional Open Beta that encompassed much of Southeast Asia followed. Then, in December, the Open Beta moved to Europe, Turkey, Russia, and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East, and North Africa.

North American players finally get their chance to test out the game in March 2021. As outlined by the Season 2021 Opening Day stream, the developers say that rolling the game out is taking longer than they planned, but they are working to make sure players have access to a large variety of Champions when they join. A full release date has not been announced yet, however, although the full version of League of Legends: Wild Rift is expected in 2021. 

At this point in the game's development, League of Legends: Wild Rift has a whole library of trailers at its dedicated YouTube channel. These include developers' diaries, overviews of the champions, gameplay videos, and more. If you're looking for information on the game, this is a good place to start, and there's plenty of content to keep you occupied until the Beta comes. 

The announcement trailer from October 2019 is a good introduction, showing off pre-Alpha gameplay with some exciting moves, as well as a look at the animation of some of the available Champions. A video showcasing Wild Rift in 2021 has all the information about what's in store for the game this year, including upcoming Champions, events, and skins. The video notes that the development team is still upgrading the gameplay, expanding itemization options, and creating more game modes such as an All Random All Mid (ARAM) mode. League of Legends: Wild Rift will be starting its first official ranked season soon, design director Brian Feeney shares in the video, and many events are coming soon.

League of Legends: Wild Rift will bring the game to console and mobile players. However, Riot Games has not yet announced which consoles Wild Rift will come to. Since it had an original release date of 2020, it's very possible PS4 and Xbox One versions will roll out, and a Nintendo Switch version has been hinted at as well.

The game features dual-stick controls and will be free-to-play, just like the original, with skins and cosmetic content as well as Champions available as in-app purchases. However, you can also earn the Champions through gameplay — so, like the original game, you don't have to buy anything if you don't want to. 

Cross-platform play will be available between iOS and Android devices. However, cross-platform between the PC title and Wild Rift would "require compromises of competitive integrity," so don't expect that. The developer did say it would try to coordinate event themes and releases between the two and was looking into cross-platform play between mobiles and consoles. 

"We want to make sure the gameplay feels fair and fun no matter which platform you're most comfortable on," the developer said.