Riot Games has today announced that Season one for their strategy title League of Legends will be kicking off on 13 July. If you’ve been playing the game since launch last year then you’ll know that this is the first real competative season for the DOTA inspired strategy.
When the season launches, Riot Games will be adding new game features including Draft Mode, Ranked Games and Ladders. This first season will last a whopping six months.
“The Season One features and updates will greatly enhance League of Legends and help us towards our goal of having LOL being played by the world’s top gamers in the biggest and best gaming leagues and tournaments,” said Marc Merrill, co-founder and President of Riot Games. “We have been thrilled with the reception League of Legends has received from the players and we will continue to enhance and evolve the game to make it the best gaming experience possible. Season One is just one of many high-quality, free updates that our fans can expect to see in the months and years to come.”
Season one updates include:
Ranked Games – Once Season One begins, summoners of Level 20 or above will be able to play in the ranked game system. At launch, ranked players will be able to join one of three queues: 3v3 Premade, 5v5 Premade, or 5v5 Solo. Players will receive an individual rating for each of these queues.
Ladders – Once Ranked Play begins, players who choose to participate will have their ELO ratings displayed publicly on the League of Legends Ladder. On the ladder, players will be able to see how they stack up against the rest of their friends, peers and competitors. The ladder will be available on the official website as well as on the PVP.net interface.
Draft Mode – Champion selection during ranked play will take on the form of a live draft. In 5v5 premade and 3v3 premade, the first phase of this draft process will provide the inviter of each team, who is automatically the captain, with the opportunity to ban the use of two Champions. Banned Champions cannot be selected for use on either team.
After bans have been dispensed by both sides, the teams will begin the draft process. During ranked play, draft picks will be exclusive, meaning that a drafted Champion will not be available for play by the opposing team. The team who received the second ban will begin the drafting process by drafting a single Champion. Following that, the game will follow a 1:2:2:2:2:1 draft format for the 5v5 brackets and a 1:2:2:1 format for the 3v3 bracket.
Initially Draft Mode will be available both in Ranked Play and in practice games. Normal Games will continue to utilize blind pick during champion selection.
Improved Visual Styles – Many elements of the League of Legends Web site as well as the PVP.net interface will be updated with new art, graphics and animation. These updates will be brighter, more visually appealing and easier to use.
