Everything we know about Ruined King: A League of Legends Story

The League of Legends universe isn't confined to a single game anymore, and Riot Games will soon launch a new spinoff, which we got a new look at during The Game Awards 2020. We've already seen the card game Legends of Runeterra, and more games in new genres for the series are also getting produced.

The next spin-off is Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, a single-player turn-based RPG that will feature some areas and characters from the world of Runeterra in more depth than we've seen before. While the game isn't that far off, Riot Games shared more at The Game Awards.

Here's everything we know so far about Ruined King, including its release window, platforms, gameplay details, and more

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When is the Ruined King release date?

When Ruined King: A League of Legends Story reemerged at the 2020 World Championship Finals in October 2020 where Riot claimed that the game will be released in early 2021. That was changed to a vague 2021 release window. Riot Forge explained their reasoning in a tweet that you can see below.

Basically, it had to be delayed so the game could get polished more and become the best it could be No nwq specific month or date was given, but that window indicates that we should expect it to be released sometime in the first half of next year.

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Is there a Ruined King trailer?

Yes, a new trailer for Ruined King was shown off at The Game Awards 2020 and it finally showed gameplay. If you've played Battle Chasers: Nightwar, it will look familiar to you. It also showcases many of the characters we'll encounter during the game, including Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Braum, Yasuo, Ahri, and Pyke. Check it out for yourself below:

What platforms is Ruined King on?

While League of Legends was PC exclusive for years and is only just starting to branch out to new platforms with Wild Rift, Ruined King will be on every major home console from the start. At launch, Ruined King will be available across PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of the game are also in the works, though they won't be ready for the initial launch and will come out "soon thereafter" according to a press release. While they won't arrive right away, Riot has confirmed that PS4 and Xbox One players can upgrade to the next-gen version of the game for free once the option is available.

Who is the Ruined King developer?

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story was not developed internally at Riot Games like League of Legends or Valorant. Instead, it's part of a new initiative called Riot Forge. This is a publishing branch of Riot Games that's in charge of creating League of Legends spin-off with other developers.

Airship Syndicate, a Texan developer known for games like Battle Chasers: Nightwar and Darksiders Genesis, is the team that's specifically working on Ruined King. Riot Forge does have other titles in the pipeline, like an action-platformer from Double Stallion called Conv/rgence: A League of Legends Story.

What is Ruined King gameplay like?

Riot Forge described Ruined King as a single-player, turn-based RPG that highlights a lot of League of Legends' lore for quite a while, but hesitated to show gameplay. That finally changed at The Game Awards, where we saw the game in action. It mostly plays out from a 3D top-down perspective until players get into a fight. Once that happens, players engage in turn-based combat set up like a classic RPG.

You don't need to know how to play League of Legends to play Ruined King. That's intentional, as Riot is hoping to introduce new players to the world of Runeterra with games like this. Check out the video of Battle Chasers: Nightwar below if you want to see what Airship Syndicate's previous RPGs were like and how Ruined King is going to turn out.

What is the Ruined King lore and story?

While exact story details are being kept vague, Riot has confirmed which areas and champions that players will see in Ruined King. The game takes place in Bilgewater, which is described by the developers as a "port town that is home to sea monster hunters, dock gangs, and smugglers."

Players will also visit the Shadow Isles, which is a more mystical area that's covered in a toxic Blac Mist. As mentioned earlier, the main party will consist of Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Braum, Yasuo, Ahri, and Pyke, and it wouldn't be surprising if more League of Legends characters pop up. Even if that's it, Ruined King should delve into these characters and places much more than League of Legends itself even could.

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story will be released in 2021.