What If League of Legends Was Never Developed?

The Actual History

League of Legends (LoL) emerged in 2009 as a transformative force in the gaming industry, created by Riot Games, a company founded in 2006 by Brandon "Ryze" Beck and Marc "Tryndamere" Merrill. The game's origins trace back to Defense of the Ancients (DotA), a popular mod for Warcraft III. Steve "Guinsoo" Feak, one of DotA's developers, joined Riot Games and helped create League of Legends as a standalone title in the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre.

Released in October 2009, League of Legends adopted a revolutionary "free-to-play" business model that would later become industry standard. Players could download and play the game for free, while Riot generated revenue through microtransactions for cosmetic items like character skins. This approach proved enormously successful, making the game accessible to a global audience while generating substantial and sustainable revenue.

The game's competitive scene developed rapidly. In 2011, Riot Games hosted the first World Championship with a $100,000 prize pool. By 2018, the World Championship finals were drawing over 100 million viewers, surpassing many traditional sporting events. The 2022 World Championship offered a prize pool of over $2 million, with the winning team, T1, led by the legendary player Faker, claiming approximately $489,500.

League of Legends revolutionized esports by establishing professional leagues with franchised teams across multiple regions. In North America, the League Championship Series (LCS) implemented a franchise model in 2018, with team slots selling for approximately $10 million. In 2023, the game reportedly generated $2.1 billion in revenue, contributing significantly to Riot Games' overall valuation of approximately $21 billion.

The game's cultural impact extended far beyond competitive play. In 2021, Riot Games and Netflix released "Arcane," an animated series based on League of Legends lore, which received universal acclaim, won multiple Emmy Awards, and introduced the game's universe to mainstream audiences. The show's success demonstrated how a video game intellectual property could successfully transition to traditional entertainment media.

By 2024, League of Legends boasted over 180 million monthly active players globally. The game consistently ranks among the most-watched categories on streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming. Its success helped establish Riot Games as a major player in the industry, enabling the company to expand into other games like Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Legends of Runeterra.

League of Legends' influence extended to business models, competitive structures, and community engagement approaches across the gaming industry. It demonstrated the viability of free-to-play models for high-quality games, the potential for video games as spectator entertainment, and the importance of continuous updates and community engagement. The game's success story represents one of the most significant developments in 21st-century digital entertainment.

The Point of Divergence

What if League of Legends was never developed? In this alternate timeline, we explore a scenario where Riot Games either failed to form or took a drastically different direction with their game development, preventing the creation of what would become one of the world's most influential video games.

Several plausible points of divergence could have led to this alternate history:

Scenario 1: Riot Games Never Forms
Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill might never have met during their business school days at the University of Southern California. Without this crucial partnership, the foundation for Riot Games would never have been laid. Alternatively, their initial meetings with venture capitalists could have failed to secure the $7 million in funding they received in 2008, forcing them to abandon their entrepreneurial aspirations before Riot Games could properly establish itself.

Scenario 2: Failed Recruitment of Key Talent
In our timeline, recruiting Steve "Guinsoo" Feak and other DotA developers was crucial for League of Legends' development. In this alternate timeline, these developers might have remained committed to the DotA community or been recruited by Valve earlier for their standalone title Dota 2. Without this expertise, Riot might have created a fundamentally different game or abandoned the MOBA concept entirely.

Scenario 3: Different Business Model Decision
Riot Games might have opted for a traditional paid model rather than pioneering the free-to-play approach with microtransactions. This decision could have severely limited the game's initial player base, causing it to struggle against competitors and ultimately fail in the market before gaining significant traction.

Scenario 4: Technical Failures During Development
The development team might have encountered insurmountable technical challenges that prevented the game from functioning properly at scale. Server infrastructure problems, netcode limitations, or fundamental gameplay balancing issues could have rendered the project unviable, leading to its cancellation before public release.

For this alternate timeline, let's focus on a scenario where Riot Games formed but failed to secure crucial talent and faced technical challenges that ultimately led them to abandon their MOBA project in 2008-2009. Instead, they pivoted to developing smaller-scale games or potentially folded entirely. This seemingly minor change in the gaming industry would cascade into profound effects across digital entertainment, competitive gaming, and internet culture throughout the 2010s and beyond.

Immediate Aftermath

The MOBA Landscape (2009-2012)

In the absence of League of Legends, the MOBA genre's evolution took a significantly different path. Valve Corporation, recognizing the untapped potential of the genre, accelerated development of Dota 2, officially announcing the game in October 2010 rather than waiting until 2011 as in our timeline. Without competition from League of Legends, Valve faced less pressure to distinguish their product and maintained much closer mechanics to the original DotA mod.

Heroes of Newerth (HoN), developed by S2 Games and released in May 2010, initially captured a substantial portion of the MOBA market. S2 Games, facing less competition, maintained their paid model longer than in our timeline before eventually transitioning to free-to-play in July 2011. Without League of Legends dominating the free-to-play space, HoN achieved greater market penetration, particularly in North America and Europe.

"The initial MOBA war was primarily fought between Dota 2 and Heroes of Newerth," notes gaming analyst Marcus Chen. "Without Riot's aggressive marketing and accessible design philosophy, these games maintained a higher skill floor, making the genre more niche than it became in our timeline."

Blizzard Entertainment, observing the growing interest in the genre, fast-tracked development of what would become Heroes of the Storm. Without League of Legends' massive success demonstrating the financial potential of MOBAs, Blizzard launched their MOBA in early 2013 rather than 2015, positioning it as a more accessible alternative to the mechanically complex Dota 2 and HoN.

Streaming and Content Creation (2010-2013)

The growth of game streaming platforms took a different trajectory without League of Legends. Twitch.tv, launched in June 2011, still grew rapidly but lacked one of its most consistently popular categories. StarCraft II, released in 2010, maintained its position as the premier esports title for streaming longer without League of Legends to challenge its dominance.

"Streaming and content creation around MOBAs still happened, but it was more fragmented across multiple games rather than centralizing around League," explains internet culture historian Dr. Leila Thompson. "This fragmentation meant less concentrated star power among streamers and a smaller overall audience for MOBA content."

The absence of League of Legends created space for other genres to capture streaming audiences. Fighting games experienced greater growth on streaming platforms, with titles like Street Fighter IV and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 gaining larger followings. First-person shooters, particularly Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (released in 2012), dominated competitive gaming streams earlier and more completely than in our timeline.

Esports Development (2011-2014)

The esports ecosystem evolved differently without Riot Games' heavy investment. The vacuum left by League of Legends' absence was partially filled by Valve's approach to Dota 2 esports, centered around The International tournament which still launched in 2011 with its $1.6 million prize pool.

However, without Riot's pioneering league-based format, the esports industry remained tournament-focused for longer. Organizations like ESL, MLG, and DreamHack continued to be the primary bodies organizing competitions across various games, rather than game publishers establishing their own leagues.

"The franchise model for esports teams was significantly delayed," notes esports business analyst Jordan Matthews. "Without Riot demonstrating the viability of franchising through the LCS, teams remained much more fluid, changing rosters and sponsors frequently, creating a less stable ecosystem for players and organizations."

The lack of League of Legends also meant Korean esports organizations continued to focus primarily on StarCraft II rather than transitioning to League as they did in our timeline. Teams like SK Telecom T1 and Samsung Galaxy maintained their StarCraft divisions as their flagship teams, while potentially exploring other games like Dota 2.

Riot Games' Fate (2009-2012)

Without their flagship title succeeding, Riot Games faced a challenging future. In this alternate timeline, after their MOBA project failed, the company drastically downsized in late 2009. With their remaining resources, they pivoted to developing smaller-scale games for the growing mobile market, but struggled to distinguish themselves in an increasingly crowded space.

By 2012, with their venture capital running dry and no successful products, Riot Games was acquired by a larger publisher—potentially Electronic Arts or Activision—primarily for their development talent rather than any intellectual property. The Riot Games brand was eventually phased out, becoming another casualty in the volatile gaming industry.

Long-term Impact

The Transformed Gaming Industry (2013-2018)

Without League of Legends demonstrating the immense potential of the free-to-play model coupled with microtransactions, the gaming industry's business models evolved differently. While free-to-play eventually became prominent, its adoption in high-quality PC games was delayed by several years.

"League of Legends was the proof of concept that a free game could maintain quality, regular updates, and profitability simultaneously," explains gaming economist Dr. Sandra Martinez. "Without this example, many publishers remained skeptical of the model for premium experiences, sticking with traditional pricing or subscription models longer."

The vacuum left by League of Legends allowed for greater genre diversity in the gaming market:

Battle Royale Acceleration: Games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (2017) and Fortnite Battle Royale (2017) emerged earlier and captured larger market shares. Epic Games, not competing directly with an established MOBA, invested more heavily in Fortnite's development from an earlier stage.
MMORPG Resurgence: Without MOBAs capturing the social competitive gaming audience, MMORPGs experienced a smaller decline. Games like Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (2013) and Elder Scrolls Online (2014) achieved greater initial success.
Card Game Prominence: Digital card games like Hearthstone (2014) captured more of the competitive gaming audience, with Blizzard potentially allocating additional resources to this successful title in the absence of strong MOBA competition.

The "games as a service" model still emerged but followed different templates. Without Riot's pioneering approach to regular updates, seasonal content, and community engagement, other companies developed these practices more independently, leading to greater variation in implementation and potentially slower industry-wide adoption.

Alternative Esports Evolution (2014-2020)

Without League of Legends as the catalyst for mainstream esports growth, the competitive gaming landscape developed along different lines:

Publisher Involvement: Game publishers were more hesitant to directly operate esports leagues. Instead, third-party tournament organizers remained the primary operators of competitions across most games until the late 2010s.
Regional Development: Esports growth across regions occurred more unevenly. Without League of Legends' global infrastructure, certain regions like Latin America, Oceania, and Southeast Asia developed competitive scenes more slowly and with less infrastructure.
Viewership Plateaus: While esports still grew in popularity, it reached mainstream awareness more gradually. Peak viewership for major tournaments achieved by 2020 in this alternate timeline approximated 2016 numbers from our timeline, representing a significant delay in growth.
Investment Patterns: Without League of Legends demonstrating reliable viewership and fan engagement, investor confidence in esports was more tentative. The massive wave of venture capital that flowed into esports teams and infrastructure between 2017-2019 in our timeline was substantially reduced.

Dota 2 became the premier MOBA title globally, but even with greater market share, it never achieved the cultural penetration that League of Legends did. Its more complex mechanics and Valve's more hands-off approach to marketing limited its mainstream appeal compared to what League achieved in our timeline.

Media and Cultural Impact (2015-2025)

The absence of League of Legends created significant ripple effects across internet culture and digital media:

Streaming Platform Development: Twitch and other streaming platforms still grew significantly, but peak concurrent viewership numbers were approximately 30% lower by 2020 without League of Legends as a consistently popular category. This affected platform development, with fewer resources available for new features and expansion.
Creator Economy: The ecosystem of professional streamers and content creators developed differently. Without League of Legends providing a stable content base, creators needed to be more adaptable across multiple games, leading to different patterns of influence and celebrity.
Mainstream Recognition: Esports and gaming culture's penetration into mainstream media was delayed. Without events like the League of Legends World Championship demonstrating massive viewership, traditional media and advertisers remained skeptical of competitive gaming's potential for longer.
Animation and Adaptation: The absence of "Arcane" (2021), which never existed without League of Legends as its source material, meant a significant gap in mainstream animated content based on game properties. This success story that bridged gaming and traditional entertainment was never realized, potentially delaying similar adaptations from other game universes.
Language and Memes: Online communication evolved differently without the terminology and references from League of Legends permeating internet culture. Terms like "gank," "inting," or "Pentakill" either remained niche gaming jargon or developed through other games with different connotations.

By 2025, gaming and esports still occupied significant cultural space, but the landscape looked markedly different. Without Riot Games' influence pushing competitive gaming toward accessibility and mainstream appeal, the industry developed in a more fragmented fashion, with multiple games sharing smaller but dedicated audiences rather than a few titles dominating the conversation.

Corporate and Technology Landscape (2020-2025)

The corporate gaming ecosystem evolved along different lines without Riot Games as a major player:

Tencent's Strategy: Without acquiring Riot Games in 2011 and eventually gaining full ownership in 2015, Tencent directed its Western gaming investments differently. The Chinese technology giant potentially accelerated its acquisition of other studios or even attempted to develop its own competing MOBA for the international market.
Talent Distribution: The thousands of developers, artists, esports professionals, and business leaders who worked at Riot Games in our timeline were distributed across the industry differently. Many innovative practices and technologies Riot pioneered emerged more slowly through multiple companies rather than being driven by a single influential organization.
Competitive Metaverse Development: Without Riot's massive global userbase and cross-game ecosystem (including League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and Valorant), companies like Epic Games with Fortnite potentially established stronger early positions in developing connected game universes and virtual spaces.
Expanded Gaming Conglomerates: In the absence of Riot Games as an independent force, the gaming industry potentially consolidated under fewer large publishers. Companies like Microsoft (Xbox), Sony, Electronic Arts, and Activision Blizzard had fewer major competitors, potentially leading to less innovation pressure.

By 2025, the gaming industry remained robust but was shaped by different forces. The absence of League of Legends and Riot Games removed a significant counterweight to dominant publishers and potentially allowed for greater consolidation of power among traditional industry leaders.

Expert Opinions

Dr. Martin Reynolds, Professor of Digital Media Studies at MIT, offers this perspective: "The absence of League of Legends would have represented one of the most significant alterations to digital culture development in the 21st century. What's fascinating is how one game served as both an accelerant and a stabilizing force for gaming's cultural emergence. Without League demonstrating that millions would not just play but watch others play games, the entire ecosystem of gaming content might have developed more slowly and with less mainstream penetration. The game essentially built a bridge between gaming as a niche hobby and gaming as a legitimate entertainment medium on par with traditional sports or television."

Emma Zhao, former esports executive and venture capital advisor, provides an economic viewpoint: "The business implications of League of Legends never existing would be profound across multiple industries. The game didn't just create value itself—it validated entire business models and attracted billions in investment to adjacent spaces. Without League demonstrating that free-to-play could work at scale with ethical implementation, the mobile gaming market might have leaned harder into exploitative practices. Without the LCS showing that franchised leagues could work in esports, the infrastructure for professional players would have developed more chaotically. In many ways, League of Legends created the playbook that everyone else followed, refined, or reacted against."

Professor Jamal Washington, historian of competitive gaming at Berkeley, contextualizes the cultural impact: "League of Legends functioned as a universal language among gamers across vastly different cultures—from California to Seoul to São Paulo. In its absence, I believe gaming communities would have remained more regionally fragmented for longer. The phenomena of Korean esports, for instance, might have remained more isolated without League serving as a cultural translation mechanism. The game essentially standardized both how we play and how we talk about play on a global scale. In an alternate timeline without it, gaming culture would likely maintain stronger regional distinctions and progress toward mainstream acceptance more unevenly across different markets."