How Legends of Runeterra saved my 2020
A love letter to the game that keeps accompanying me through so much
On January 24th, 2020, Legends of Runeterra (AKA LoR) started its open beta. It was a “cold” day, despite being Summer here in Brazil (18°C is cold for us, okay?). I spent from morning to evening messing with the cards, admiring the great work on the arts and consistently trying to level up Braum and win with his army of poros. I was so invested into the game that I almost overlooked an email confirming that I was selected to the job position I’m currently in. Before COVID struck us down and through the anxiety of my first days at work, LoR was there for me to serve as the best relief I could possibly imagine.
Unfortunately, I didn’t play it for long. Two weeks after the open beta release, I was really focused on life. Focused enough to forget about a card game and to not realize that February would be the last full month of “normal life” around here. With the virus outbreak in March and the process of home office and remote studies, I felt depressed about the future and about all the opportunities I was losing day after day.
Then, on April 30th, the game finally launched, followed by a mobile version and a huge expansion. I remember seeing the “Breathe” trailer on Twitter and realizing: “Oh, I completely forget about Runeterra. Maybe I should try it again, now that the game is out!” So, I dove deep into the Bilgewater sea and even ventured into the Season of Plunder ranked, which resulted in a Diamond rank at the end of the season. I was really proud about my evolution in the game.
As I played more and more everyday, LoR started to become a part of my routine. I used to wake up, have my breakfast and play a match or two before class. Then, I would play again on classes break, before and after lunch and even between tasks at work. LoR helped me stay focused and relaxed, helped me think on my next move in the game and in real life. The game always felt like a conversation to me. You do something and the opponent argues back. You throw an awesome card that will ruin the adversary’s game only to receive a big “Deny” on your face.
LoR is addictive, fun and charismatic. I prefer playing it in English because every single quote is so clever and well designed that listening to the voice lines from each new card makes me feel like I’m in a world full of different people. From Swain promising that “Noxus will rise” to Twisted Fate being brought “back at the table”, Runeterra is a coin of gold immersed in a sea of silverwares free-to-play games that put money over everything else.
In one year playing the game, I have gotten all the champions and almost every single card. I’ve invested money once or twice just to buy a cool board and a much needed Vladimir emote. The weekly vault that rewards players with a bunch of new cards the more you play, the expeditions grant an epic wildcard and even the region progress system — everything is designed to give the feeling that you are improving not only your skills, but your own collection. This strategy keeps the player engaged and wanting more and more. In LoR, we do not spend money on cards, because they are part of the experience. Every other card game that does the opposite, harms players’ joy and fun.
If just playing the game and waiting for the new expansions wasn’t enough, I had the luck of getting to watch many content creators who make my days a lot easier. Laughing at Grapplr and his insane Karma plays, listening to Mogwai’s deck tech speech, contemplating Swim big brain thoughts, and even realizing that having three of each single card in a deck might not be a good idea (thanks BBG). The LoR community is full of great people who walk together, building a more pleasant environment for everyone. There is no rage, no prejudice and no discrimination. Well, people do bully Grapplr for his “papaya plays’’, but this is another story. The fact is that LoR has fans who contribute to the game and make everything feel enjoyable as “It was meant to be”.
Today marks Legends of Runeterra’s first anniversary. After one year of journeys through the seas, mountains and deserts, this card game made me much happier than I thought I would be. It grabbed my hand when I was down and away from everybody and released it only when I was finished beating aggro decks in the ranked ladder. It helped see a bright light through this tunnel that we have been locked on for more time that I can remember. So, as this is an anniversary text to the game I love, I just wanted to say that after everything gets back to its “normal state” again, I will not forget the special days and nights that I spent thinking about what deck I should build next. I will never forget the level up animations, the victory quotes and the beautiful card artworks that we get to see everyday.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank LoR for saving my 2020. Better times are yet to come and I know that someday we will “atrocity” down the difficulties we are facing.
“Victory today, freedom tomorrow” — The most handsome forger of stars, Aurelion Sol
