Riot Games is always thinking about new ways to provide unique experiences to League of Legends players. The best way the company has found to do this is by introducing new game modes.
Some of the game modes that Riot Games introduces are not that successful and quickly go away. However, others can captivate players and become loved by the community. Game modes such as U.R.F or Ultimate Spellbook are two examples of that.
The most recent game mode to do that was the Arena mode. Arena is truly a unique game mode. Because of that, it quickly became one of the most popular League of Legends game modes ever.
So, Riot Games decided to give us a behind-the-scenes look, at how Arena was created.
Why was the Arena mode created?
Riot Games developers wanted to create a "lower-stress League of Legends experience". A game mode where players could have fun and be competitive at the same time. But without the high-stress environment, we find in ranked.
That's when the idea for the Arena mode came up. A 2v2v2v2 mode focused on action, and where players can have fun with friends. According to developers, Arena is also a mode where is "okay to fail".
The creation process behind it
Once the idea for Arena came up, developers started working on it. First, they created a prototype. They focused on programming the mode and making sure everything was working.
After successfully creating the prototype, developers were asked when they thought the mode would be complete. The answer was the end of 2023. However, they were asked to try and get the mode ready for the Soul Fighter event.
Game designer Stash Chelluck, and design lead Daniel Emmons, explained that at the time that seemed impossible. But that, nevertheless, they would try to do it.
It was quite literally a race against time, that became even harder when Riot Games was hacked. This had an impact on the Arena mode project. It made it harder to deliver the project on time and put more pressure on the Arena team. Developers mentioned that it was a particularly stressful period.
However, Riot Games recognized just how important the Arena game mode was, and made it a priority. Developers from different areas were sent to the Arena team, to help with its development.
After that, the development of Arena was at full speed. Multiple Riot Games developers were working together to deliver the best gaming experience possible.
One thing developers were clear about, is that they didn't want Arena to be a one-and-done mode. Instead, they wanted to create a long-lasting game mode, which provided players with a new way of playing League of Legends.
The Arena game mode was created in just six months which is pretty impressive. The fact they were able to deliver the best game mode League of Legends has ever seen, makes it seem even more impressive.
Arena mode features
The developers also talked about the thought process behind adding augments to the mode.
Augments were added to balance the game. Players that aren't that good mechanically, but know how to play and itemize around their augments, will be in an even playfield with great mechanical players.
This creates a more balanced game mode, where mechanics aren't the be-all and end-all.
Developers also explained why Arena is a 2v2 game mode. By being a 2v2 mode, Arena allows players to try out a plethora of champions. It makes it so the combinations are endless, and every game is unique.
Furthermore, they also talked about Arena map designs. According to the developers, every map needed to be unique, but also encourage fighting and action. After all, Arena is supposed to be an action-packed game mode, that lets players experience a unique way to play League of Legends.
There was no mention about the future of the mode, and if it's here to stay. But with such a positive reaction from the community, we can expect Arena to be live for quite some time.
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