League Of Legends

I am writing here today with a confession: I have become a regular League Of Legends player in 2026. The worst part? I think the game has been pretty fun. 

It started roughly a year ago. Two of my brothers have played League Of Legends since 2011, but I never joined them. I was too busy emulating JRPGs on my computer and making cute photo sets of Link from The Legend of Zelda to publish on my Tumblr. They mostly stopped playing as adults, but occasionally would view VODs of esports tournaments when we were all together. One Thanksgiving, we were crammed into a tiny apartment, so I sat down with them and watched.

I didn't know what I was looking at. All I could see were health bars and little figurine-like characters from a bird's-eye view. Sometimes, I saw flashes of light, and it almost seemed like characters instantly disappeared from the screen. Watching League Of Legends felt like trying to read a book in a language I didn't understand. I peppered my little brother with questions, like "Where did that guy go?" and "What are they trying to do right now?" At one point, he turned to me and said, "You know, the best way to understand is to just play." We set up a gaming laptop on the dining room table and sat side-by-side. I heard a rippling spring pool as my character spawned into the Summoner’s Rift, and I haven’t left its jungles since. 

Playing now lets me engage with League Of Legends on my own terms

Being a League Of Legends beginner in 2026 has its challenges. There are over 170 Champions to play. This is a very high number. It also feels more burdensome than, say, learning 150 Pokémon, because understanding each Champion requires more contextual knowledge. Some characters scale and are better in the late game, whereas others can get a lead by being aggressive in the early game. There are some Champions that can play multiple roles, but then you need to build them with different items (and you need to know those items). The beauty and horror of learning League Of Legends is that every time you feel like you learn one aspect of the game, you realise you need to learn five more things. 

None of this is all that surprising given Riot Games released League Of Legends over 15 years ago and has been adding to it ever since. The amount of information to learn is a great reason not to play the game! However, I have also found that being late to it is probably one of the best things that could have happened to me. In fact, I’d argue that being late brings its own joys, and allowed me to experience the game on my own terms.