A considerable amount of information is now available about League of Legends for mobile devices following a leaked video. Twenty-five characters can be seen on the roster of the leaked video, followed by gameplay and controls for the touchscreen.
Assuming that the port of the game seeks to replicate the full PC experience, we can expect to see the full cast of characters added to the roster, totaling 144 unique individuals. However, the large scope of such an undertaking may instead see the game release with only a core group of heroes with certain functions, and the rest gradually released in a similar way that has happened on the PC since the formal launch of the game in 2009.
However, the nature of attempting to replicate a game with the precision of a mouse and keyboard may limit which heroes are released. By watching the video below, we see that champions with only simple skill shots are ideal, along with self-casting and auto attacks. Since the camera is locked, one has significant loss of information in terms of seeing what is happening elsewhere, even only slightly off screen.
While the leaked video shows its user using the characters in a reasonable competent manner, not too far off from the basics to what one would see on a PC, we are wondering if the port to a mobile device is even feasible for gameplay due to the nature of team fighting and long matches.
The doubts about the use of the game on a smartphone are broad. First, a typical match in League of Legends is about half an hour and can easily go to about an hour total. Compared to PC gaming, which can offer a large screen, precise controls, and overall comfort, will players want to awkwardly hold their phones with both hands and stare at a small screen for the entire duration of a match?
To say the least, the prospect seems sub-optimal at best. A key component of many mobile games is not only their portability, but the ability for players to stop at a moment’s notice. Other games like Clash Royale are popular and highly competitive, with a growing esports scene, but with matches that are over within a few minutes, on average.
For now, we can only wait and see what official announcements are made for the game. Perhaps mobile matches are shorter in duration through the adjustment and shortening of objectives. Perhaps defensive structures will be far easier to destroy, or perhaps characters will see experience gains at a significantly higher rate, pushing the match from mid to late game in a shorter amount of time. Whatever the answer, there is still likely to be at least a small, devout following when one considers how popular the series is overall.
Source: Pocketgamer.com
