14 DAY TRIAL // Despite failing to create a Sandbox mode for League of Legends for a long time, and recently saying that it had no plans to introduce the feature, it seems that Riot Games is now actively exploring how it can be added to the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena title.
The information comes from the Ask.fm page of Greg Street, aka Ghostcrawler, who is the design director working on the title.
The single line answer to a fan question does not offer any other details about the Sandbox Mode and how it might be added to League of Legends, but an official announcement might come soon.
The team recently explained in a detailed blog post that it had no plans to introduce the feature or to continue working on a replay concept because it had other priorities for the MOBA.
Riot Games stated, "We want to make sure we’re clear: playing games of League of Legends should be the unequivocal best way for a player to improve. While there are very real skills one can develop in a hyperbolic time chamber, we never want that to be an expectation added onto an already high barrier to entry."
Plenty of gamers believe that a Sandbox Mode is the best way to give players a chance to test out character and tactics without being pressured because they are in a match that counts.
League of Legends needs to evolve to keep fans engaged
The process of becoming a good player in the MOBA space involves a lot of research, careful observation of how the best players in the world use their heroes and the kinds of tactics they deploy, and work to improve one's performance in various tasks.
The genre is very popular with gamers already, but developers like Riot Games for League of Legends and Valve for DOTA 2 need to make their titles more friendly in order to gain new fans.
Blizzard is at the moment working on its own Heroes of the Storm, which many believe has a lower barrier to entry.
Riot Games has already taken measures to improve the community surrounding League of Legends, and adding a Sandbox Mode will be a great way to show gamers that they can influence the decisions of the company.