14 DAY TRIAL // Riot Games has revealed some more details about the upcoming overhaul to its iconic Summoner's Rift map in League of Legends, sharing just how it sought to give each of the level's quadrants a general visual theme both in terms of dominant colors but also in terms of that area's relationship to Baron Nashor, the mythical beast.
League of Legends is one of the most popular online experiences out there, with tens of millions of players flocking to Riot Games' free-to-play MOBA title.
As you can imagine, every slight tweak to the game can have massive repercussions on the experience, but Riot is now fundamentally changing the look and design of the Summoner's Rift map, one of the most popular levels in the game.
The studio has talked a bit about its goals with the upcoming overhaul and now it's detailed on its website how it wants to tweak the design and center it around Baron Nashor, the huge beast that dwells near the middle of the map.
The overall look of the level is in relation to the Baron and each of the four quadrants has been tweaked in terms of design and colors depending on their proximity to the Baron pit.
"With this update, we’re theming the entire map, using a specific focal point to scar and otherwise affect each of the Rift’s four quadrants. And what better focal point than the Baron pit? On the new Rift, each quadrant is thematically unique thanks to Baron’s impact," Riot explained.
"And we mean impact: Baron didn’t just shatter the ground around his entry point - the entire Summoner’s Rift features cracks and torn earth that branch out from his river base."
Baron has the biggest influence in the north and west jungles, while the south jungle has been largely untainted by his grasp.
More specifically, the north jungle has been themed around Red Brambleback with clay hues as well as crimson flowers. The west jungle is dominated by the sentinel that causes blue glowing ferns and fungus to appear. The east quadrant also has a blue motif but looks more overgrown, while the south one has the most vegetation
"By structuring the map around the Baron pit – and by theming each of the jungle’s quadrants around unique themes – we’re able to create layers of orientation with color, architecture and even disaster. These visual clues help ensure you’ll always know where you are when playing or spectating on Summoner’s Rift."
You can expect to hear much more about Riot's Summoner's Rift overhaul in the following weeks, as the studio gets ready to roll it out onto the Public Beta Environment for a test with the community.