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- For information about the item, see
Blade of the Ruined King.
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story (or Ruined King) is a story-driven, turn based role-playing game (RPG) developed by Airship Syndicate and published by Riot Forge.
Set after the events of Burning Tides, players take control of 
Miss Fortune, 
Illaoi, 
Braum, 
Yasuo, 
Ahri, and 
Pyke and explore the bustling city of 
Bilgewater and the mysterious 
Shadow Isles as they try to stop the return of the Ruined King.
Featuring fan-favorite champions, innovative turn-based combat, and beautiful art direction along with brand new surprises and plenty of poros, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story advances the stories of many champions in the 
LoL Universe and offers an exciting new way to experience the World of 
Runeterra.[1]
Description[]
Rise Against Ruin
Unite a party of League of Legends Champions, explore Bilgewater and set sail for the Shadow Isles to uncover the secrets of the deadly Black Mist.
Developed by Airship Syndicate and featuring the art style of legendary comic book artist Joe Madureira, creators of Battle Chasers and Darksiders, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is the first Riot Forge game that invites players to explore the League of Legends universe. In this immersive turn-based RPG, players will have the freedom to configure their parties and control an unlikely group of League of Legends champions, explore the bustling city of Bilgewater and the mysterious Shadow Isles, and experience the Lane Initiative System.[2][3]
Champions[]
- Playable Champions
The game has several playable champions from League of Legends:
- Major Champions
The game has several champions from League of Legends that appear as major story characters:
- Minor Champions
The game has multiple champions from League of Legends that appear as cameos:
Contributions[]
- Voice Cast
- Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Illaoi
- Laura Bailey as Miss Fortune and Naga Priestess
- Laura Post as Ahri, Female Bandit, and Female Yordle
- Liam O'Brien as Yasuo, Bandit 1, Bounty Hunter, and Gang Member 1
- JB Blanc as Braum, Captain Thorne, and Malik
- Darien Sills-Evans as Pyke, Rafen, and Goon 2
- Matthew Mercer as Gangplank, Bounty, and Painter
- Sean Teale as Viego
- Jay Preston as Maokai and Captain
- Scott McNeil as Hecarim and Goon 1
- Mark Oliver as Thresh, Wind Monk, Master Souma, and Medicine Man
- Noshir Dalal as Bandit 2 and Inn Keeper
- Javier Fernandez-Peña as Necrit
- Debra Wilson as Buhru Elder, Female Buhru Warrior, and Buhru Spirit
- Fehinti Balogun as Male Buhru Warrior
- Aaron Phillips as additional male voices
Lore[]
Summary[]
Centuries ago, 
Viego, the king of 
Camavor, arrived on the 
Blessed Isles to search for means to revive his fallen queen, 
Isolde. The residents refused to aid him, save for one conniving 
scholar, who led him to the Waters of Life. After fighting his way to the vault, he lowered his queen into their healing properties. The queen would be revived, but as a shadow of her former self. In her rage and confusion, the queen attacked the king with his own blade and they sunk beneath the water. The blade's magic collided with the blessed waters, turning it into a Black Mist and unleashing ruination, transforming the Blessed Isles into the Shadow Isles.
On the Serpent Isles sits the port city of Bilgewater, strewn together by great ships and cutthroat sailors. Monsters roam the seas beyond, and specters from the nearby Shadow Isles roll across the sea to terrorize the city in events known as Harrowings; kept at bay by the indigenous 
Buhru tribe with the power of 
Nagakabouros, the Mother Serpent. The only law is that of the pirate captains—chief among them being the Captain 
Gangplank; until Captain Sarah Fortune destroyed him and his ship, destabilizing the status quo.
Several years after, Sarah struggles with uniting the gangs under her rule. She fears that she would have to resort to ruthlessness like Gangplank, but her first mate Rafen reassures her that she can be different. Sarah looks at a picture of her mother Abigale, remembering the day when Gangplank killed Abigale and Sarah narrowly survived, living long enough to enact her revenge.
Fortune meets with Captain Thorne to negotiate his allegiance, but he does not intend to join forces. They fight, and Sarah executes him, offering his crew a place in her ranks. Later that night, her estate is attacked by the Black Mist. She manages to repel the specters, but multiple men were killed or injured. Fearing that another Harrowing may be imminent, she knows that she will need Illaoi's help.
The goddess Nagakabouros sends a vision to her champion, Truth Bearer Illaoi, with a task to put down the infamous Blood Harbor Ripper: a revenant bent on assassinating dishonorable captains from a seemingly endless hit list. With a group of Buhru warriors, she heads to the Slaughter Docks to learn more about Pyke's whereabouts, and finds him in the Warrens about to kill another captain. After defeating him, Illaoi subjects Pyke to the 
Test of Spirit, but the Mother Serpent finds him worthy and he escapes. She then experiences a vision, seeing a great battle involving Gangplank and Sarah. Illaoi returns to the Buhru Grotto and consults a Buhru Elder regarding Pyke passing the goddess' test. She cannot fathom why the goddess would consider him worthy and questions the decisions she has made as Truth Bearer, but the Elder tells her to have faith in Nagakabouros' will. She is soon informed of a strange man her people have fished out of the water and meets Braum.
Braum tells Illaoi that he comes from the 
Freljord, where a great plague has struck land and claimed the lives of many children. He promised to find a cure and sailed to the Shadow Isles in search for the mythical Waters of Life. While sailing, he was attacked by the Black Mist and lost his shield during the fight, but was saved by the Buhru and brought to Bilgewater. The two are soon met by members of Fortune's gang, who requests an audience with Illaoi. The two head to Fortune's estate and discuss the return of the Black Mist. Braum and Illaoi head to Grey Harbor to investigate, while Sarah stays behind to fortify Bilgewater. Illaoi mentions to Braum that Sarah has not decided on how to rule Bilgewater, but so far seems to take a violent approach.
In Grey Harbor, Gangplank secretly meets with his lieutenant Malik, revealing that he can now control the Black Mist thanks to his new amulet. Malik supplies Gangplank with Buhru artifacts and receives a protection amulet in return. The captain then heads to the Shadow Isles to meet with his new partner.
Back in Bilgewater, Ahri and her bodyguard Yasuo arrive from 
Ionia. Yasuo is annoyed that he doesn't know anything about his employer, but she promises more information when the time is right. They head to the black market and learn that Malik had recently purchased a sunstone and was headed for Grey Harbor. Ahri and Yasuo stay the night at a tavern, and he deduces that Ahri is a vastaya based on her displayed powers. Ahri reveals herself as the last of the Vesani, in search of artifacts that could inform of her heritage. In the past, Ahri once had a human lover, but consumed his essence because she could not control her powers, and has avoided dealing with humans ever since. During their sleep, Ahri fears that she may consume Yasuo's essence and leaves for Grey Harbor alone. Yasuo soon wakes and pursues her, not wanting to fail his mission. Braum and Illaoi arrive at the gate quarantining Grey Harbor and demand entrance. Once the gate opens, they are immediately attacked by the Black Mist, but Yasuo arrives and aids them in fighting the mistwalkers. Seeing a common goal, the three decide to venture into Grey Harbor together.
Illaoi informs Braum of Bilgewater's history with Black Mist: the Serpent Isles are ravaged by a Harrowing every couple of years and Grey Harbor was the site of the last Harrowing. During that battle, Illaoi called upon Nagakabouros to cleanse Grey Harbor of the Black Mist, but the infection has crept back up. The group finds Gangplank's crew—the Jagged Hooks—undisturbed by the Black Mist, and decide to investigate. They sneak into the building and confront Malik, who reveals that Ahri had passed through and was following Gangplank after he took the sunstone. Malik reveals that the Jagged Hooks are protected from the Black Mist because of a special necklace, which Illaoi recognizes as a Buhru artifact. After dispatching his men, the group corners Malik, but he destroys his necklace and is killed by a powerful mistwalker. The trio defeat the specter, and head to a nearby Buhru Temple, hoping to find some clues about stopping the Black Mist or Ahri's whereabouts.
Inside the temple, Illaoi discovers that an outsider has recently taken the temple's treasures. The group descends into the temple's catacombs to investigate the scene. After passing several trials, they discover that the temple has been corrupted by Xa'tal, the False Goddess and the naga. After defeating the naga, Illaoi cleanses the temple of corruption and speaks to a Buhru ancestor. The spirit reveals that Gangplank has stolen Buhru artifacts from the temple and that his attack allowed the naga to corrupt the temple. Illaoi confides to the spirit that Gangplank was her former lover that had come to her after his downfall. The beaten captain begged the Buhru to help him reclaim Bilgewater, but Illaoi's responsibility as Truth Bearer demanded she subject him to the lethal Test of Spirit. Gangplank was found worthy, so Illaoi ordered the Buhru to aid him, but now she questions the decision after he allied himself with the Shadow Isles. The spirit reassures her that the truth will become clear as long as she remains on the Mother Serpent's path. Illaoi decides to tell Sarah that Gangplank is still alive, but she cannot learn the whole truth.
The party returns to Fortune's Estate, where Illaoi reveals that Gangplank is alive and is bringing another Harrowing to Bilgewater. Fortune becomes furious and kicks them out, but joins them after having a moment to think. They gather a crew and arrive at the docks to find a new ship commandeered by Fortune. Sarah allows Braum to christen the ship: The Charming Lady.
Aboard the Charming Lady, Yasuo reminisces about his past. Sarah tries recruiting him into her gang, but he remains steadfast about his mission to protect Ahri. Below deck, Braum and Illaoi discuss the sickness afflicting the Freljord, he worries it will be challenging to solve a problem that cannot be fixed with strength alone. Then Illaoi and Sarah discuss how they will save Bilgewater: while Illaoi is determined to stop the coming Harrowing, Sarah is focused on killing Gangplank. The ship is soon attacked by a sea monster, and Pyke surfaces to strike the final blow to the beast. He reveals that the voices in his head have been pacified ever since he passed the Test of Spirit, and that Gangplank is his next target. The group reluctantly allows him to join them and they continue sailing to the Shadow Isles.
Meanwhile, Gangplank meets with Thresh, the Chain Warden, a powerful specter of the Shadow Isles. Per Thresh's order, Gangplank buried a crown within Bilgewater that draws the Black Mist to the city. They return to Thresh's domain with the Buhru artifacts and begin the ritual to awaken Viego, the Ruined King, but Gangplank worries there won't be a city left to rule after Thresh is through with them. Thresh shows Gangplank the blade where the Ruined King slumbers and explains that the power of this spirit is supreme in the Shadow Isles. Gangplank's amulet has the power to subjugate the spirit, but its strength is only equal to the will of the user. As Viego awakens, he demands to know where his queen is, but Thresh tells him to gather strength. Gangplank departs to wait, while Thresh plots against him, noting that he will make a suitable mortal host.
On the Shadow Isles, the group encounter the treant 
Maokai, who mistakes them for enemies and attacks. Ahri eventually interjects and calms Maokai down, explaining that they are not here to corrupt the isles. She reveals that Gangplank is working with Thresh and has blocked their path with walls of Black Mist. Ahri shows them the history of the Blessed Isles and how Maokai helped the island flourish with the Waters of Life. Now the tainted waters are corrupting the roots, Maokai offers to destroy the walls of mist if they can cleanse his roots. Ahri heads to the Shadow Vaults to learn more about her people, but promises Braum to share any water she finds. The group insists on assisting her and she reluctantly lets them join her.
At the bottom vault, Ahri discovers Vesani markings on a door and learns that her people were tied to the vaults of the Blessed Isles. She is able to open the door and the group defeats the shadow poisoning Maokai's roots. They manage to cleanse his roots, but were unable to find any clean water.
Maokai has begun to heal, but remains too weak to breach the walls of mist. He informs the group of an ancient Buhru temple where they can bless one of his seeds to reinvigorate him. They find the temple has long since drowned beneath the sea, and Pyke senses that it is guarded by sea monsters. Illaoi returns to the Buhru Elder to request the aid of the Serpent Callers, who can summon larger monsters to drive out hostile monsters. Pyke then summons a jaull-fish to help them enter the temple. Inside, Illaoi learns that the Buhru had a connection with the people of the Blessed Isles and that there is a forgotten forge on the island. As they purify Maokai's seed, its corruption almost overwhelms Ahri.
Meanwhile, Gangplank and Thresh check in on Viego. Gangplank grows impatient as Viego remains uncooperative, but Thresh says that the king's obsession of his queen is what fuels his strength, and reveals that there is a secret that can weaken him enough to be easily subjugated.
As they return to the Shadow Isles, Illaoi confesses to Braum that she has been struggling with the decisions she has made during their journey, having gone against the teachings of Nagakabouros. Illaoi swears Braum to secrecy and reveals that she knew Gangplank was still alive and had saved him because the Mother Serpent had found him worthy. She didn't tell Sarah of her actions because she knew the captain would hunt him, but now she questions if Gangplank was meant to die. Braum thinks that the goddess is merely testing Illaoi and reassures that she will triumph.
Upon landing, the party meets 
Necrit, a lucid spirit whom exposes the origin of the Ruination that transformed the land. He also says that Gangplank and Thresh plan to revive the Ruined King to unleash a Harrowing that would blanket the world. They return the purified seed to Maokai, and with its power he clears the way to Thresh's Dungeon. As a token of gratitude, Maokai offers some of his leaves—infused with the remaining Water of Life—to cure Braum's people.
Inside the Library of Agony, Ahri discovers Vesani artifacts in Thresh's possession. She finds the sunstone that Gangplank had brought, but it remains dormant. The champions confront the Chain Warden as he creates a portal to Viego's chamber, but Thresh escapes before they can finish him off. They use his portal to reach the Heart of the Isles to stop Gangplank before he can unleash the king. Gangplank draws out Viego, but the Ruined King proves too powerful and possesses him. Viego commands Gangplank to deal with the interlopers while he heads to Bilgewater to search for his queen's crown. The group defeats Gangplank and frees him from possession. Ahri is able to retrieve Viego's memories from the mist emanating from Gangplank and discovers the truth about Viego's love: he was possessive to the point of cruelty, and had an unhealthy obsession when the queen died. Viego discarded these memories because they terrified him, reminding him of who he really was. The party races back to Bilgewater to stop Viego's rampage, taking Gangplank as prisoner.
In order to catch up to Viego, Yasuo volunteers to channel the wind to boost their speed, empowered by Ahri's magic. Below deck, Illaoi confronts Gangplank about all that he has done. He expresses remorse about allying with Thresh and Illaoi convinces him to help them. He gives her his amulet—now corrupted after the battle—and reveals that the Ruined King draws power from his love, but can be weakened by a secret Thresh knew. Illaoi deduces it was the memories that Ahri had discovered and plans to have Sarah use it to battle Viego. The Charming Lady manages to catch up to Viego, but he shipwrecks them on Windrake Isle.
On the island, Yasuo senses something familiar in the wind and goes out to explore. He tells Ahri of his past, where he was forced to kill his brother, to which she empathizes, revealing how she had accidentally killed her lover. As they wait for their ship to be repaired, the group decides to investigate the mysterious wind. They discover that wind magic is more powerful on the island and the source of the mysterious wind was the island drawing on Yasuo's regret. He is confronted by shadows of his 
brother and former master, and after facing them, he accepts the mistakes of his past and can look to the future. The Charming Lady finishes repairs and they arrive at Bilgewater before Viego.
While Sarah takes Gangplank into custody, Illaoi returns to the Buhru Elder to warn of the Ruined King's attack. She shows the broken amulet, but the Buhru do not have the resources to repair it. Illaoi suggests using the Buhru Forge on the Shadow Isles; the Elder says that the ancestors had abandoned the forge for a reason, deeming it forbidden. Pyke suggests consulting Necrit instead. The group also catch rumor of a strange shipwreck with beams of blue light emerging from the sea, Braum recognizes that this was his ship and recovers his mighty shield.
Necrit informs them that the Buhru Forge lays within the Vault of the Vesani. Inside, Ahri is able to view much of her heritage: the Vesani were skilled in the art of emotion and memory manipulation, and they arrived on the isles to conduct research. To open further passage, Ahri learns to power the derelict machinery with her abilities. She uses the sunstone recovered in Thresh's library to contain Viego's discarded memories, but at the cost of the Vesani's research that lay within. After defeating the construct guarding the entrance to the forge, Ahri becomes overwhelmed by her emotions and sees the memories of the Vesani, but they quickly begin to fade. Feeling as though she may be alone forever, the memory of her lover appears and forgives her. He tells her that her memories will be always be there, but they are less important than saving the future of the world. Ahri now accepts who she is, thanks to traveling with her new friends.
Inside the forge, Illaoi declares that she will no longer wait for the goddess' instruction and demands she comes to them instead. Each champion bares their soul before the altar and they summon the Mother Serpent. The champions face an Avatar of Nagakabouros as a test of worthiness, and succeed in cleansing the amulet. Before they leave, Illaoi reveals the truth to Sarah, that she saved Gangplank and ordered the Buhru to aid him. While Fortune is willing to find common ground with Illaoi, she remains determined to killed Gangplank.
The group returns to Bilgewater and see the Buhru already fighting the Ruined King. Ahri weakens him with his memories and Sarah unleashes the amulet against him. Viego initially resists, but the group's combined force weakens his resolve long enough to focus the amulet again. The Black Mist begins to overwhelm Sarah, where Viego tempts her with promises of power—to kill Gangplank, to conquer Bligewater, even to bring back her mother. Illaoi places a reassuring hand on Sarah's shoulder, and the rest of the group witness Fortune stand resolute and seal Viego within the amulet.
Despite their differences, Sarah reconciles with Illaoi and entrusts her to hide the amulet. After the battle, Rafen informs Fortune that Gangplank has escaped and she resumes hunting her nemesis. The gangs continue to harbor sympathies for Gangplank, so Sarah begins a purge of his allies. Illaoi begs her to quit this hunt for revenge and look to Bilgewater's future. Sarah responds that even though she can now believe in fantastical realities, Gangplank's death remains her own conviction.
Ahri, Braum, Illaoi, and Yasuo celebrate their victory at a tavern and part ways, with Ahri returning to the Shadow Isles to learn more about the Vesani, Braum returning to the Freljord with the cure, Illaoi remaining in Bilgewater to keep an eye on Fortune, and Yasuo heading to Noxus to settle some unfinished business—after he escorts Braum home. Meanwhile in the deep, Pyke writes a new name on his list: Viego.Journals[]
- Main article: Journals (Ruined King)
The journals are pieces of additional lore scattered throughout the game.
Portraits[]
Gameplay[]
All of your encounters with enemies will play out in the Combat Scene. Combat is turn-based and ends when all enemies have been defeated. Your Champions’ Health and Mana pools will persist from battle to battle, so be sure to conserve your resources for the more challenging encounters.
- Fighter HUD
Each champion and enemy has a fighter HUD that displays key stats such as XP Level, Health, Mana and applies buffs and debuffs.
- XP Level
This value displays the character or Champions’ Experience (XP) Level which is a general gauge of their power and combit fortitude. The maximum level is 30.
- Earning XP
All champions will earn experience points by completing quests and combat encounters, whether they are in the Active or Away party. Earn Bonus XP by defeating enemies that are above your party level and through feats during combat encounters.
- Leveling Up
When a Champion earns enough experience, their XP Level will increase. Each level rewards that Champion with permanently increased stats and the potential for new combat Abilities, Ability Upgrades, and Runes.
- Health
Character health pools are reduced when they take damage during exploration and combat encounters. When a character’s health is depleted, they will be knocked out and no longer able to perform actions until they are revived or the combat encounter ends. Health can be replenished through Champion abilities, consuming items, and resting.
- Mana
Mana is consumed when performing Lane Abilities during combat encounters. Mana can be replenished by consuming items and resting.
- Overcharge
Performing certain instant abilities during a combat encounter will generate Overcharge. Overcharge acts like bonus mana that can be used to cast Lane abilities. Overcharge can only be used during the encounter it is earned and does not carry over.
- Buffs and Debuffs
Many abilities and consumed items can grant status effects to a fighter, displayed as a Buff (positive effect) or a Debuff (negative effect). The area above the Combat HUD will display any applied Buffs and Debuffs. Some effects are permanent while others are temporary and can be dispelled. Learn more about applied buffs and debuffs by entering Inspect Mode.
- Ultimate Meter
Performing Instant and Lane abilities during a combat encounter will build the Ultimate Meter, a shared pool that anyone in your party can use to perform Ultimate Abilities. The Ultimate Meter resets at the beginning of each battle.
- Initiative Bar
The Initiative Bar shows the turn order for the fighters during a combat encounter. When a fighter’s portrait reaches the front of the bar, it will be their turn. During a fighter’s turn, they can select from their available abilities. While browsing abilities, a preview will be shown of where the fighter will return after an Instant action, or where their cast time begins if performing a Lane Ability. When a casting fighter portrait reaches the front of the bar, they will perform the Lane Ability, and then return to the Initiative Bar to wait until their next turn.
Initiative Bar[]
- Initiative Bar Regions
When an active Hazard, Boon or Wildcard is present it will appear as a colored region that travels along the Initiative Bar. Any fighter portrait that falls inside of the bounds of the region will be Marked. Once the region reaches the front of the bar, it will trigger the associated Buff or Debuff and apply it to any fighters that have been Marked. Regions can be both beneficial as well as harmful to your party and the enemies. Navigate the Initiative Bar using Lane Abilities in creative ways to get the most out of Initiative Bar Regions.
- Hazards
Hazard Initiative Bar Regions will appear when entering combat while inside a hazard in the environment. These regions are harmful to your party.
- Boons
Boon Initiative Bar Regions are activated when interacting with Shrines in the environment. They provide beneficial effects exclusively to your party.
- Wildcards
When a Hazard or Boon is not present, a Wildcard Initiative Bar Region will be randomly selected at the beginning of combat. These regions can benefit all fighters, including enemies.
Combat Abilities[]
- Combat Ability Menu
During a fighter’s turn, you can browse between 3 categories of unique abilities broken up by categories: Instant, Lane and Ultimate. After selecting an ability, you select the target for ability and then the turn plays out.
- Instant Abilities
Instant Abilities have cast times that delay them from being performed. Cast times are previewed on the Initiative Bar as an ability is highlighted. Performing a Lane Ability costs Mana. If Overcharge is available, it will be consumed first, before consuming Mana.
- Lane Switching
When selecting a Lane Ability, you can switch between the Balance Lane (default), Speed Lane and Power Lane using the Lane Up and Lane Down buttons. Switching lanes allows you to modify your cast time and manipulate your positioning on the Initiative Bar. Additionally, many enemies will have applied buffs that can only be counteracted through specific lanes. Be sure to Inspect your opponents and get the upper hand through Lane Switching.
- Ultimate Abilities
Ultimate Abilities are powerful abilities that consume segments of the Ultimate Meter. These abilities are performed immediately.
- Potion Bag
During a fighter’s turn, you can open the potion bag to view potions in your Inventory. Using a Potion behaves like an Instant Ability and is performed immediately.
- Quick Strike
Use this action to quickly perform your base Instant Ability on the enemy with the lowest Health value.
- Combat Speed Settings
Cycle through the combat speed settings to increase the playback speed of character animations.
- Inspect Mode
During any of your Champion’s turns, you can enter Inspect Mode and highlight the Initiative Bar, the Champion HUDs, or the enemy HUDs to display expanded information that can guide your strategy during combat. While focusing on the Initiative Bar, you will see the descriptions of abilities that are being cast. While focusing on a fighter, you can view their expanded stat detail, as well as any applied buffs and debuffs.
- Multi-Wave Battles
When an encounter is triggered, with more enemies than can be fought at once, they will be split up into multiple waves fought as one continuous battle. You will see an indicator on screen showing the number of total waves and which wave you are currently on.
- Fleeing Combat
If you find yourself needing to escape the battle, you can attempt to Flee when it is your turn, by holding the Flee button. Attempting to Flee will take up that fighter’s turn.
- Skipping Combat (Story Difficulty)
When playing the game on the Story difficulty setting, you can skip a combat encounter from the pause menu, and automatically gain the loot and experience from it.
Trivia[]
- Ruined King's codename in development was Casper.
- Ruined King features several exclusive skins for champions:
- The game's "Kingdom" announcement trailer was the first time the then-unnamed Ruined King was depicted visually.
- The events of Ruined King takes place after Shadow and Fortune and Kin of the Stained Blade and before Rise of the Sentinels.[4]
- Yone's death is depicted differently compared to Kin of the Stained Blade, but the cutscene was likely produced much earlier.
- Some of the level artists (for Ruined King) at Airship Syndicate had previously worked on Butcher's Bridge at Riot. Rowan 'L4T3NCY' Parker (Riot Forge Director), whom also had previous experience in Bilgewater-themed events/game modes in League of Legends, attests that this familiarity made very easy work for expanding Bilgewater.[5]
Development[]
After thoroughly enjoying Battle Chasers: Nightwar, Riot approached its developer Airship Syndicate to commission an RPG set in the League of Legends IP. The small studio was concurrently pitching the next Battle Chasers game, and initially doubted the legitimacy of the proposition. However, they eagerly accepted the task once they became confident, and development began in late 2018.[6]
Director Joe Madureira was not familiar with League's universe, so he researched heavily into the lore before deciding on Bilgewater as the game's setting. Featured champions were considered by factors such as visual variety, personality, and RPG roles for playable characters. Viego is a new character created out of the desire to progress the saga of the Ruined King. Braum surprisingly fulfilled multiple roles as an unfamiliar traveler, a cornerstone RPG tank role, and a counterweight to other character personalities such as Yasuo. Other candidates such as Pyke and Ahri could use this opportunity to expand and deepen their narratives. Being a small and passionate studio, Airship held a balance between having a number of characters and making excellent use of them within the development time. Relevant champions such as Yorick and Kalista got lower and lower precedence, before they were ultimately cut out of the cast.
The game was teased on League's 10 Anniversary celebration stream in 2019. In 2020, a trailer announced that the release was planned for early 2021. The game was practically complete in the final phase of development, but the team grew concerned that it was not in outstanding quality, and delayed the release further into 2021 until suddenly releasing on November 16th. In the extra time they gained, the ending of the story was rewritten, cascading changes throughout one-third of the overall narrative. New features were added such as story mode and taunt mechanic, as well as a significant redesign of Pyke's abilities.
Ruined King: Gameplay Deep Dive[]
Rise against ruin and experience the League of Legends universe like never before![7]
The first indie game from Riot Forge, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story will offer players a new way to experience the League of Legends universe. As a single-player, turn-based RPG, players will be able to dive deeper into the world of Runeterra, and uncover the mysteries of Bilgewater and the Shadow Isles.
- Explore the World of Runeterra
Players will be able to explore the world, navigating through the twisted streets of Bilgewater and uncovering the mysterious dungeons of the Shadow Isles. As players make their way through various locations, they will encounter various secrets, traps and puzzles, as well as new enemies and monsters that will be roaming around the environment.
Players can interact with their environment, whether it's chatting with friendly NPCs or initiating combat with enemies. Each Champion will have two Dungeon Skills they can use in the dungeons to initiate combat, interact with creatures or the environment while exploring. Some puzzles or secrets can only be solved with specific champions, like breaking weak walls with Braum's shield or revealing stealth enemies with Ahri's Orb.
- Familiar Champions, New Ways to Fight
Ruined King introduces a new spin on the indie RPG genre, especially with combat. While the champions may be familiar, players will get to see this unlikely team fight in a new style of combat outside of the Summoner’s Rift.
Ruined King uses a turn-based, lane initiative combat system. Champions will take turns casting lane, instant, and ultimate abilities. Champions will also have the ability to use items, as well as passive abilities during combat. The system includes a health, mana, an overcharge bar, and a turn order list.
Players will be able to level up champions, each champion will have the following stats: Attack Power, Will, Stamina, Physical Defense, Magic Defense, Critical Damage, Critical Chance, Haste, Evade, Armor Penetration, Magic Penetration, and Lifesteal.
Champions will have roles that are similar to traditional roles seen in RPGs, while also having abilities that are very unique to Ruined King. There are a number of ways players can mix and match champions to create synergies in combat. Through the Runes and Ability Upgrades, players can customize a champion further to shift their roles and capabilities to synergize better with your other active champions
- Fight in Style
Ruined King will include a large roster of items ranging from potions to weapons to ensure players can fight in style. There will be a wide variety of weapons and armor such as swords, pistols and Warmog's armor that can be equipped to champions that will change their stats. Each champion can equip a Weapon, Armor, and up to three accessories. Weapons will have unique visuals that will be visible in combat as well as when champions are exploring the environment. Items can be customized and crafted through Accessories, Enchanting, Alchemy and Cooking.
- Enjoy Runeterra’s Recreational Activities
In Ruined King players will find various activities throughout the game that can lead to bountiful rewards or uncover new lore.
- Bounty Board - Check the bounty board and hunt powerful minibosses in the world for big rewards.
- Fishing - Go fishing not only to catch the various aquatic life in Bilgewater but also any treasures that may be at the bottom of the ocean. Ruined King will also feature a Fishiary to track the fish you catch. Fish can also be used in cooking and can be traded to the fishmonger for Black Marks to be used to purchase exclusive items from the Black Market.
- Bestiary - Track the creatures you encounter and fight with information on their abilities, locations and loot. Unlock Beast Perks for defeating large amounts of specific creatures, granting permanent passive boosts to the Champions.
- Side Quests - There are many side quests that give valuable rewards ranging from items to new ultimates and legendary weapons, as well as puzzles to solve, and secrets to find.
- Battle Arena - Fight through waves of enemies to receive rewards based on your performance.
- Lore - Find lore scattered through the world for extra bits of story. Collecting lore also unlocks rewards for how much players find.
Media[]
- Main article: Ruined King (Soundtrack)
- Related Music
- Related Videos
See Also[]
- Official Ruined King Site
- Ruined King: A League of Legends Story on Steam
- Ruined King: A League of Legends Story on the Epic Games Store
- Kingdom (Video)
References
- ↑ Official Ruined King Site
- ↑ Ruined King on Steam
- ↑ Ruined King on the Epic Games Store
- ↑ Ruined King Timeline
- ↑ Butcher's Bridge into Ruined King
- ↑ [Necrit]. (2021, Dec 8). Riot Answers Hard Hitting Questions About Ruined King [Video]. YouTube.
- ↑ Ruined King: Gameplay Deep Dive
