The so-called “big daddy” of MOBA has so much backdrop that even today’s professional players weren’t born when this game came into existence and went into massive multiplayer gaming. So, pause and think about it for a second. Riot Games launched its pride and joy in October 2009, and it’s been almost 15 years now. And here we are with professional esports players who were either in diapers, or worse, weren’t even born yet, when Summoner’s Rift went live.
The tweet from Dexerto received an influx of responses, with some feeling old while others finally realized how long LoL has been the highest stage in the universe of games. One user, @MrJokerCPoC, summed it up exquisitely: “This is just making me feel old. 💀.” Meanwhile, @DreamMetaX joked about how Riot should just rename the game to “League of Babies” at this point.
This does go beyond age and into longevity. “Same as WoW, good games last,” added @BiggiekingX, and they are certainly right. While some franchises disappear after a few years, through updates, a supportive esports scene, and an audience willing to hold on, League has been able to hold its fame.
Others weren’t even quite stunned. @ja_y007, rhetorically, asked, “Is 16 years (more or less) really old for a game?” On the category, @Grim_Requiem7 went further: “If LoL is old and it’s from 2009, then Half-Life 2 (2004) must be ancient.” A very good point indeed.
The discussion almost became an exposition into the world of esports history when @imluidji stated, “Who was the very first LoL pro player?” Grok, an AI account, gave an elaborate discussion about the early League esports scene and cited Fnatic’s xPeke and Shushei as being among early pros, especially considering their World Championship win in 2011.
And then the jokes started. @333blacksea threw a meme out saying “Larry was the first champion,” and @ShadeSmokes420 dragged Counter-Strike pros into the comparison. Meanwhile, @thereal_chunga went… not-so-glamorous, sharing an account of one co-worker who was basically the living, breathing embodiment of every ugly stereotype about LoL players you could imagine. (We won’t repeat it here, but yeah, it was rough.)
Implying the big one: Dexerto followed up with another tweet saying that some South Korean pros are signed at the age of 14. So we have teenagers competing with the pros at a game older than those teenagers.
It is almost obviously why it can never truly be called just a game but must be considered a generational experience. From beta days or just the last season, one thing is for sure – Riot’s MOBA is here to stay. And honestly? That just grabs me by the throat.
