Riot is apparently working on a mobile port of League of Legends. According to a Reuters report suggesting “multiple knowledgeable sources”, Riot has approached Tencent for helping with the development of the mobile port.
This deal comes off as surprising, because Tencent and Riot were at loggerheads over the domination of the mobile MOBA scene for quite some time. Tencent had made Honour of Kings, a MOBA exclusive to China, when their proposal to make a mobile version of League of Legends was rejected. Tencent’s newfound reputation as a mobile developer may have forced Riot to change their mind.
Another factor that might have forced Riot to change their mind was the declining revenue from the game. The game generated only 1.4 billion dollars in revenue in 2018 as opposed to 2.1 billion dollars in 2017 (which made it the highest grossing free-to-play multiplayer game in the same year). Players on mobile are already familiar with Tencent, who is behind the mobile port of both PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS as well the more recent Call of Duty. With the gaining popularity of the mobile platform as a gaming device, many companies are shifting focus to the mobile, and apparently, Riot doesn’t really want to be an exception.
In the mobile space, League of Legends will be competing with already established MOBAs like Honour of Kings and Mobile Legends, though League’s global popularity might give it an edge here. However, there hasn’t been a confirmation from Riot about the mobile port, so take this information with a pinch of salt till an official announcement comes through.