GamesLeague of LegendsFrom its slick Metroidvania and detailed RPG to League of Legends' take on Stardew Valley, the death of Riot’s indie game publishing label is a huge wasted opportunityWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesLeague of LegendsFrom its slick Metroidvania and detailed RPG to League of Legends' take on Stardew Valley, the death of Riot’s indie game publishing label is a huge wasted opportunityWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Riot Games)
After that came Convergence, a time-winding Metroidvania starring many members of the cast of Netflix’sArcane, and TheMageseeker, from the developers of acclaimed roguelike Moonlighter and anticipated RTSCataclismo. More recently was Song of Nunu, an adventure game from the creators of Rime that boasts ‘overwhelmingly positive’ reviews on Steam. Riot Forge’s final game,Bandle Tale, is a crafting sim from the team behind cult classic Graveyard Keeper.
Forge freezes over
Critically, Riot Forge has been a success. All of its games boast impressive Steam scores, and it’s a similar story on Metacritic. All come from indie developers with genuine pedigree. Narratively, the majority are tied directly into long-running in-universe stories that have long since captured players' imaginations. You could hardly accuse Riot Forge of failing to live up to its original mission statement.
(Image credit: Netflix)
There are probably many factors at play there. Forge was always stuck between the League of Legends community’s affinity for competitive multiplayer games and the general populace’s relative lack of interest in a single-player League of Legends experience. Arcane managed to circumvent that particular issue, but it was Netflix, not LoL, that allowed it to become the exception to the rule. But Riot’s also been extremely risk-averse when it comes to marketing its games: The Mageseeker was only announced in a sizzle reel that focused on two other games; Ruined King didn’t launch alongside the in-game event based around its story, but months later; and some playerssaythey weren’t even aware that games starring their favorite characters had ever released. One might argue that Riot, the studio behind a global mega-hit that still boasts millions of monthly players and maintains one of the biggest audiences on Twitch, doesn’t really need to advertise, but I don’t think that applies to small-scale spin-offs.
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In the end, it’s a case of wasted potential. Riot Forge was, of course, a commercial venture, and as such it existed to help make money. But it also felt like an attempt to do something that didn’t feel entirely self-serving - Riot didn’t need to produce any spin-offs, but it chose to invest into the indie scene, propelling and funding studios to make games that would directly serve its audience. And that attempt was successful, at least for a while, and at times in apparent spite of Riot’s marketing efforts. Forge was something rare in this industry – name another major developer repeatedly working with indie teams to create heartfelt spin-offs within its own IP – and its loss is the culmination of a missed opportunity to have done a whole lot more.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”