10 Major Technology Trends in Gaming (That Will Also Affect LoL)
Gamedev industry is rapidly evolving, and new technologies are constantly reshaping the ways in which players experience their favorite games. LoL is still at the forefront of competitive gaming and esports, but the emerging trends could impact its future in many different ways. Here we are going to examine ten of the most important tech trends that will affect and shape the gaming scene in the coming years.
1. Blockchain & Digital Ownership
Blockchain technology is already vastly revolutionizing the concept of ownership in the digital world. With this tech integrated, secure systems are put in place, enabling players transparent ways to truly own in-game items. Currently, LoL operates on a very centralized model for cosmetics, but it could in the future decentralize ownership and allow trading outside of the ecosystem.
A good example of blockchain integration can be seen in iGaming. Aside from accepting crypto payments, crash online casino games also ensure their fairness through provably fair algorithms that allow for transparent and verifiable randomness. If Riot Games decide to go with this tech, they could redefine their in-game economy greatly.
2. AI-Powered Game Balancing & Matchmaking
Lately, we have seen many good examples of how AI can improve and refine matchmaking. RiotGames is already using the predictive modeling approach to analyze gameplay data and apply the findings in order to balance champions and enhance player experience. With the upcoming advancements like in-game coaching and better analysis of player habits, gaming could prosper a lot. AI-powered balance updates for LoL could make meta more dynamic and responsive to players in real time. It wouldn’t be strange to see Riot implement more sophisticated AI systems as they advance in order to make the competition more fair and exciting.
3. Cloud Gaming & Low-Latency Streaming
Although a bit glitchy in the beginning, cloud gaming is becoming more accessible for high-quality streaming. Even low-end devices are now able to run graphically demanding games when given a fast enough connection. Although LoL is optimized for a very wide range of hardware in order to remain accessible to wide audiences, with cloud-based improvements, Riot could eliminate any eventual limitations. Services like GeForce Now and XBox Cloud Gaming already allow for the game to be played through streaming with minimal lag. With improvements in scaling and delivery that are on the way, we could see load times reduced further, as well as improved latency - the most crucial element for competitive play.
4. Virtual Reality (VR) & Augmented Reality (AR) Integration
Although VR games are a completely different kind of beast, AR could give LoL an enhancement in some aspects. We have already seen experiments with this concept during big esports events as the stages would get interactive designs and data-driven overlays for the audience. In the future, this tech could work as an additional way to see live analysis of matches or some new immersive features for champion selection. It could even work as an AR-powered tool for training that would give players feedback as they are learning the new meta.
5. Procedural Content Generation & Personalization
Although it’s not that new as a concept, procedural generation is getting wind in the sails with the increasing capabilities of AI. By aiming to give players a more personalized experience, and more new and unique content, games like LoL could implement these methods to create new maps, randomly seeded for every match. Adaptive changes and personalized battle passes could become a big thing in the MOBA scene quite easily. Procedurally generated cosmetics, exclusive team skins, item recommendations, and many other possibilities could open for the LoL ecosystem, as well as the greater gaming world.
6. Cross-Platform Play & Mobile Expansion
Riot has already made a move into mobile gaming with the success of League of Legends: Wild Rift. However, there is still space for further integration between the worlds of mobile and PC ecosystems. Many games are experimenting with shared progression and cross-play across different platforms: PC, mobile, and consoles. Synchronizing events between LoL and Wild Rift could become a bigger milestone and actually turn into a regular occurrence worthy of being written down in the history of LoL seasons. As the rest of the industry is pushing for more cross-play functionality, Riot would be wise to move early on this aspect.
7. Real-Time Voice AI & Toxicity Detection
One of the aspects Riot Games has worked actively on for years is combating toxicity in LoL. With the introduction of AI-based voice moderation, this problem could become even easier to solve. They have already tested this model in Valorant where the algorithm was able to automatically mute toxic players after detecting some key phrases. Even beyond LoL, this is something that could improve the wider gaming ecosystem, especially in the MOBA and MMORPG genres. Privacy concerns still need to be addressed as some of them are very valid, but the fact remains that AI, when handled properly, could foster a much healthier atmosphere for gaming.
8. Haptic & Adaptive Controller Support
One of the great innovations in gaming is the increased capability of fine-tuned haptic feedback and supremely adaptive controllers. While this is not yet an option they have publicly spoken about, we might have everything Riot needs to successfully develop a console version of LoL. Wild Rift could also get a well-functioning alternative control scheme. These innovations are especially important for players with disabilities because they provide a much more inclusive way to play. Additionally, there are the amazing possibilities of being warned that the cooldown is over through a slight vibration or a different kind of tactile response. As gaming hardware evolves further, Riot could experiment with the new methods and further broaden their audience.
9. AI-Driven Coaching & Training Tools
Third-party services for training and performance reviews already exist, giving players amazing adaptive coaching tools and feedback. However, these are still mere experiments, and it would be amazing to see both Riot and other developers open to this technology and implement it directly into their titles. LoL could benefit greatly from these tools that would train newcomers for each role in a tailored way, optimized for their skill level and style.
10. Advanced Anti-Cheat Technology
Like games themselves, cheaters have become much more sophisticated with time. Gamedevs are fighting a constant battle, working on more and more advanced solutions for the prevention of unfair play. Valorant already has the Vanguard implemented, and a similar layer of protection would work great for LoL. In fact, it is not impossible to see these systems become the new standard for multiplayer games, with ML tools learning to identify any suspicious behavior and stop it as soon as confirmed that there is foul play. In competitive games like LoL and other MOBA titles, this is a crucial factor to provide a fair playing field for everyone.
Conclusion
As we can see, there are many fields in which the gaming industry is constantly growing and evolving. While not all of them are equally relevant to all studios and games, Riot and LoL could and are expected to benefit greatly in the future from these developments. All it takes for them is to continue their tenure as one of the pioneers of innovation and early adoption of new tech.
