“Today, I’m sharing a decision we hoped we would never have to make at Riot,” said Jadeja in the announcement. “We’re changing some of the bets we’ve made and shifting how we work across the company to create focus and move us toward a more sustainable future. This decision means we’re eliminating about 530 roles globally, which represents around 11% of our workforce, with the biggest impact to teams outside of core development. This also sadly means we’ll be saying goodbye to many talented colleagues and friends across all areas of Riot.”

As part of the announcement, Jadeja explains that the company has had to take these drastic measures because some of the bets it took with “significant” investments haven’t been paying off as well as they were expected to, leading to the company’s general costs growing to an “unsustainable” point.

“Since 2019, we’ve made a number of big bets across the company with the goal of making it better to be a player,” he said. “We jumped headfirst into creating new experiences and broadening our portfolio, and grew quickly as we became a multi-game, multi-experience company — expanding our global footprint, changing our operating model, bringing in new talent to match our ambitions, and ultimately doubling the size of Riot in just a few years.”

“Today, we’re a company without a sharp enough focus, and simply put, we have too many things underway. Some of the significant investments we’ve made aren’t paying off the way we expected them to. Our costs have grown to the point where they’re unsustainable, and we’ve left ourselves with no room for experimentation or failure – which is vital to a creative company like ours. All of this puts the core of our business at risk.”

Layoffs throughout Riot Games have already started, and are expected to be completed over the coming weeks. As part of the layoffs, Riot Games is giving its ex-employees six months of salary minimum, along with cash bonuses, and support. The company is also telling its staff to cancel upcoming meetings and to work from home to help process the layoffs.

Along with these layoffs, Riot Games is also killing its Riot Forge label. Riot Forge was responsible for the release of several single-player titles set in the League of Legends universe, and the upcoming Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story will be the label’s final release.

Despite the layoffs, Riot Games has revealed that its other major titles—League of Legends, Valorant, Teamfight Tactics and League of Legends: Wild Rift—are set to be “more ambitious than ever”. Content for Legends of Runeterra, however, is expected to slow down, as its team will be affected by downsizing.

The story centers on Bandle City, whose portal network goes haywire. As a Yordle, it’s your job to fix things, which means interacting with and completing quests for Champions like Tristana, Teemo and many more. Despite the dire stakes, Bandle Tale focuses on crafting, material collection, and arranging festivals.

Along with the Standard Edition, a Deluxe Edition is also available to pre-order for $29.99. It features the base game and various cosmetics like the Poro Pet Skin Pack, Particle Effect Trails Pack, Backpack House Skin Pack and Secret Menu. You can also pick up a Collector’s Edition for $149.99 on the Riot Games Store, which includes physical goodies like Yordle figurines, a diorama kit, a wooden pin set, a notebook and more.

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is a spinoff of the eponymous MOBA, putting players in the shoes of League of Legends characters Nunu and Willump. The game focuses on the duo’s friendship as players hike, climb and sled across the frostbitten land of Freljord.

The last major trailer released for Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story focused on showcasing the game’s story, emphasising playful moments between Nunu and Willump. Another story-centric trailer was released back in September 2023, showcasing the game’s setting of Freljord.

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is the latest in a series of League of Legends spinoff titles that focused on specific characters and the game’s setting. The game follows other titles like The Mageseeker, Convergence, Hextech Mayhem, and Ruined King.

The game is slated to be priced at $29.99 when it hits the consoles, keeping in line with its pricing on PC and Nintendo Switch.

Developed by Digital Sun of Moonlighter fame, the game is about Sylas, who breaks free from captivity in Demacia to exact revenge on the Mageseekers. While combat is top-down and hack-and-slash-heavy, Sylas can copy magic and cast it at enemies while mixing elemental attacks into combos. Exploiting weaknesses based on the enemies and bosses fought is a big part of the gameplay.

Though the controls can sometimes be awkward, The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is a fun time, offering a decent story and sharp pixel art. It’s available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. Head here for our review.

The latest trailer follows a similar story-centric trailer released back in September, which showed off the game’s setting of Freldjord, emphasising the zone’s freezing weather, but also stating that the area has pockets of life and greenery.

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story had its November 1 release date announced back in September. The game, coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC, focuses on the titular protagonist Nunu, who is on a quest to find his mother in the world of Freljord.

The upcoming title has been preceded by the release of a couple of other League of Legends spinoffs, including The Mageseeker from earlier this year, and CONVERGENCE from back in July. League of Legends has also seen spinoffs like Ruined King and Hextech Mayhem released previously.

The Freljord is perilous with freezing weather, but there are packets of life and greenery if you know where to look. While indigenous wildlife roams about, some creatures will actively try to attack you. Some friendly faces, like Ornn, abound, but you must also be wary of foes like Lissandra, who has a foreboding castle and questionable design tastes.

Other Champions remain to be revealed, but Song of Nunu looks like a compelling action-adventure title. Developed by Tequila Works of RiME fame, it’s out on November 1st for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4 and PS5. Stay tuned for more details en route to release.

Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story puts players in the shoes of a yordle living in an isolated island named Yarnville. Players will get to explore the island as they hunt down new materials to start crafting new things. The game revolves around reuniting Bandle City by making new friends and restoring portals.

Players will be able to explore the bandlewoods, helping the League of Legends IP further expand on its world and setting. As they explore, players will be able to find new critters, gather materials, and craft seemingly impossible items to awaken magical portals.

The game will also have quite a bit of focus on social aspects, as players will be able to throw festivals to make fellow yordles happy and keep them entertained. Players will be able to make use of the game’s in-depth cooking mechanics to make new foods and unlock new recipes.

Announced back in February, Song of Nunu will be coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. The game will focus on the titular protagonist Nunu, who is on a quest to find his mother in the world of Freljord. Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story will be the latest single-player title developed by Riot to expand the story and setting of League of Legends.

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is preceded by the release of other League of Legends spinoffs, including The Mageseeker, which was released earlier this year, and CONVERGENCE, which was released back in July. Other League of Legends spinoffs include Hextech Mayhem, and Ruined King.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story, developed by Double Stallion under the Riot Forge label, assumes some familiarity with Ekko’s backstory and doesn’t waste time with the set-up. Instead, it takes place in media res. A spire explodes in Zaun, and Ekko explores Estorol to ensure his friends are alright while fighting off various Chempunk gang members.

"Reed Shannon is great, as always, in portraying Ekko. His enthusiasm when discovering new technology, desire to invent new gadgets and loyalty to his friends are all very well delivered."

Upon venturing home, Ekko meets himself. Or rather, his future self. All grown-up, he’s seeking out Syntixi Crystals, created by the Poingdestres, a chembaron family that wants to use it for their nefarious purposes. As it turns out, the spire belonged to the Poingdestre and scattered Syntixi all over Zaun. Its explosive properties spell bad news, especially when left unchecked.

Ekko thus teams up with Future Ekko to collect the Syntixi and keep them out of the Poingdestre’s hands. Of course, Future Ekko has his secrets, and as the two work together, it becomes obvious that certain events have warped his thinking. It reflects one of the major themes of the title and Ekko’s life in general – that even with power over time, you can’t control everything, especially those you care about.

The narrative is backed by some solid dialogue and good voice acting. Reed Shannon is great, as always, in portraying Ekko. His enthusiasm when discovering new technology, desire to invent new gadgets and loyalty to his friends are all very well delivered. On the other end, Bumper Robinson does great as Future Ekko, showcasing a more mature and dignified but also cynical iteration of the time-looper.

Talents like Gilbert Glenn Brown and Leslie L. Miller, who portray Ekko’s parents, Wyeth and Inna, not to mention Dave B. Mitchell as Zarkon, Warwick and Corin Reveck, also do an exceptional job at bringing this diverse cast to life.

"As you unlock more traversal skills, previously inaccessible areas become available to explore. It’s not the largest-scale world for a Metroidvania title, but there are some useful things to discover."

Though I would have liked more context on Ekko’s life growing up in Zaun and the various factions like the Poingdestres and Clan Ferros, the plot does a decent job of filling in the blanks. Zaun is far from the ideal place to live, and it’s apparent enough when simply examining your environment and seeing how people get by.

At its heart, Convergence is a 2D action platformer with some Metroidvania elements. Ekko has the Glowing Bat, which he uses to fight with; the Zero Drive for rewinding time to a specific point; and the Timewinder, a disc-like projectile that hovers in place, dealing damage to a target before returning.

He can also initiate Chronobreak, a devastating attack at his afterimage’s location for immense damage to foes. As Ekko progresses through the story, he’ll pick up more tools that allow for grinding and hanging on rails, wall-running (with the walls in question helpfully marked), a short-range teleport called Phase Dive and slowing down time in specific spots with Parallel Convergence.

Though they start simple, levels will quickly demand you to use these tools rapidly to succeed. It all flows well, as you grind above and below obstacles, wall-run to throw the Timewinder into a slot to activate a platform and kick off walls to reach further heights. As you unlock more traversal skills, previously inaccessible areas become available to explore. It’s not the largest-scale world for a Metroidvania title, but there are some useful things to discover.

"If rushing a group of enemies after throwing the Timewinder doesn’t work, how about slowing down time in an area, teleporting to a foe to kill them quickly and then picking the rest apart?"

You can find Rare Parts for crafting gadgets (which give Ekko certain perks, like longer rewind times) or run after some bots holding Artifacts, which can be traded to Ekko’s friend, Akimander, for more Zero Drive Charges and other rewards. These sections are almost like speed-running challenges since you need to master the route taken and complete it before the bot can escape.

Certain chests also hold cosmetic options to customize Ekko’s outfits and trails and look sleek. You can also find Cogs and spend them to learn new skills from Rungs, like charged attacks for the Glowing Bat and Timewinder, downward stabs, a parry (which can be a bit finicky since it’s tied to dodge) and more.

The Zero Drive is helpful as a “get out of jail free” card, regardless of whether you’re platforming or fighting. You can rewind when falling to your death or taking damage, but there’s a limit to how far and whether you have charges. This fantasy is most apparent in combat. Ekko hacks and slashes foes with the Glowing Bat, and any damage taken is healed by rewinding.

It also helps encourage a different approach to the redo. If rushing a group of enemies after throwing the Timewinder doesn’t work, how about slowing down time in an area, teleporting to a foe to kill them quickly and then picking the rest apart?

"Of course, you also have boss fights where the combat truly shines. You’ll face off against the likes of the Poingdestres, Warwick, and more, each having unique patterns and mechanics."

When it all comes together, the combat in Convergence can feel tight, and the controls are very responsive. However, some encounters can feel a bit cluttered. Dealing with multiple projectiles, enemies that rush you, and undodgeable attacks can feel a bit haphazard, as you rewind to figure out the best approach.

Not every combat situation will throw enemies at you in a room – some feature multiple elevations, allowing you to drop down or teleport up while fighting. One features a conveyor belt with a smasher, while another sees the roof slowly coming down, limiting your mobility. These work surprisingly and help freshen up the challenge. Enemy variety is good enough, as you face Chempunk bruisers, flying drones, and spiky creatures. They don’t stick out for their inventiveness, but they look good and get the job done.

Of course, you also have boss fights where the combat truly shines. You’ll face off against the likes of the Poingdestres, Warwick, and more, each having unique patterns and mechanics. They also require using a recently gained ability. Zarkhon’s projectiles must be slowed to avoid them, especially when he rains multiple down, while you have to teleport through obstacles to reach Warwick and avoid his attacks. They’re fun, unique and well-designed while keeping their League of Legends origins in mind.

"While fans may appreciate it more, even those who never got into the MOBA or swept up in the Arcane craze will find plenty to enjoy in Convergence."

All the exploration through Zaun and its various districts helps highlight just how gorgeous Convergence looks. It uses an animated art style akin to comic books. Shadows are deeply shaded (which comes into play during one level, while colors are lovingly varied and pop vividly. The backgrounds in each district are incredibly rich and help bring Zaun to life in crudely beautiful detail.

Animations are on point and sleek, and while I would have liked cutscenes more akin to those from the trailers, the current ones – essentially animated still images – work well enough.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story doesn’t reinvent the wheel for Metroidvania titles or action platformers. However, it delivers a compelling adventure with good combat (some frustrating encounters aside), fun time travel and traversal mechanics, a solid narrative, gorgeous environments, and well-realized characters.

Like The Mageseeker, it’s not very long but doesn’t bog you down with filler and arguably has better pacing. While fans may appreciate it more, even those who never got into the MOBA or swept up in the Arcane craze will find plenty to enjoy in Convergence.

This game was reviewed on PC.

There’s also a Digital Deluxe Edition for $39.99, which includes a digital comic, an art book and two skins – Ruined Ekko and Star Guardian Ekko. Pre-orders for both versions can also net the Golden Ekko skin as a bonus. Finally, there’s a Collector’s Edition for $169.99, which includes a physical art book and comic book, a five-piece pin set and a 10″ Ekko Figurine.

This is all wrapped in a special collector’s edition box, though only a digital download of the game is available instead of a physical copy. CONVERGENCE: A League of Legends Story launches on May 23rd. Check out the latest story trailer here and stay tuned for more details en route to release.