In a new update for League of Legends esports, Riot has added the equivalent of stadium signage to Summoner’s Rift. A feature called SR Arena Banners will allow LoL esports leagues to customize how their viewers see the Rift, with the potential to display major sponsors and league details.
The new feature will roll out for the Summer Split, and will only be visible to those watching on official League of Legends broadcasts. “In the future, you can expect to see leagues begin to experiment with unique approaches that will more deeply integrate our partners to engage local and regional fan bases,” the blog post details.
Notably, the new banners will only be visible to spectators, with players seeing the same standard Rift they are used to practicing on. “This will ensure that a new visual model won’t impact their ability to practice and compete on an identical Rift,” the post adds.
“Our aspiration is to create an environment that exudes the energy found in traditional sports, and we’ll continue to work towards that goal,” Riot said of the new update.
While traditional sports have been cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, esports has moved in to fill that gap, seeing more interest from traditional sports networks. By bringing more of that sport-like experience into the game itself, League of Legends can future-proof in the case of tournaments needing to be played within social distancing guidelines.
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