The Mageseeker: A League Of Legends Story - What We Know So Far
The "League of Legends" franchise has grown far beyond the bounds of a single video game. In addition to the recent success of the animated Netflix show "Arcane," Riot Forge has also launched a series of side games under the banner "League of Legends Stories." This started with the turn-based RPG "Ruined King" in 2021, with several more projects slated for 2023. The single-player adventure game "Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story" will arrive sometime in the fall and the 2D action platformer "Convergence: A League of Legends Story" has set its sights on a summer drop.
Riot Forge Games shared a press release in February about the projects the studio has lined up in the year ahead. The publisher also released a video that showcases animations for its previously announced titles. However, the most notable part of the announcement concerns the fourth title in this side series: "The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story." In development at Digital Sun, the studio that created the action RPG "Moonlighter," "The Mageseeker" will offer a new narrative set within the broader "League of Legends" universe. Players can also expect a different genre of gameplay from previous entries.
What is the release date for The Mageseeker?
So, when will fans actually get the chance to play "The Mageseeker"? It seems gamers won't have to wait very long at all. While Riot Forge hasn't supplied a specific release date for the game as of yet, it stated that "The Mageseeker" will drop in spring 2023, meaning fans will get a new release three seasons in a row. Notably, the last of the three "League of Legends Stories" announced for 2023 will launch first.
Riot Forge specified that "The Mageseeker" will come to console and PC – though it didn't name which consoles it will be available on. The other "League of Legends Stories" will launch for Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5, in addition to all of the major PC storefronts. While not a done deal, it seems like a safe bet that "The Mageseeker" will come to these same platforms as well.
Is there a trailer for The Mageseeker?
Riot Forge unveiled "The Mageseeker" as part of its "The Year Ahead" video feature. While it doesn't take the form of a more traditional announcement trailer, it does contain a few visuals that might indicate what fans can expect from the game. The video conveys bits of information about the three upcoming "Stories" titles through reflections in shards of shattered iron cooled from molten metal, presumably poured from the titular "Riot Forge."
Right after the section about "Convergence," the shards drop to the ground before filling with charged purple energy and reanimating with the "The Mageseeker" title card displayed overhead. These shards reveal a muscular pixel-art-style character using the magic-imbued chains wrapped around his wrists as weapons. The character then narrates the trailer, exclaiming "No more kings. No more queens. No more mageseekers. It all ends now" as more images of him battling mythic forces appear on the metal shards. The video ends shortly after, leaving some viewers to question the identity of this man and the cause he fights for, though "League of Legends" fans may already recognize him as the Demacian mage, Sylas of Dregbourne.
Where does The Mageseeker take place?
According to Riot Forge, the action of "The Mageseeker" will unfold "in Demacia, a mighty kingdom in the world of Runeterra that seeks to curtail what it deems as forbidden magic while wielding magic themselves to maintain order."
A major region in the "League of Legends" setting, Damacia boasts 15 champions, a list that includes Garen, Fiora, Lux, and Galio. Riot describes Demacia as, "A strong, lawful kingdom with a prestigious military history," and states that its people value "the ideals of justice, honor, and duty most highly, and are fiercely proud of their cultural heritage." The nation's self-sufficiency has caused it to grow increasingly insular and, following the death of King Jarvan III, political turmoil has grown within its borders.
Sylas, the protagonist of this new game, is a mage who has been persecuted by the mageseekers. They imprisoned him for daring to use his powers against them. As detailed in the initial press release, Sylas' "quest for vengeance will shatter Demacia's deceptive peace – a peace built with the blood and sweat of mages."
What kind of gameplay will The Mageseeker have?
"The Mageseeker" won't be an online battle arena experience like "League of Legends," an adventure title like "Song of Nunu," or an action platformer like "Convergence." Instead, the press release refers to the project as "a gritty indie 2D hi-bit pixel action RPG that lets players raise a rogue mage army and lead a revolution." Footage from the announcement video also suggests that the offering will utilize an isometric point of view. It seems players will take control of Sylas and battle their way through the forces of Demacia that seek to oppress him and other mages, all while attempting to build his own mage insurgency in the heart of the kingdom.
This design bears several similarities to Digital Sun's last game — good news for fans of the genre since "Moonlighter" amassed a fair amount of popularity. Critics praised its roguelike and life-sim mechanics and satisfying gameplay loop. Hopefully, the studio will offer the same level of satisfaction in "The Mageseeker."