New League of Legends spin-off game announced

Continuing a barrage of putting League Of Legends absolutely everywhere, Riot Games today announced another game set in their MOBA’s world. Launching next week, HexTech Mayhem: A League Of Legends Story is a rhythm runner made by Choice Provisions, the studio behind the Bit.Trip games. It looks a lot like Bit.Trip, with a wee wizard running and jumping and bombing in time to the beat. As well as a spread of PC stores, it’ll be available inside the Netflix app. Innnteresting.

Hextech Mayhem stars the League wizard Ziggs, who does explosions. He’ll be off jumping through Piltover, the city that’s suddenly become far more known by being one of the twin cities in League’s animated Netflix show, Arcane. And yup, it looks like Bit.Trip alright.

HexTech Mayhem: A League Of Legends Story is coming to Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store on the 16th of November, priced at £8. It’ll also be on Nintendo Switch and, most interestingly, “via the Netflix mobile app.” The announcement says it will come to Netflix “soon” and be “included with your Netflix membership with no extra fees or in-app purchases.”

Netflix have taken bigger and bigger steps into video games. Starting with so-so licensed games based on their shows, they’ve since bought the makers of Oxenfree and I guess are now releasing games connected to shows as part of Netflix subs? I couldn’t guess what their plan is, and Microsoft have fairly definitively answered the question “What if Netflix for video games?” with Xbox Game Pass, but Netflix are doing… something? And I’m curious.

Riot also note that “in the upcoming weeks” they’ll say more about Ruined King: A League Of Legends Story, a singleplayer turn-based RPG set in Leagueland. Other spin-offs they’re known to have had coming including platformer Conv/rgence, a fighting game, an esports manager game, and something which looks kinda action-RPG-y, though we’ve not heard much about those lately.

They’ve gone wild with League around the Netflix debut of Arcane on the weekend. All sorts of crossovers and special modes and things. People seem to dig Arcane from these first three episodes? I must say I’m surprised that such a pretty-lookin’ show grew from such a garish game.