For the past two years Legends of Runeterra players have been eagerly awaiting the day when we could finally have an organized play structure that allows us to continually play the game we love for stakes that matter to us. And now, with the upcoming changes to the game's competitive play, that day is finally here.
The team at Mastering Runeterra has been working hard to keep the community engaged and excited about the game during the long wait for a new organized play system (That Shuriman desert really is vast). We've been sacrificing our time and resources to support a dream that we didn't know would ever become a reality. But with the announcement of the new competitive play system, we are on the brink of a new era of Runeterra that we have all been hoping for.
Thank You to the Community
Before diving into the upcoming changes, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported us over the years. It is because of you that we have been able to run tournaments, post articles and make podcasts. Well over one hundred thousand of you visit our website every month, and we truly appreciate your support. We will continue to do everything we can to support and grow this amazing community and game that we all love.
Upcoming Changes
The upcoming changes to the game's competitive play structure are fantastic. Rubin and his team have done an amazing job of developing a system that is very close to perfect in my opinion. The addition of daily tournaments that lead to byes in larger monthly tournaments, combined with monthly balance patches and card releases, will keep the formats fresh and allow for the information gained during the season to remain relevant for months, not just for one big tournament. These changes are so good that I am going to start streaming LoR again so that I can play every day and hang out with the community I love so much (Soon has finally come).
Of course, there will need to be tweaks to the system over time, but I am confident that the team will make them with the same care and attention they have shown during this Beta period. I am particularly interested in the cut-off point for Day 2 of the monthly events. Apparently, players will need to go 9-1 to make it to Day 2, or 7-1 if they get the two byes from Daily Rumbles. This seems difficult but not impossible when considering the thousands of players of all skill levels playing during Day 1's open rounds.
Worlds is another exciting change, with 64 of the best players competing immediately in cross-shard play. These are the big matches the community wants to see, and they will help elevate the tournament to new heights and make stars out of the game's best players.
Rotation is another huge win for the game. Although some players are against it, rotation allows Riot to control power creep and print new cards that don't have to continually be stronger to make a splash in the meta. This can also allow them to revert cards to their previously more powerful versions or even buff them more! The eternal formats in Magic are some of the game's most loved and popular. Having two distinctly different formats in power level allows once again for more ways to play the game and a little something for everyone. After we get both Standard and Eternal ladders at the end of this first season, I hope Riot makes the eternal ladder permanent and allows players to play both all the time. I would happily have to potentially wait longer for a game if it means that I get the option to play either format whenever I want.
What's Still Missing
While the upcoming changes are exciting, there are still some things missing from the game. The top two on my want list are a competitive limited format and cross-shard play. Limited is my favorite format for any game, and competitive limited in MTG is one of the most skill-intensive and rewarding formats ever created. As for cross-shard play, this change was the single biggest reason we had to stop running large-scale tournaments, as too much of the player base was cut off from us when it was removed. We were told that it had to be removed for technical reasons, but I believe there must be a solution. Even a tournament server like the ones used for Worlds or early access would work since the accounts would have all the cards. Tournament organizers simply need to be able to have the entire community as potential players in their tournaments to hit the numbers we need to have large cash prizes. Moreover, cross-shard play allows us to play games and test with our friends from across the world, which is currently difficult due to the community's fragmentation.
Tournaments and Continued Support for Competitive Runeterra
As an organization, Mastering Runeterra is committed to supporting all things competitive Runeterra. We have announced our first three tournaments for this season, falling on the Saturday before Riot's Runeterra Opens. For the rest of the year, we plan to have a large tournament the weekend before Riot's big opens to help the community prepare. With how fast the meta is going to be changing from month to month, we are going to post deck techs and strategy articles at a much higher rate and faster pace.
Looking ahead, we are also exploring the possibility of bringing back a "fight night" type weekly event and continuing to grow our suite of tools for the community to use to improve their gameplay, such as our own deck tracker.
Conclusion
The new era of competitive play in Runeterra is finally here, and it is exciting to see what the future holds. With the addition of daily tournaments, monthly balance patches and card releases, we can expect Runeterra to become an even more engaging and rewarding experience. At Mastering Runeterra, we are committed to supporting the community's competitive aspirations and providing resources and tools to help players improve their gameplay. The future of Runeterra is bright, and we are excited to be a part of it!