It’s been a little while since Riot has announced a completely unique reimagining of a standard game on Summoner’s Rift. URF and projects like Teamfight Tactics give players some variety, but even these modes have become boring and familiar. Perhaps for that reason, Riot has announced a new departure from the norm: League of Legends Extended Edition, in which an average match will last between twenty and twenty-four straight days and nights.
Billed as the “antithesis of URF,” the truest way to experience League of Legends, and still more fun than Heroes of the Storm, Extended Edition is set to hit the League client in early July. Towers, inhibitors, and each team’s nexus, as well as all mobs and champions, have monumentally more health. Riot playtester and extremely caffeinated man Lou Barrett was able to speak with us during the eighteenth day of his experience playtesting Extended Edition, as there was no other time to schedule an interview and the Riot team only playtested the game once before announcing it.
“I know it sounds crazy, but if you’re looking to experience an epic battle between two teams, you need to increase the timeline dramatically,” said Barrett, who described himself as “finishing off Gromp today.”
“Let’s think about what League of Legends is for a second, right? It’s war. And a war isn’t over in thirty minutes; it goes on for months, even years. It’s a big commitment, but it’s worth it if you’re serious about League. Not only do you have to deal with macro and micro, but also what we’re calling ‘mega.’ Things like sleep, eye fatigue, and staying employed come into play when a League of Legends game lasts this long. In the span of three weeks, you truly get to know your enemies and teammates alike on a level that’s never been seen before in a video game.”
When asked how he was getting along with his teammates thus far, Barrett replied, “I feel trapped.”
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