After an age of warfare, the superpowers of the land of Valoran have come together to form a governing body that will settle all disputes behind the closed doors of the Institute of War. Their task is a noble one — to lift the impossible weight of bloody war off the shoulders of the world and place it upon a select few — The League of Legends. On the Fields of Justice, legendary Champions forge alliances and resolve their differences in battle arenas. In the League there is one rule that reigns over all else: Winner rules all.

In League of Legends, players take on the role of a persistent Summoner avatar that gazes upon the battlefield from above and influences battles by taking command of a chosen Champion. During each online multiplayer play session, gamers will choose one of dozens of unique Champions wielding diverse skills and abilities, and engage in fast-paced team-oriented combat to bring their foes to ruin. Champions will gain levels, items, and abilities that enable them to slay their opponents and augment the strength of their allies by battling with enemy minions, foul beasts, deadly turrets and enemy Champions. Players also advance their Summoner’s rank and power to gain new abilities and items, assisting their Champions in battle.

League of Legends emphasizes team-oriented gameplay and players must work together in order to defeat the opposing team. Players will be able to communicate easily through in-game lounges and chat rooms, and forums will act as a conversational hub for a wide variety of discussions amongst community members. League of Legends will feature custom-built multiplayer support including matchmaking, stat tracking, clan support, anti-cheat systems, dedicated in-game ladders and Leaverbuster technology. In addition to extensive multiplayer features, League of Legends will include a single-player mode where players can learn how to play and practice new strategies by engaging robust Bot-AI.

Riot Games announced Season One will be kicking off on July 13, beginning the first major competitive season for the free-to-play online game. To facilitate a higher level of competition for the game’s nearly 3 million players, Riot Games is launching three major new in-game updates: Draft Mode, Ranked Games and Ladders. These features, along with many other updates such as new artwork, a revamped Web site, player profiles and log-in screens, make this the largest League of Legends content update since launching in October of 2009.

“The Season One features and updates will greatly enhance League of Legends and help us towards our goal of having LOL being played by the world's top gamers in the biggest and best gaming leagues and tournaments,” said Marc Merrill, co-founder and President of Riot Games. “We have been thrilled with the reception League of Legends has received from the players and we will continue to enhance and evolve the game to make it the best gaming experience possible. Season One is just one of many high-quality, free updates that our fans can expect to see in the months and years to come.”

Season One will last approximately six months and will feature many tournaments and other competitive events throughout the term. The season will conclude with a major tournament to crown the overall Season One Champion. Riot Games and other sponsors will offer numerous prizes for the tournaments including in-game items such as exclusive skins and Riot Points, gaming accessories from industry-leading gaming peripheral partners and major monetary prizes.

Below is a brief outline of the upcoming Season One updates:

• Ranked Games - Once Season One begins, summoners of Level 20 or above will be able to play in the ranked game system. At launch, ranked players will be able to join one of three queues: 3v3 Premade, 5v5 Premade, or 5v5 Solo. Players will receive an individual rating for each of these queues.
• Ladders - Once Ranked Play begins, players who choose to participate will have their ELO ratings displayed publicly on the League of Legends Ladder. On the ladder, players will be able to see how they stack up against the rest of their friends, peers and competitors. The ladder will be available on the official website as well as on the PVP.net interface.
• Draft Mode - Champion selection during ranked play will take on the form of a live draft. In 5v5 premade and 3v3 premade, the first phase of this draft process will provide the inviter of each team, who is automatically the captain, with the opportunity to ban the use of two Champions. Banned Champions cannot be selected for use on either team. After bans have been dispensed by both sides, the teams will begin the draft process. During ranked play, draft picks will be exclusive, meaning that a drafted Champion will not be available for play by the opposing team. The team who received the second ban will begin the drafting process by drafting a single Champion. Following that, the game will follow a 1:2:2:2:2:1 draft format for the 5v5 brackets and a 1:2:2:1 format for the 3v3 bracket. Initially Draft Mode will be available both in Ranked Play and in practice games. Normal Games will continue to utilize blind pick during champion selection.
• Improved Visual Styles – Many elements of the League of Legends Web site as well as the PVP.net interface will be updated with new art, graphics and animation. These updates will be brighter, more visually appealing and easier to use.

Key Features :

• Play as dozens of unique Champions with diverse skills and abilities while engaging in fast-paced team-oriented combat.
• Compete in a variety of highly stylized and unique handcrafted battle scenarios.
• Create your own persistent Summoner avatar and customize your appearance through achievements that you earn in game.
• Advance your Summoner in rank and power to gain skills and abilities that give you an edge in battle.
• Join clans and teams to compete with other players in tournaments and organized leagues.
• Assemble Legendary items for your Champion by forging together basic items you obtain on the battlefield. Choose from over 200 uniquely crafted items to augment your Champion's power.
• Robust matchmaking and detailed stat tracking help to ensure balanced games for new players and veterans alike.
• Unlock new content through persistent gameplay and mastering the game.
• Integrated LeaverbusterTM technology helps ensure people stay for the whole game!
• Participate in the creation of League of Legends through our Suggestion Engine the community will have an unprecedented voice in what new content is created and implemented into the game.
  And much, much more...

League of Legends is designed by a decorated group of developers with credits that include PC & console blockbusters, as well as part of the team that created the popular Warcraft 3 mod DotA-Allstars.