Ruined King: A League of Legends Story

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is a turn-based role-playing game set in the fantasy universe of League of Legends, where players assemble a team of iconic champions to explore the Shadow Isles. The game features 2D side-scrolling visuals, strategic combat, and the option to play as a female protagonist, as players unravel the mysteries of the Ruination and its dark forces threatening Bilgewater and the surrounding realms.

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story: Review

Introduction

In the sprawling, ever-expanding universe of League of Legends, where champions clash in arenas and narratives intertwine across continents, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story emerges as a pivotal departure. Developed by Airship Syndicate and published under Riot Forge, this turn-based RPG dares to reinterpret the MOBA’s lore through a lens of intimate character study and strategic depth. Set against the gothic backdrop of the Shadow Isles and the swashbuckling chaos of Bilgewater, it chronicles an unlikely alliance of six iconic champions—Ahri, Braum, Illaoi, Miss Fortune, Pyke, and Yasuo—battling the Ruined King’s apocalyptic quest to resurrect his lost love. While Riot’s MOBA dominates the competitive landscape, Ruined King carves its niche by prioritizing narrative weight and tactical innovation. This review posits that despite its technical flaws and occasional pacing hiccups, Ruined King stands as a landmark achievement in single-player League storytelling, offering a masterclass in character-driven RPGs that enriches Runeterra’s tapestry while remaining accessible to newcomers.

Development History & Context

Ruined King’s journey from concept to reality is a testament to ambition tempered by adversity. Announced in December 2019 as the inaugural title for Riot Forge—a new initiative to expand League’s universe via indie collaborations—the project landed in the hands of Airship Syndicate, the studio behind cult RPG Battle Chasers: Nightwar. Led by veteran comic artist Joe Madureira (Darksiders, Battle Chasers), the team initially doubted the proposition’s legitimacy. “We were concurrently pitching the next Battle Chasers and initially thought it was a joke,” Madureira admitted in a developer interview. Yet upon recognizing Riot’s genuine commitment to lore fidelity, they embraced the challenge, commencing full production in late 2018.

The vision was clear: a narrative-first RPG that would deepen Runeterra’s lore without alienating new players. Madureira, unfamiliar with League’s intricate canon, immersed himself in research, ultimately selecting Bilgewater and the Shadow Isles for their rich, contrasting themes—lawless piracy against spectral tragedy. Champions were chosen for visual diversity, narrative potential, and RPG roles: Braum as a tank, Yasuo as a melee specialist, Ahri as a magical controller, and so on. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, loomed as a formidable hurdle. Development delays pushed the launch from early 2021 to November 16, 2021, with the team leveraging the extra time to rewrite the story’s climax and refine Pyke’s abilities. Technically, the game leveraged Unity’s flexibility to adapt League champions into turn-based combatants, though scaling Bilgewater’s vertical environments within a fixed isometric view proved challenging.

The gaming landscape of 2021 further contextualized Ruined King. While RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Final Fantasy VII Remake dominated headlines, Ruined King carved its space as an accessible, story-centric alternative—Riot’s answer to demands for single-player League experiences. Its surprise release (no prior date announcement) signaled confidence in its quality, though it also highlighted the rushed polish that plagued post-launch support.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

At its core, Ruined King is a tragedy wrapped in a pirate adventure. The plot unfolds across two acts: the first, a tense investigation into Bilgewater’s escalating Black Mist crisis; the second, a voyage to the Shadow Isles to confront its source. The narrative masterfully weaves together personal stakes with cosmic peril. Miss Fortune, whose mother was killed by Gangplank, grapples with vengeance versus leadership; Illaoi, the Buhru priestess, questions her faith when her goddess endorses the vengeful Pyke; Yasuo, falsely accused of fratricide, seeks redemption in atonement. These arcs are elevated by dialogue that crackles with authenticity. Laura Bailey’s Miss Fortune balances bravado with vulnerability, while Liam O’Brien’s Yasuo infuses weary introspection into every line. Even antagonist Gangplank, voiced with cruel relish by Matthew Mercer, avoids caricature—his alliance with Thresh is born of opportunism, not cartoonish evil.

The themes resonate beyond League lore. The Ruined King, Viego, embodies obsession’s ruin: his quest to resurrect Isolde mirrors real-world grief’s destructive potential. “Love is a sickness,” he rasps, blurring the line between devotion and possession. Contrastingly, the champions’ journeys champion redemption through unity. When Braum shields Ahri from her own predatory instincts or Illaoi tempers Miss Fortune’s bloodlust with wisdom, Ruined King argues that heroism lies not in solitary glory, but in collective healing. The narrative’s climax—Ahri using Vesani magic to expose Viego’s flawed memories, weakening his resolve—reinforces this: truth, not brute force, breaks cycles of ruin.

Yet the pacing stumbles. Yasuo’s arc, involving a memory confrontation with his slain brother Yone, feels abrupt, while the Shadow Isles’ lore dumps occasionally slow momentum. These issues, however, are mitigated by the game’s emotional core. As the champions part ways—Braum bearing Freljord’s cure, Ahri embracing her vastaya heritage—the bittersweet farewell lingers, affirming that Ruined King’s greatest triumph is making us care about Runeterra’s heroes as people, not just playable units.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Ruined King’s gameplay revolves around two pillars: turn-based combat and exploration, each executed with strategic depth. Its combat system, the Lane Initiative System, is a masterstroke of tactical design. Instead of rigid turn orders, battles unfold on an Initiative Bar divided into three lanes: Speed (fast, weak abilities), Balance (moderate potency), and Power (slow, devastating moves). Players position abilities along these lanes, manipulating turn order to exploit environmental hazards (e.g., poison clouds) or boons (healing zones). An ability’s lane placement might delay a powerful attack but allow interrupting an enemy’s crucial spell—a layer of strategy absent in traditional JRPGs.

Champions, limited to three-party members per mission, excel through synergy. Illaoi’s tentacle summons can be pulled into Pyke’s execute range, while Braum’s shield can redirect enemies into Ahri’s charm fields. Each champion’s Ultimate abilities, unlocked via an Overcharge resource pool (generated from basic attacks), escalate tension—Miss Fortune’s bullet-time ultimate or Yasuo’s wind-slicing dash turning tides in boss fights. The system rewards experimentation; a 30-hour campaign never feels repetitive as players optimize party compositions (e.g., pairing Ahri’s crowd control with Illaoi’s durability).

Exploration, however, is Ruined King’s weakest link. Bilgewater serves as a vibrant hub—docks teeming with NPCs, taverns brimming with side quests—but the world map’s limited fast-travel forces excessive backtracking. Environments alternate between Bilgewater’s claustrophobic alleys and the Shadow Isles’ gloomy forests, growing monotonous despite Joe Madureira’s artistry. Side activities like fishing (minigame with Fishiary tracking) and bounty hunting (miniboss hunts) offer respite but feel tacked-on. Character progression alleviates this: leveling grants stat boosts and skill tree choices (e.g., specializing Yasuo in critical hits or Ahri in spell vamp). Crafting, though rudimentary, allows customizing gear—Braum’s shield enchanted with frost damage or Pyke’s harpoon upgraded for bleed effects.

Ultimately, Ruined King’s gameplay mirrors its narrative: combat is its soul, exploration its necessary compromise. The Lane Initiative System’s elegance ensures every battle feels consequential, while the party’s dynamic chemistry makes even routine combat engaging.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Airship Syndicate’s art direction transforms League’s champions into living graphic novel illustrations. Joe Madureira’s signature style—bold lines, dynamic shadows, and expressive character designs—brings Bilgewater and the Shadow Isles to life. Miss Fortune’s corseted pistol-wielding pose and Illaoi’s towering, tentacled form retain their iconic flair while adapting to a painterly aesthetic. Environments are equally impressive: Bilgewater’s ship-clogged streets, awash in amber lantern-light, contrast with the Shadow Isles’ decaying cathedrals and petrified forests, where the Black Mist coalesces into spectral figures. Even minor details—a tavern cat’s idle animation or the creak of The Charming Lady’s hull—immerse players in Runeterra’s lived-in authenticity.

Sound design amplifies this immersion. Gareth Coker’s score oscillates between pirate shanties (Bilgewater’s tavern brawls) and haunting strings (Shadow Isles’ boss fights), underscoring the duality of adventure and dread. Voice acting is uniformly stellar. Laura Bailey’s Miss Fortune sizzles with rage and charm, while Sean Teale’s Viego oozes tragic grandeur in his monologues. Even ambient sounds—the lapping of sea waves, the distant wail of a banshee—enhance atmosphere. The only misstep is occasional audio desync during cutscenes, patched post-launch but never fully eradicated.

Together, art and sound forge Ruined King’s identity. It’s a world where every frame feels like a comic panel, and every chord a page turn, making the narrative’s emotional beats land with visceral impact.

Reception & Legacy

Ruined King arrived to a chorus of acclaim tempered by caveats. Aggregators lauded its ambition: Metacritic scored PC at 80/100, with IGN praising its “versatile combat” and “compelling story,” while GameSpot hailed its “beautiful visuals.” Critics universally lauded the Lane Initiative System and character chemistry. “An excellent RPG even for those who’ve never touched League of Legends,” raved RPG Site, noting its accessibility. Yet technical issues marred the experience. Nintendo Switch versions suffered crippling crashes, and PC players reported quest-breaking bugs—issues Riot patched over months.

Commercially, Ruined King found modest success. Steam sales peaked at 16,297 concurrent players, with lifetime estimates around 332,000 units. Its inclusion in Xbox Game Pass (2022) bolstered reach, though it never achieved blockbuster status. Long-term, its legacy endures. As the first Riot Forge game, it proved that League’s universe could thrive outside multiplayer. Its lore expansions—Viego’s origin, Illaoi’s Buhru trials—were later integrated into League’s “Ruination” season, enriching the main game’s narrative. The game’s closure with Riot Forge’s dissolution (2024) underscores its niche status; no new content arrived post-2023, but its cult following persists.

Critically, Ruined King redefined spin-off potential. It demonstrated that a single-player RPG could honor League’s complexity without sacrificing accessibility, paving the way for titles like Bandle Tale. Its flaws—repetitive exploration, technical instability—prevent it from being a genre classic, but its heart and ambition cement it as a vital chapter in Runeterra’s saga.

Conclusion

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is a flawed yet unforgettable odyssey. It succeeds where many spin-offs falter: by weaving League’s sprawling lore into an intimate, character-driven narrative that resonates beyond its source material. The Lane Initiative System elevates turn-based combat to an art form, while the champions’ chemistry makes their journey feel earned. Yet its repetitive environments and launch-day bugs temper this brilliance.

Ultimately, Ruined King’s legacy lies in its audacity. It proves that League’s champions can transcend the Rift, becoming vessels for stories about love, loss, and redemption. For RPG enthusiasts, it’s a strategic triumph; for League fans, it’s a love letter to a universe they cherish. Technical flaws and Riot Forge’s closure dim its future prospects, but Ruined King endures as a testament to the power of single-player storytelling in a multiplayer-dominated franchise. In the annals of League history, it stands not as a perfect game, but as a perfect beginning—a ruined king’s story, retold with heart.