The head of Riot Games, Pu Liu, mentioned in a Q&A session at the Summer Game Festival that the age range of players is increasing, but he believes this is a natural process. He explained that as the game continues to be popular, it becomes more difficult to retain old players while attracting new players.
Pu Liu recalled that ten years ago, "League of Legends" was almost a daily topic for every student, but now the game market is more competitive. He mentioned games like "Roblox" and "Fortnite" have replaced "League of Legends" as the popular choice of the new generation. In addition, he also mentioned some internal issues of the game, such as old players creating smurfs and the complexity of the game system, which are factors that hinder new players from joining.
Andrei van Roon, the head of Riot Games Studio, also pointed out the change in player preferences. He said that early "League of Legends" players tended to prefer normal modes, but over time, players began to switch to more competitive ranked matches. However, now many players, especially those who already have jobs and families, tend to seek different gaming experiences.
van Roon emphasized that the Riot team is working hard to expand the game modes of "League of Legends" to adapt to these changes in player preferences. This is undoubtedly good news for old players who want to revisit the fun and relaxed experience of the game's early days. They no longer pursue the pressure brought by ranked matches but hope to rediscover the joy of the game.