League of Legends has rushed into PAX like a Sion ultimate, showing up all over the Boston video games convention. There’s a Lucian statue, that has League’s favorite “Not- Blade” throwing down The Culling on a zombie that does not look like it’s having a good time. There’s also the University League of Legends Campus Series finals, where some of the best college teams clash for domination of the Rift. Zirene, Scarra, Dom, Mark Zimmerman and Dash are hosting the whole tournament, and Riot only breaks out the top-shelf casters for super special events.
Riot’s most extravagant show of its dominance was “The Riftwalk,” the attraction named after the one reason Kassadin will never truly be balanced. The lines last for hours, being shuffled and reshuffled by people in red shirts pretending to be barricades. Luckily, I was able to throw on my Twitch invisibility and get in.
Before going into the “Riftwalk,” you are handed a bracelet that has a chip you can scan at kiosks inside. These scans then send information about the art in the displays or pictures of you to your email address. The inside of the room is designed like a snake path, where you see all sorts of cool League art. Some of it’s from the community, while others are straight out of Riot’s personal vault.
There were busts of champions who have gotten visual reworks. There were two of each, a before and after. Gangplank looks like a McDonald’s mascot before his ship blew up and he got all surly. Champion weapons made by the community sat across from a gigantic Baron replica you could get a picture with (before you get executed.). The main purpose of the showcase is to show the growth of League of Legends and how the community has grown alongside it.
The show stopper of the whole thing was a 12-foot Thresh puppet controlled by a man on stilts. 4 Itchy Tasty Cosplay! and Stoopid Buddy Studios, the guys that make Robot Chicken, built the most extravagant cosplay one could possibly hope for.
The Thresh puppet is controlled by a pulley and rods that help keep it balanced, stable and terrifying. It feels so like the chain warden is actually there that I had to give him the middle finger for losing me all that LP.
If you are at PAX East and call yourself a League fan you have to go. The lines are insane but they are totally worth the wait.
I leave with you the official sign that League of Legends has become officially recognized, the Geico Gecko wearing a Team Solomid shirt.
