If you're worried about how well League of Legends: Wild Rift will remain true to its PC predecessor, that's perfectly understandable. There is a history of great games turning into microtransaction nightmares with core features of the game being removed when such a transition occurs. But gamers have many reasons to give this particular port an opportunity to succeed.
Recall that Riot Games did not want to do a mobile version at all unless it could be true to their vision of what League of Legends is all about. They left money on the table so as not to water down their product. While there are some changes that have to be made when playing on devices that are so wildly different from PCs, you should take some comfort in knowing that the intentions behind these alterations appear to have been for the best.
Smaller Map
- The overall distance between the lanes has been reduced.
You'll be happy to see that monsters remain present and well-populated, so jungling should still be a viable strategy. But it's much easier to get from lane to lane in the mobile version than it is with the PC game.
This, of course, does change the dynamic about ganking quite a bit. Vision wards are more critical to success than ever since it's relatively easy for a player to gank another lane before the opponent notices they're missing.
Wards Have Been Changed
- Each champion starts with two vision wards.
- These wards are on a cooldown timer.
This is a change that many other MOBAs have been making to their standard versions anyhow, so this change is really only surprising in the fact that it hasn't taken place in the main game yet.
Wards are important, which is why they've been given to everyone, but making them the responsibility of one or two support players significantly decreases the fun in playing with those champions with the expectation that they focus solely on map vision.
Turret Protection Has Been Removed
- The plates for turrets no longer exist.
The outer protection for turrets in the lane and the base has been stripped away, making it far easier to push quickly and end the game. Between this change and the map size, games are reduced in length somewhat substantially.
You're looking at about 15 to 20 minutes per game in Wild Rift thanks to this adjustment. Pushing without an effective enemy champion to oppose you can potentially end the game even before reaching double-digit minutes.
Less Defense At Nexus
- Nexus has no inhibitor or turrets around it.
While the turrets on the outskirts remain in place for each of the three lanes, that is the last line of defense before getting to the Nexus. The Nexus itself does have a small targeted attack, but there no longer needs to be a concerted effort to take down any inhibitor or turrets after breaking through a lane.
It's still close to the obelisk, so respawning champions will appear close by. You'll still have plenty of chances to turn the game around after your defenses are breached, you just can't hide behind towers to end an assault.
Map Changes
- Blue and Red sides are symmetrical.
Routes through the jungle are still winding and you will need some time to educate yourself on the best ways to traverse and navigate the trees, but the difference between the two sides has been eliminated. They are mirror images of one another on the mobile version.
It might seem a little boring for each side to have the same advantages and disadvantages, but there is enough variety that it's hard to notice. Also, it does make for a fairer experience and evens out the playing field.
Map And Buttons Have Moved Locations
- The Mini-Map is now in the top left.
- Abilities are now in the lower right.
You will have to make some mental changes when playing between the two devices, but thankfully you won't have to make any physical changes when playing on your mobile device. Your thumbs will stay in the bottom left and right.
Riot Games has made the effort to work around this classic setup, moving the map so it can be seen and not hidden under your left thumb while simultaneously giving your right thumb access to abilities and activatable items without having to move your hand.
Buttons Function Differently
- Some buttons have been added (i.e. one button will target the champion with the lowest health).
- Vectored abilities are click-and-drag.
Pro gamers know that beefing up their clicks per second is indicative of having control over their avatars. But if that same concept were applied to a mobile game, observers might think you were playing an idle tapper.
So several buttons have been added that instruct your champion to behave in a certain way. However, your moves will still be targeted and anything vectored will be used as a simple click and drag instead of an auto-target.
Fewer Champions
- It appears fifty-ish heroes will be the goal for the release.
While it can be hard to hear that two-thirds of the heroes won't be making the jump from League of Legends to Wild Rift, it's really for the best. Certain characters would be overpowered due to smaller maps and weaker towers. Others would be almost useless with the new controls.
The champions who have made it over have received various buffs and nerfs based on these new changes. So if you've really got your heart set on a personal favorite who isn't there now, don't despair. Odds are good that Riot Games is reworking them so that they'll fit in better somewhere down the road.