League of Legends is one of the most popular games of this generation and is responsible for major esports growth.

It’s a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game which pits two teams of five against one another. Each player selects a champion from a pool of more than 150, each with their own unique traits and abilities. Securing kills and objectives will reward players with more gold, allowing them to purchase new items and become more powerful.

Action takes place on Summoner’s Rift, a square map with three core ‘lanes’ – top, middle and bottom – and jungle areas in-between them.

A team must progress from their corner of the map to the opposite corner, taking turrets along the way, and must destroy the opposing team’s base (or Nexus). Players assume the role of top-laner, jungler (who roams the map and kills computer-controlled monsters for gold), mid-laner, ADC (attack damage carry) and support, with the latter two typically playing in the bottom lane.

Publisher Riot Games has also released other versions of League of Legends over the years, some of which have their own esports ecosystems, such as mobile game Wild Rift, autobattler Teamfight Tactics (TFT) and card game Legends of Runeterra (LoR).