League Of Legends 2015 Worlds Anthem - More Esports Or Less Esports Than Imagine Dragons?
We are the warrrrrriors
This evening will be spent watching Legends Rising - a bunch of League of Legends [official site] documentaries focusing on specific pro players - but right now I'm digging through everything else the Worlds hype train deposited while I was on holiday. I like taking a look at what Riot do in the run up to Worlds because it's a total contrast to Valve's approach with Dota 2. Valve didn't even play Basshunter's Dota when a Swedish Dota team won The International.
Gather round as we listen to the official League of Legends Worlds anthem and then watch the official League of Legends... make up tutorial? Facts of life video? Hype thingummyjigger reminding you that there's only one trophy and so forth? Or go read my ACTUALLY INFORMATIVE (but pleasantly chillaxed) guide to what the hell League of Legends World Championships is.
1. The song is called Worlds Collide and I can totally see what they did there.
2. Listening to the lyrics it is VERY ESPORTS. But there is part of me that is like BUT IS IT AS ESPORTS AS IMAGINE DRAGONS LAST YEAR?
3. e.g. HEEEERE WE ARE DON'T TURRRRRRN AWAY NOW etc:
4. Nicki Taylor whose voice is the one ft. on the track is a LoL streamer as well as a singer. She's done a collaboration with them before but it's interesting to see that Riot went with someone more clearly a part of their own community rather than collaborating with a band not particularly associated with their game.
5. That reminds me - I suggested Riot get Taylor Swift into LoL and see where that led in terms of Worlds anthems. This was months ago while I was listening to 1989 on repeat, not as a slight to Nicki Taylor. Or get Meatloaf to do something that lasted a quarter of an hour because eSports and rock operas. The fact that neither of these things happened has left me concerned that my important other suggestion of taking the Summoner's Cup trick or treating in Berlin after finals is also not going to come true.
6. Is "We are the ones / To ignite the darkened skies" more eSports or less eSports than "We are the warriors that built this town"?
7. Is "The champions, of a world that we defy / A solemn reign, of the few who rise up high" more eSports or less eSports than "Farewell, I've gone to take my throne above / Don't weep for me cause this will be the labor of my love"?
8. Imagine Dragons got the better video. This year's highlights the cities Worlds is going to be hosted in by featuring local landmarks - it's kind of like those Eurovision segments between songs on repeat.
9. In case you were curious it's the Eiffel Tower for Paris, Big Ben for London, the Arcade du Cinquantenaire for Brussels and the Berlin TV Tower.
10. I now have Warriors stuck in my head.
Let us now look at the other hype video.
1. "Legends are not born. They are made." I feel like this is sound life advice. Basically, if you want a legend for a child you should probably give up on all that flesh fandango nonsense and get building. Look at what happened to Frankenstein. He made a son and his son became really famous.
2. I don't think it is geologically accurate that when you pick up a crystal you take on the properties of that crystal. My brother has a geology PhD so I have messaged him on Facebook to check. I will let you know what he says.
3. That said, all of the fire and ice eruptions look a lot like all the descriptions of Iceland you read in glossy holiday brochures while waiting for medical appointments. I feel like maybe we're gearing up towards a reveal about Iceland somehow.
4. Then the land gives birth to League of Legends teams made from blue and red fire. I'm annoyed about this because now Alice wants me to find her a make up tutorial for how to look like you are on fire. Even if I do find it it will probably lead to an argument. There was a mermaid one earlier today and we couldn't agree on whether you could adequately repurpose the butt of a tuna for swimming and attending a fancy dress party.
5. I like the point about drawing wisdom from every defeat. I have a League of Legends spreadsheet where I write down things I learned and stats from each game I play. I'm also really fun at parties.
6. OH NO THERE ARE LOTS OF FIRE PEOPLE AND ONLY ONE [OR ONE TEAM] CAN BECOME LEGENDARY
7. Maybe it's me. I've been to Iceland. I've played League of Legends. Do I win Worlds? That would be cool.
8. I'm actually going to have some kind of eSports collapse this weekend, keeping an eye on the group stages for this, being at Blizzard's Road to Blizzcon Heroes of the Storm event, and paying attention via Reddit and Twitter to ESL's Dota tournament in New York.
9. WEEEEEEE ARE THE WARRRRRIORS THAT BUILT THIS TOWWWWWN.
10. FROM DUST.