Riot Games Archives

AppWizard

August 13, 2025

BIOS shock: getting past Battlefield 6’s anti-cheat error was the faffiest thing a PC game has ever required of me

PC gaming enthusiasts faced technical challenges accessing the Battlefield 6 beta due to a security error indicating that "Secure Boot is not enabled." Secure Boot is a feature in Windows 10 and 11 that ensures only safe software loads during startup, but enabling it requires navigating the BIOS menu, which can be complex and risky. EA's guidance on enabling Secure Boot led to further complications, including issues with disk partition compatibility that required converting from MBR to GPT. Additionally, EA's anti-cheat software, Javelin, necessitates Secure Boot for enhanced security against cheating, a trend also seen in other gaming companies' anti-cheat systems. EA reported blocking over 330,000 cheat attempts during the beta weekend, though concerns about the effectiveness of these measures remain.

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

League of Legends gets WASD controls: “WASD is the most familiar control scheme for PC games today.”

Riot Games announced the introduction of WASD controls for League of Legends, aiming to create a more welcoming environment for newcomers. The classic point-and-click system will remain available. The rollout of WASD controls will begin with testing in the public beta environment (PBE) and will gradually be integrated across multiple patches, first in non-ranked modes and later in ranked play. Riot Games will focus on player feedback and monitor the impact of WASD controls on gameplay balance, particularly regarding movement and attacking mechanics.

AppWizard

July 29, 2025

$1.1 billion worth of Minecraft accounts have played the Hypixel Minecraft server in the past 13 years, founder says, and it’s “still growing”

Simon Collins-Laflamme, the founder of Hypixel, is willing to invest up to million to reclaim Hytale from Riot Games to see its completion. The Hypixel Minecraft server has welcomed 38,717,739 unique players over 13 years and continues to be the most active server, with over 34,000 players online. Recently, patch 0.23.2 for Hypixel Skyblock introduced the "fifth and final tier Spider Slayer boss" and included significant updates to older items. Hypixel staff member Donpireso acknowledged player frustrations regarding missing content in the update. In the broader Minecraft universe, a new tier of tools utilizing copper is being introduced, and a long-lost mob is set to return as an automatic item sorter.

AppWizard

July 23, 2025

2XKO adds Vi, PC closed beta begins September 9

Vi, the Piltover Enforcer, will be a playable character in the upcoming free-to-play tag fighting game, 2XKO, inspired by League of Legends. A closed beta test for PC users will start on September 9, with sign-ups available through a designated link. The game is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC in 2025.

AppWizard

July 3, 2025

Reviving Hytale is such a risky proposition, its founder kind of “wants Riot to say no” to his offer for the Minecraft rival because it “makes no business sense”

Simon Collins-Laflamme, founder of Hytale and Hypixel Studios, is attempting to reacquire the canceled adventure game from Riot Games. He is concerned that this venture could complicate his life in the short term. Collins-Laflamme is gauging community interest in the project, stating that negative feedback would lead him to reconsider pursuing it. He also noted the technical limitations of Hytale's legacy engine, which is currently exclusive to PC and not suitable for cross-platform play. Eric Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, expressed openness to engaging with Hytale's revival if opportunities arise.

AppWizard

July 1, 2025

Stardew Valley creator plays down reports he could help resurrect cancelled Minecraft-like Hytale

Riot Games has decided to cease development on Hytale after more than a decade of effort. The game, which began development in 2015 by Hypixel, was intended to combine mini-games from its Minecraft server with an RPG-style sandbox experience. Despite initial excitement and Riot's acquisition of Hypixel in 2020, the project could not meet expectations, leading to unsuccessful attempts to find new investors and resulting in layoffs. Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, clarified that he is not actively pursuing involvement in Hytale's revival, as he is focused on his current project, Haunted Chocolatier. Simon Collins-Laflamme, the original founder of Hypixel, has expressed interest in approaching Riot with a potential investment proposal to revive Hytale, while cautioning fans to manage their expectations regarding the project's future.

AppWizard

June 30, 2025

Betting companies can now sponsor Riot esports

Riot Games has allowed betting companies to sponsor its esports events, a decision made by John Needham, the president of publishing and esports, to create a more sustainable environment for professional gaming. This move responds to the existing prevalence of unregulated betting activities in the esports ecosystem. Riot is implementing "guardrails," including a vetting process for sponsors and integrity checks for teams, to maintain the sport's integrity. The change follows a demand from teams for a reevaluation of Riot's previous cautious stance on betting sponsorships. The esports betting market is growing, with a reported global betting turnover of .7 billion for League of Legends Esports and Valorant Champions Tour in 2024, although around 70% of bets are placed in unregulated markets.

AppWizard

June 29, 2025

OG Hytale founder confirms he “will reach out” to Riot Games about buying back the Minecraft rival: “The chances of revival are next to impossible… It’s the least I can do”

Simon Collins-Laflamme, founder of OG Hypixel Studios, intends to engage with Riot Games about reviving Hytale, a game previously canceled after generating significant anticipation and over 60 million views for its announcement trailer. Collins-Laflamme, who sold the studio and game to Riot, acknowledged the complexity of the revival process and indicated it would take months to get answers. Additionally, Eric Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, expressed a willingness to potentially intervene in the Hytale situation but emphasized the need to understand the reasons for the game's failure first.

AppWizard

June 28, 2025

Ex Hytale devs say the game looked “maximum 2 years away” from release in 2019 and “systems that were already far ahead of Minecraft” were changed under “unrealistic ambitions”

Simon Collins-Laflamme, founder of Hypixel Studios, expressed confidence in Hytale's potential and stated he would invest millions to complete the project. He suggested reducing the game's scope for a PC-only release and open-sourcing some components to expedite development. Collins-Laflamme reflected on his leadership from 2016 to 2019, claiming the game was two years away from release and that the team was highly productive. Former developers noted that an obsession with perfection and feature creep contributed to the game's cancellation. They suggested that an early version could have been launched, focusing on Hypixel-style minigames and a modding suite. Collins-Laflamme emphasized Hytale's unique qualities and the disappointment of its cancellation, urging fans to direct frustration towards internal issues at Hypixel Studios rather than Riot Games.

AppWizard

June 28, 2025

Stardew Valley’s ConcernedApe reportedly says he could “possibly” step in to save cancelled Minecraft-like Hytale, but he’d need to know “why it failed” first

Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone has shown tentative interest in investing to revive Hytale, which was recently canceled after years of development. He requires further information about the project's initial failures and future plans before making any commitments. Hytale garnered over 61 million views on its trailer and was acquired by Riot Games, which decided to halt the project due to the team's inability to realize its full potential. Simon Collins-Laflamme, the original founder of Hypixel Studios, has suggested a buy-back from Riot Games. During development, the Hytale team faced significant financial pressures, reportedly spending as much as 0,000 a month. Collins-Laflamme had turned down "way more money" before partnering with Riot.