Zilean Is Named After the Game’s Design Director
Zilean, the great Chronokeeper, is named after Tom "Zileas" Cadwell, a design director at Riot Games. Cadwell’s got an impressive pedigree, with a computer science degree from MIT, and credits at Blizzard on Warcraft III The Frozen Throne and WoW.
Aatrox Was Inspired by Lord of the Rings Characters
Mike Laygo, a senior animator on League of Legends, stated that Aatrox’s animations were inspired by Balrog and Sauron. Lago himself has previously worked on Lord of the Rings games.
Shaco is an Anagram of Chaos
This one kinda stares you right in the face until you notice it. The demon jester has inspired enough creepy cosplay to deliver thousands of nightmares, but he’s lighthearted enough to engage in wordplay too.
Vi Used to Be a Roller Skater
Who would have thought that Vi was initially a derby doll? A senior animator for Riot Games said that in her original design Vi was actually named Ruby and enforced the law with the help of some roller skates
League of Legends is the 2nd Highest Paying Competitive eSport
League of Legends is the 2nd most profitable game to play competitively in eSports history with nearly $20 million awarded in prize money since the game’s release. That’s more than the original Counter-Strike and StarCraft combined!