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relevant developer. Tencent picked up 93 per cent of Riot
Games in 2011, followed by 40 per cent of Epic Games the THE ENSUING PHENOMENON LEAD
following year. Both acquisitions changed those DIRECTLY TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE
companies – and the industry – forever.
The success of League of Legends has allowed Riot to EPIC GAMES STORE
position itself as the next big thing, while Fortnite might
never have seen the light of day without Tencent’s interest
in games-as-service. than an hour, t e company
The ensuing phenomenon lead directly to the arrival developer of a single MOBA into a multi-faceted publisher
of the Epic Games Store. Thanks to Steam, Valve had working on a suite of new titles ranging from card games
enjoyed an almost monopolistic hold on PC sales for to first-person shooters. With Blizzard reeling from the
years, but in December 2018, Epic announced its own effects of one of the worst years in its history, Riot’s
storefront. The EGS offered developers a healthier cut announcements were seen as a battle cry.
with less competition, as well as direct access to Fortnite’s The studio was quick to downplay those claims, citing
200 million-strong audience. its deep respect for Blizzard and love for its own IP, but
Some sections of the community took umbrage at the comparisons had already been drawn.
TOP: Palmer Luckey Epic’s aggressive stance on exclusives, but the new store It’s impossible to tell what the next ten years will
sold his company to
Facebook for looked set to right a lot of wrongs that Valve had allowed bring, but the past ten have shown that the status of some
$1 billion. to fester within its platform for years. of the industry’s biggest names might not be quite as
n days after the B
Just te days after the Blitzchung Controversy, Riot secure as we thought, and that there are plenty of new
In less
celebrated d League of Legends’ ten-year anniversary. In less studios itching to take their place.

JUNE 27, 2011 NOV 11, 0 DEC 9, 201 1
BROWN V EMA THE ELDER BASTION
R
CASE SCROLLS V: You really couldn’t
In a victory for the SK Y RIM ask for a stronger
l
industry, the Bethesda releases its debut than
Supreme Court of the Norse epic and takes Supergiant’s first
United States over the world for a release, an indie
declares that video- month. Near rly ten action-RPG that
t
games are protected years later, it’s still sparkles with
free speech. enormously popular. creativity.

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