League of Legends Music to Get the Blood Pumping

League of Legends has been the subject of many different headlines since it became a mainstream e-sports title. Not only are the game balance changes often the subject of heated debates, so are the many issues that arise around the professional players and teams that are involved with the game. What doesn’t receive as much attention, mainly because it is difficult to express extensive thoughts regarding it is the music. Usually, in gaming, music is something you associate with single player experiences where composers are tasked with creating meaningful tracks that contribute to both the narrative and gameplay experiences. It is not something that immediately jumps to mind when you think of the MOBA genre. Despite that, League of Legends Music is an aspect of the game that you should absolutely be paying attention to when browsing the web.

Login Music

There are many underappreciated aspects to League of Legends and one such aspect is the ever-changing login screen. Typically Riot Games changes the login screen when a notable event warrants the change. They like to roll out new screens with not only newly released and reworked champions, but also to commemorate important events such as this year’s Mid-Seasonal Invitational which concluded early last month. These login screens utilize well-made animations and original music. A login screen is not something the average person would associate with noteworthy music, but this couldn’t be further from the truth with League of Legends.

Diana’s Login Theme Stands Out

Thinking about the quality of the login music elicits an obvious question. Which tracks stand out in particular? While music is subjective by its very nature, some tracks do a better job of representing their specific champions better than others. The track that stands out above the rest in terms of encapsulating its champion is the music used during Diana’s login screen. Within League of Legends, Diana is a brooding woman who is thematically represented by the moon. As a result, she has a somber aesthetic that goes hand in hand with the nighttime motif.

The music used during her login screen is a slow moving piece, accompanied by powerful female vocals that have a haunting melody, much like Diana herself. The song ends on the most definitive line of all. “Cruel moon, bring the end. The dawn will never rise again.” Diana embodies this very line with her kit, using her moon based abilities to be a magic-based assassin. This shows that Riot Games puts a lot of thought and effort into making its music thematically appropriate and other tracks accomplish this feat as well.

Fitting Music for the Blacksmith

Fantasy music has its own distinct atmosphere and attributes that are difficult to fully express in words. The music used in Lord of the Rings is perhaps the most well-known soundtrack that embodies the sweeping melodies used in the fantasy genre, which doesn’t rely too heavily on lyrics or any one instrument. When he was first introduced, Ornn was thought of as a champion that fit into the fantasy mold. The genre has often used dwarves to represent craftsmen and Ornn falls into this stereotype being a stocky, slow-moving blacksmith. Ornn’s login music has a peaceful tranquility to it, a tranquility often expressed in fantasy music. It never becomes overbearing at any point, and it fits the idea of a worker focused on his craft, without disruption.

Furthermore, it is aided by the heavy use of sound effects which contribute a lot to the overall ambiance the piece has to offer. It is much easier to buy into the fantasy motif when the music flows alongside intermittent sounds such as the banging of metal, which further drives home the idea of a craftsman unperturbed.

More to Consider

Other notable login tracks include both Vi and Jinx’s login music which feature high tempo music and excited vocals. Such inclusions fit both champions well both in terms of their kits and their overall aesthetic. While it has not been present since the beginning, the login music in League of Legends is something that has come to define the client itself and these aforementioned tracks are notable standouts.

Ultimate Skin Music

Within League of Legends, there are several different annual happenings that the player base can expect and look forward to from Riot Games. One such event is the release of an Ultimate Skin. Released at a much higher price point than other skins, the ultimate skin goes far above and beyond other skins and includes color changes to the champion’s outfit in addition to a plethora of particle effect changes to abilities. DJ Sona was one such ultimate skin released on February 25, 2015.

It was a departure from other skins in the series because it predominantly featured EDM music which could be changed based on which form Sona was currently using. The player using Sona could freely switch between forms, depending on the track he or she was looking to hear. To create this music, Riot Games partnered with several different EDM artists including Crystal Method, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, and others. There are three different tracks in total titled “Kinetic,”“Concussive,” and “Ethereal,” respectively. Each track brings something different to the table. Whereas Kinetic maintains a steady flow throughout, Concussive has a lot more high-intensity energy, and Ethereal focuses more on being an atmospheric track you can get lost in at a moment’s notice. In many ways, the songs used in this skin are the magnum opus for Riot Games in terms of their musical achievement. Not only does DJ Sona show a willingness to highlight the talent of other musical artists, it embodies a dynamic way to use the music, outside of simply pushing it onto the login screen. If you haven’t checked out any of these songs, go ahead and do so if League of Legends music interests you in the slightest.

Music: Underappreciated but Still Remembered

League of Legends requires a strong time commitment from its audience to understand all of the events surrounding the game. While that can be said for any e-sports title, it feels especially true for LoL given its global scale and longevity. If you are someone who only plays and does not follow news regarding the game or someone who only follows one specific aspect such as the professional scene, you owe it to yourself to give some attention to this game`s music. With a large number of quality songs, Riot Games has established an impressive track record when it comes to its musical ability. Not only are there great login songs such as Diana’s and Ornn’s themes, they proved with DJ Sona that they can think outside the box and incorporate music in new and interesting ways. League of Legends will always be a game focused on the gameplay first and foremost, but the music has a story to tell and if you listen closely, you may just hear it.

For more, check this out: An Extra Layer of Satisfaction: Free League of Legends Skins