Dramatic typography unleashed for Riot's massive European League of Legends Championship Series

25 Jan / 2019 / Scanner /

DesignStudio worked with Riot to bring a brand new esports European only revolution online. DesignStudio reimagined and rebranded Riot's new massive challenge, the European League of Legends Championship Series (EU LCS).

The European competition needed a new identity to set it apart from its North American counterpart and push it beyond traditional sport clichés. Alongside a new name ‘League of Legends European Championship’ or ‘LEC.’ for short, DS created a fresh new identity, broadcast package and influenced parts of the set design.

"We immersed ourselves in pro-gaming culture, and met a community united by their love of gaming. Europe’s competition is incredibly diverse, bringing together fans and professional players from over 40 countries – challenging each other, forming friendships, and masterminding new ways to play (so rapidly because the game’s updated every fortnight). There’s also a real sense of humour – the fans and shoutcasters are deadly serious about esport, but don’t take themselves too seriously. The new brand needed to embody this character, passion, diversity, and community, leading to our strategic proposition ‘Unleash Together’. Our new logo captures ‘Unleash Together’ – an explosion of triumph and celebration. The two sides represent the two competing teams, coming together as one symbol to depict the league’s arena and crown" notes the studio.

"Our wider graphic language is inspired by League of Legends’ explosive energy and the clash of teams, fans and cultures in our league. We’ve created five graphic textures that reference different energies in the game: Rush, Surge, Strike, Blaze, and Blast. They can be used as bold backgrounds, or paired up to clash and contrast. Reminiscent of old European boxing posters, the typography is all about high impact. Two typefaces, Gatica and Druk, oppose each other in layouts. In collaboration with Commercial Type, Druk has been slashed and cut as if it has lived through a battle. Tone of voice comes directly from the gaming community, celebrating their culture and giving their language centre-stage. Phrasing is short and powerful, working with dramatic typography".

Enter the league here.