With only one day left until Season 10 begins, League of Legends fans have been on the receiving end of many announcements. Following promotional champion teasers, plans going forward in 2020, and debuting a new LCS format, Riot Games has released the Season 10 cinematic for League of Legends, "Warriors."
Over the years, Riot has created many videos about champions interacting with each other throughout the world of Runeterra. In 2019, the cinematic was accompanied by a new song, "Awaken" ft. Valerie Broussard, punctuating the fights between some of League of Legends' iconic roster. For 2020, the newest cinematic is a three-minute short featuring even more lore-heavy battles between other familiar champions set to "Warriors" ft. 2WEI and Edda Hayes, an orchestral and choir-heavy remix of the 2014 original by Imagine Dragons.
The League of Legends cinematic splits between three different situations which escalate into battles. Sylas breaches a gate into Demacia with a mercenary force, against an army lead by Garen and Lux. In Shurima, Ezreal takes a Tear of the Goddess from a tomb which triggers an ambush of void monsters, leading Kai'Sa to appear and save him. Finally, Caitlyn and Vi attempt to stop a group of Urgot's cult-like followers but they manage to release Urgot from his Piltover prison, leading to another clash.
On closer inspection, however, all three battles are following recent lore developments in 2019. After Sylas' release, he traveled to the Freljord in search of more soldiers to aid his revolution attempt in Demacia, leading to the recruitment of the Winter's Claw, Sejuani's tribe. Ezreal is a known treasure hunter, the Void has a historic presence in Shurima, and Kai'Sa, a void-transformed human, only recently returned from the space between Runeterra and the Void. Previously, Vi and Caitlyn managed to put down Urgot's uprising in Zaun, but his actions seem to have inspired even more fanatics who believe in his Bane-like ideas.
To Riot's credit, the Season 10 cinematic has done an excellent job of helping to move the story forward. Demacia is the defining example with its world-building and persecution of magic leading to Sylas' current actions, sporting his new Freljord outfit, and Lux finally embracing her magic out in the open to call Galio and help defend her nation. Furthermore, the battles give even non-players an idea of what each champion can do such as Sylas stealing part of Garen's magical energy to recreate his signature sword, Kai'sa blasting voidlings from long range, or Urgot's monstrous ability to fire a drill-chain combo and Vi's subsequent struggle to avoid being dragged to her demise.
In the end, most League of Legends players will be delighted by the newest cinematic, but there are other fans who might not be interested in the start of Season 10. For that group, there are still other 2020 projects like Legends of Runeterra which will use the same champions and universe.
League of Legends is available on PC.