Riot Games breaks its promise: Why isn't LoL coming to consoles yet?

In the world of video games, there are promises that are etched in the memories of fans. One of them was made by Riot Games in 2019 , when it confirmed that League of Legends would have a presence beyond the PC. Six years later, after seeing how Valorant landed on consoles and how LoL received its biggest gameplay revolution with the arrival of WASD controls, the question remains: why don't we have League of Legends on consoles yet?

The debate began with an unexpected development: Riot decided to implement WASD controls in its MOBA. A transformation that changed the way players navigate Summoner's Rift.

On social media and in the League of Legends subreddit , the discussion was intense. For some, this innovation improves kiting and ADC gameplay; for others, it jeopardizes the competitive integrity of LoL . However, this shift also reopened a deeper wound: the game's absence on consoles.

In 2025, Valorant made the jump to consoles, something unthinkable for a shooter designed down to the last detail to be played with a mouse. If Riot Games dared to adapt a title so dependent on precision, what's stopping them from bringing League of Legends to consoles ?

The answer seems complex. MOBAs have proven to work on other platforms: examples include Smite and Pokémon Unite . The barrier isn't control, but something deeper: the game engine and Riot's priorities.

In 2020, the Wild Rift trailer teased its arrival on mobile and consoles. However, that follow-up never materialized. A year later, the Executive Producer acknowledged that they had scrapped the idea:

"We decided to prioritize mobile over cross-platform balance. We haven't seen the popularity of the MOBA genre on consoles that justifies the investment."

The message was clear: the numbers didn't add up . In an Asian market dominated by Honor of Kings , the goal was to concentrate resources on mobile, not disperse them across consoles.

While WASD control now removes some of the technical hurdles, Riot faces a bigger problem: cost . Adapting the LoL engine—a complex and aging codebase—poses a monumental challenge.

The company, despite its success with Valorant and other projects, seems to be weighing each step cautiously. Investing in consoles might not be profitable compared to the maintenance costs and constant updates required for a live MOBA.

The community hasn't lost hope. If Riot has proven anything, it's that it can surprise, even after years of silence. The arrival of WASD is proof that they listen to players and are willing to break the mold.

Perhaps the broken promise of 2019 can still be fulfilled. Maybe not tomorrow, but in a future where the lines between platforms blur, the dream of playing LoL on consoles could become a reality.