Riot partners with Microsoft to bring subscription service to its games

Riot Games and Microsoft have partnered to make Riot’s top titles available on Xbox Game Pass, including League of Legends, Valorant, and Team Fight Tactics. The big announcement was made on Sunday at Microsoft’s Xbox and Bethesda event, extending the Game Pass subscription to the mobile titles for the first time.

Riot Games features some of the most popular titles across the various platforms. While most of these titles are free-to-play, the entry of Xbox’s Game Pass will allow users to enjoy the premium content on a subscription plan.  In addition to PC titles, the Game Pass will also cover Riot’s mobile titles including, Teamfight Tactics, League of Legends: Wild Rift and Legends of Runeterra.

Xbox Game Pass

With an Xbox Game Pass membership, gamers will have access to all 160+ Champions in LoL and Wild Rift, as well as day-one access to future champions. Valorant players will also receive instant access to all existing agents as well as day-one access to future agents with the Game Pass subscription. Players don’t have to spend hours unlocking new agents if they have the subscription pass.

Subscribers to the Game Pass will receive a free Foundations Set in Legends of Runeterra and a Tier One Little Legend avatar in Teamfight Tactics. Game Pass will also provide players additional bonus experience in specific titles, allowing them to access champions faster and finish agent contracts faster. The titles, however, were not revealed at the time of the announcement. In order to acquire access to Game Pass rewards, gamers will need to link their Riot Games account with Xbox Game Pass.

Unlocked items will remain after the Game Pass subscription expires

All rewards and bonuses that will be unlocked through the gameplay, including skins, champions, cards, and agents, will remain even when the membership expires, according to Joe Hixson, Director of Corporate Communications at Riot Games. Moreover, Hixson explained on Twitter that if a Game Pass membership is cancelled, the game will no longer be eligible to gain the additional experience earned through Game Pass.

At this time, no specific date has been set for the new partnership’s launch, though we have received some hints. According to Xbox, everything from the joint showcase with Bethesda will be available to play within the next 12 months. Riot further stated that the collaboration is “just the start”, indicating that there will be more to come. However, Xbox and Riot Games are expected to announce more information on the Game Pass in the coming weeks.

Header: Xbox