Why Transmedia Works in Gaming

As a professional in esports for many years, I have followed League of Legends from its early days. It never really spoke to me personally, simply because I preferred competitive FPS titles. I organized some events in it and watching broadcasts from a professional educational side (how does the broadcast look like, what are they doing on the stage, etc.), but that was the most I interacted with it.

Valorant came out and it drew me closer, but by this time I had little time to really dive into games. I’m pretty competitive, so when I suck, I don’t stick around too long to get humiliated..

Then Arcane came out and that changed everything for me. For the first time, the universe actually clicked with me. I didn’t need to be good at the game, or even play it, to get pulled in. It was about the story, the characters, the world. I suddenly found myself reading up on all the champions, watching lore videos, and casually playing TFT because it felt like a fun way to stay connected to that world without the pressure of competitive play. And before I knew it, I was watching Worlds and VCT not just with a professional eye, but as a fan.

The big lesson here: even as someone who’s worked in esports, it wasn’t Riot’s esports ecosystem that got me hooked, but it was their Netflix show. And the same will happen in reverse. Esports fans will watch the next series, the same way I went from Arcane to Worlds. Transmedia brings people in from every direction. It gives fans the content they’re craving, and offers them a universe they can connect to across multiple layers, whether they play, watch, read, or just want to belong.

And that’s what we do with ELO. We find what fits for your game or brand, and build out that world in multiple aspects; not just single campaigns or activations, but a consistent universe.