Without a doubt, Riot Games presents itself as the major gamer-centric video game developer in the world. Titles such as Valorant, Legends of Runeterra, and the critically acclaimed League of Legends, have made it one of the most well-known and important companies in the global gaming industry.
The founders of the company were Brandon Beck and Marc Merril, a pair of young developers who wanted to innovate in the world of MOBA games.
However, Marc and Brandon’s inexperience in the area of graphic design and branding was evident in the studio’s original logo, which had several details such as the oversaturation of elements, the double stroke, and the difficult legibility of the name. This makes it an iso logotype (a graphic mark that corresponds to one and cannot be divided or extracted into parts) not very functional and problematic in its reproduction.
In 2019, Riot presented a total redesign of its image made by Rinker studio, simplifying and turning it into something more attractive and modern.
In the new logo, you can see an incredible work of synthesis, as it keeps the essence of the original image, retaining important elements and rebuilding it, thinking about the functionality and the platforms on which it would be presented.
At this point, it has gone from being an Isologotype to an Imagotype, which is made up of two pieces: the isotype and the logotype. Both can be used separately according to the convenience of the brand.
In addition, the design looks more mature and professional, the typography was changed for one with a flatter and more legible design. The fist was vectorized and changed from a left hand to a right hand.
The angular and aleatory lines present an interesting, dynamic and original effect that fits with the target audience and connects with the essence of their video games. They are used in the construction of both components of the logo, reinforcing the idea that, although they are pieces that work perfectly separately, they start from the same brand and concept.
But it is very interesting and a bit strange that after waiting thirteen years to make its first rebranding, just two years later Riot changed its image again. This time, it was not a drastic change, but it was evident to the naked eye.
The first thing that stands out is the typographic variation. They eliminated the original font built exclusively for the brand and replaced it with a slightly modified standard typeface that kills much of the personality and character of the logo.
But we could assume that at least the Isotype rescues the final piece and keeps the original essence, right?
Wrong. Making a more detailed comparison, we can see that the isotype has also changed a lot. It has gone from being the representation of a vertical and aggressive fist to a more horizontal one, which together with the curved lines that the font of the logo has, completely dispenses with the previous personality of the brand, which had also come to connect with the type of product it offers.
What is the reason for the change?
In a statement Riot expressed:
“As Riot enters its second decade, we felt the time was right to update and expand the Riot Games visual system to set us up for long-term success. The change in the logo was the result of building a more cohesive visual system that includes the creation of additional unique assets (such as typography) that will help players more easily recognize us where we show up.”
Taking these words into consideration, we highlight one last change present in the brand redesign that can go hand in hand with the variation and simplification of typography:
Riot gives a greater presence than the word “GAMES” concerning the previous brand. With the great success of Arcane, the animated series inspired by the characters and stories of its video games, the public can assume that Riot wants to expand its reach to other media besides video games.
With the redesign of its logo, it would be much more viable to implement in the future the image of Riot Series or Riot Movies within the repertoire that this great company can offer.
If this theory is true, it could be a compelling reason to carry out these changes that so far have seemed an unnecessary and unwise decision on the part of the company. For now, we can only give them the benefit of the doubt and the time to show us that they have done the right thing and will somehow manage to reinforce Riot’s image.
