League of Legends events traditionally offer players new challenges and rewards centered around one of the game’s most popular skin lines. The most recent event, Spirit Blossom, extended its reach to all corners of League’s domain, welcoming two new champions, introducing a new skin line, and putting an exciting spin on the traditional event formula.
As the headliner of the show, Spirit Bonds emerged as the first of its kind—a new means of storytelling. League’s lore universe is filled with stories of all sizes and scopes. There are numerous cinematics, songs, and comics designed to give fans a glimpse into the lives of Runeterra’s many legends. But never before has there been a narrative experience like Spirit Bonds woven into the game for fans to engage with.
Riot Games has taken steps in the past to allow fans to dabble in the game’s lore with versus events and modes like Odyssey: Extraction and Invasion. With the Spirit Bonds narrative experience, however, League fans get to become a part of the game’s newest skin universe and interact with inhabitants of the Spirit Realm, helping heal old wounds while playing tricks on the realm’s grumpier residents.
From players’ first conversation with a fox to the piecing together of each spirit’s story, Spirit Bonds sends players off on a journey and delicately crafts a world full of fun personalities and engaging narratives—all while offering players a new way to earn rewards for hitting checkpoints in their quest.
After players receive the map from the Mysterious Fox, the Spirit Realm opens up and the possibilities feel endless. Players can choose from one of nine—or 10, depending on when they started the visual novel—champions to speak to in whichever order they wish. This allows players to progress through the story at their own pace. Complete all of the spirits’ stories at once or read through them one at a time; the path is yours to choose.
Wherever you choose to embark on your journey, it’s sure to be a good place to start. Like any good anime, Spirit Bonds is full of loveable and distinct personalities. Each character’s story is engaging and unique enough to separate it from the rest of the pack, but that doesn’t mean the overarching narrative feels like 10 standalone stories. The stories often extend past the character’s respective domain, seeping into other spirit’s journeys to build an interconnected world for the player to explore.
Dialogue options differ enough that players can find their own voice throughout the narrative experience. Crack some cheeky jokes or remain stoutly devoted to helping each spirit, and characters will respond accordingly without changing too much of the narrative. It’s enough for the individual player to feel that their choice matters while ensuring the story is still consumed in its intended form.