Riot Games League of Legends
Nexus Blitz Art Blast

Hi everyone! To start us off, the team would like to sincerely thank all the players for supporting Nexus Blitz. Without players constantly asking for the game mode, we wouldn’t have had the chance to give Nexus Blitz the love it so rightfully deserves.

On a personal level, I want to thank the Nexus Blitz dev team. The re-envisioning of the art of Nexus Blitz was not an easy task. We had limited time, limited resources, and a small team to work on a map about half the size of Summoner’s Rift. But along the way, we pushed through obstacles with new tool developments that allowed us to work smarter and more efficiently. The new art for Nexus Blitz is a total team effort and I am just honored to have been a part of it all.

Now to the art! The production artists on Nexus Blitz are excited to share with you some of their experience and insight into the many hours of hard work they put into this charming project.

To kick us off, we have Alison Ho to talk to us about the audio for Nexus Blitz.

Audio

For the Nexus Blitz forest to feel rich in its wildlife, each area of the map has distinct audio that is randomly triggered. Any animal sounds, such as the birds and wolves, were processed through long delays and large reverbs to make them feel otherworldly and in a huge space.

For the Nexus Blitz music, we revisited the original NB soundtrack and updated the instrumentation and melodies to resonate more with the Ionian musical palette. In addition, the different NB in-game events initially utilized a variety of music from the LoL universe. However, to fit the new theme and visuals, we replaced these tracks with Ionian or Vastayan music tracks.

Next, we have Gino Whitehall to tell you guys about the work we did on concept design.

Concept Design

At the very beginning of this project, we asked ourselves, “Since we only have a small amount of time to touch up Nexus Blitz, what can we actually get done?” With efficiency in mind, a small group of us set out to see where we could provide the most value in the shortest amount of time. The team reacted with a lot of interest and excitement to the idea of setting Nexus Blitz in Ionia. As we nailed down the theme and tone and proofed out a few concepts, we were able to secure the help of a few more artists and extend our amount of time to make sure we were doing justice to a game mode beloved by players. What started as “let’s see what we can do” eventually became “wow, look what we did!” We even got custom Ionian music from our ridiculously talented audio department! The Rioters that worked on this update have true passion for League that I hope shines through in their efforts. Thanks for looking, and we hope you enjoy!

Last, but certainly not least, we have Ziwei Pan to talk about environment art.

Environment Art

Early on, we made the decision to set the new Nexus Blitz in Ionia. We wanted a lighthearted, whimsical environment that worked with the gameplay. We also really wanted to push the visuals for the mode. We made moving trees, falling leaves, and brilliant sunbeams to showcase the bright fox-themed side for Lily. For the frog-themed Lotus side, we pushed for a calmer, more soothing mood. If Lily is a flower in full bloom, Lotus is a fresh bud on a dewy morning, welcoming new growth.

The pathways between the bases—once the road between two temples—would be where most gameplay occurred. These lanes became sunlit paths framed by crumbling architecture that just barely held back the untamed wild beyond. The pathways through the jungle are designed to guide the players through the map, subtly suggesting which road to take. Each jungle camp was given a unique hand-painted decal to signify their importance, leading the junglers along their route. We wanted the jungle to be beautiful and enchanting, but riddled with the whisperings of lost spirits and forgotten gods.

Nexus Blitz is a wacky, lighthearted experience that we hold dear to our hearts and we’re glad that the players have enjoyed the game mode as much as we have enjoyed making it. Thank you for checking out our art and we’ll catch you next time!

Jonathan Lee
Senior Environment Artist

Concept Artists

Hing Chui – Senior Concept Artist

Gino Whitehall – Senior Concept Artist

Igor Artyomenko – Concept Artist

Illustration Artists

Grace Liu – Illustrator

Grace Liu – Illustrator – Riot Games – League of Legends Nexus Blitz

Jonathan Lee – Environment Artist

Ranko Prozo – Environment Artist

Ziwei Pan – Environment Artist

Tony Tang – Environment Artist

Phillip Zhang – Environment Artist

Phillip Zhang – Environment Artist – Riot Games – League of Legends Nexus Blitz