How streaming titles like League of Legends are blurring the lines between gaming and film

The world of live entertainment in which film has formed a cornerstone is changing, with new media helping to define the genre of story-telling. The film industry has adapted to changes in the way media is consumed, with feature-length titles forming a key part in the offerings of platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

But as habits of viewers change, new formats for entertainment are emerging and taking their place alongside Hollywood hits across streaming platforms and on traditional linear TV networks.

One of those formats is gaming clips, with the ‘let’s play’ genre exploding in popularity during the last ten years. And though this kind of media hasn’t found its way into the cinema just yet, it accounts for a huge percentage of the traffic on platforms like YouTube.

It’s also made its way onto Netflix, with documentary League of Legends Origins chronicling the game’s rise from free demo to a multi-billion dollar “eSports titan”. League of Legends – or LoL – has been a major catalyst behind the rise of eSports, with dedicated platforms offering LoL VoD (Video on Demand). Along with this, eSports VoD has started to thrive with the increased interest from the betting industry, adding to it a sense of legitimacy like that found in physical contact sports. In this sense, the differences between sports and eSports are starting to break down.

In this article, we will explore some of the best League of Legends channels on YouTube, and try to demonstrate why the title is helping to blur the lines of entertainment and bridge the gap between gaming and film.

Synotik

Synotik’s channel is dedicated to League of Legends and has attracted more than 112 million views. The channel’s 338,000 subscribers are treated to montages of the world’s best players, alongside clips from the wider LoL community.

The most popular video on the channel is a ‘Best of Outplays’ montage from 2018, which has attracted an impressive 3.2 million views. The ten-minute clip is beautifully edited and features some real intense action, with a suitably dramatic, cinematic soundtrack.

Voyboy

Voyboy is operated by the eSports player of the same name. A former competitive League of Legends all-star, Voyboy played on several top teams and was considered by many to be one of the best in the business when he was at the peak of his powers. Today, Voyboy dedicates his time to streaming and teaching aspiring League of Legends players some tricks of the trade. His most viewed video is an intimate, stripped-down piece to camera reflecting on some of the game’s modern issues with “toxic players”.

iFunzio

While Voyboy dedicates his energy to educating and reflecting on some of the game’s problems, iFunzio’s channel focuses almost entirely on the absolute best of League of Legends. His selection of clips includes edited player montages, streaming moments, competitive moments, and interview snippets.

iFunzio says that every single video is created “with the hope to make you smile” and, with more than 360m video views to date, his message of positivity is spreading far and wide. This is the perfect example of a channel that is contributing to the growth of the LoL community online.

LoL Esports

The final channel on our list is the official YouTube presence of LoL Esports, which serves as another community hub for fans and players of all abilities. The channel has commanded more than a billion views, with 3.36m eager subscribers tuning in time and time again.

The channel’s videos include competitive pro play from leagues around the world, with breakdowns, weekly highlights, and exclusive commentary. LoL Esports is a true showcase of the best gameplay and most intense action.

We hope this guide to the best League of Legends YouTube channel has helped provide a different insight into the world of modern entertainment. With gaming clips like those discussed above becoming ever more cinematic, the genre will likely continue to grow to complement classic film on a range of platforms.