Riot Games announces new LoL servers and Arabic localization for Middle East in 2024

Riot Games announced that they would be expanding on their League of Legends servers in the Middle East and North Africa region, while also adding Arabic localization to the game.

In a statement, Riot announced the rollout of new support for the region, which has historically lagged behind the support that more established areas receive.

The developer also said that TFT and League of Legends would be participating in the Esports World Cup. Riot and LoL Esports will not be involved with the production or management of the event.

Riot said: “While we’ve had an office in Dubai since 2018 doing impactful publishing work, on the game side, we haven’t delivered the ideal player experience in MENA for League of Legends. 

“Back in 2019, we made a promise to localize League of Legends in Arabic for players in MENA. We’re overdue for an update here, but we’re happy to confirm that we’ll be turning this long-standing promise into reality this summer.

“Beyond making sure the linguistic nuances and champion voiceover feel right, there were some technical pieces like reworking game interfaces so text could work when read right-to-left. We know it’s taken too long, but we’re almost there.”

On the issue of participating in the EWC, Riot said: “We know that seeing League and TFT included in an international esports event in Saudi Arabia could raise some questions. Our goal in this region, and all regions, is to make deliberate choices that result in a better experience for players around the world. 

“The decision to make room in our LoL Esports competitive calendar for the EWC comes after a lot of consideration about our duty to thoughtfully explore marketing and commercial opportunities for esports teams and players, as well as the impact this event can have on players in MENA.”