Modern multiplayer games are more than just combat. It serves a way for people to communicate.

While many multiplayer games focus on competition but lack strong storytelling, games like League of Legends and World of Warcraft now feature expansive lore that rivals traditional RPGs.

These seven games prove that a deep narrative is the secret to keeping players hooked for decades.

League of Legends

League of Legends (LoL) is one of the most popular and longest-serving multiplayer games, with roots in esports culture as well. But the lore runs deep, too, and it's only becoming more expansive after the Netflix adaptation of the game into the 'Arcane' series.

Every champion has a backstory deeply connected to different regions of the planet Runeterra. The planet's name translates to 'Magic Earth', reflecting the depth of the game's world-building.

The Arcane series focuses on character backstories like Jinx, Vi, and Jayce, while the game expands the lore through cinematics like Still Here and Old Friends, New Bloom, bridging timelines and showing champions aging and the world evolving.

World of Warcraft

Taking it further, World of Warcraft, one of the most popular MMORPGs, follows the three-expansion ‘Worldsoul Saga,’ revealing the Titans’ true intentions behind their return to Northrend.

In its 11th expansion, Midnight oversees an elven battle to defend Sunwell from a Void invasion. World of Warcraft also keeps adding more lore and playable races to the storyline, with Midnight introducing the 'Haranir', a neutral allied race.

World of Warcraft remains immersive by allowing players to revisit classic versions that still receive narrative updates.

Dota 2

While Dota was first built as a mod in Warcraft itself, Valve bought the rights to the franchise and then created a new multiverse to avoid copyright issues with Blizzard and the Warcraft series.

The Radiant and Dire conflict stems from a ‘Schism’ splitting a mind into two shards, which Arc Warden, Zet, imprisoned on a moon to stop their endless battle.

Unlike Warcraft, every Dota 2 match is canon. Each time an Ancient falls, the timeline resets, while spinoffs like Dota Underlords and Artifact expand the world further.

Fortnite

Fortnite took off with its fast gameplay, but the story kept growing alongside it. The Zero Point links different realities, which is how new characters and crossovers keep showing up.

The Imagined Order runs the Time Loop and keeps everyone stuck in it, while the Seven, led by The Foundation, try to break that control. At the same time, the Cube Queen is trying to destroy everything.

The story moves forward in real time, with events inside the game changing what happens next.

Valorant

Valorant has a lore that connects two versions of Earth after a global event called the First Light. The cataclysmic event divides reality into Alpha Earth (original) and Omega Earth (mirror).

Omega Earth is on the brink of total collapse and spilling onto Alpha Earth, with agents coming in to steal Radianite, necessary for Omega Earth's survival.

The current lore shows Sage slowly becoming crystallized because of overusing her healing powers, and we could see Sage become unplayable in the game before being reintroduced after a rework or a change in her abilities, as Sage looks to avoid being crystallized.

Valorant's lore actually develops and reflects in the game in real time, which adds to the experience.

Apex Legends

Apex Legends serves as the successor to Titanfall 2 in terms of storyline. Based in the same universe, Apex Legends is set approximately 30 years from the timeline of Titanfall 2.

Each character has a deep lore tied to their game mechanics. The core conflict arises from the Mercenary Syndicate, a mysterious ruling body that organizes the Apex Games to maintain order and also profits from it.

Final Fantasy XIV

The different Final Fantasy versions are set in their own universes, despite having common mythology at their core.

Final Fantasy XIV is the deepest version in terms of lore. The starting chapters tell the tale of two gods, one of Light and the other of Darkness, gripped in continuous battle, and the 'Final Days' that threaten the existence of life itself.

After the gods pass away, the story moves into a fight for succession in the region of Tural, whereas the current saga, The Godless Realms, explores how the worlds are reacting to a universe without the presence of the two gods.

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Written by

Abhisek Bajaj

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav