Riot Games' upcoming Soul Fighter summer event promises to tie together all of its Runeterra games

Keyart for the Soul Fighter summer event depicting a magical stadium surrounded by fans
(Image credit: Riot)

Riot Games is launching a special summer event across all of its Runeterra titles. 

Entitled Soul Fighters, the summer event will last for six weeks and take place across League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, League of Legends: Wild Rift, and Legends of Runeterra. Starting July 20, the event takes inspiration from the best fighting games like Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 and promises a slew of new content including new game modes, skins, and gameplay features. 

Set in an alternate universe, the event follows the "Tournament of Souls", where beloved characters from the Runeterra universe will duke it out in a context organized by the mysterious God's Eye. According to the press release, competitors will "battle it out until there is only one standing." 

Andrei van Roon, head of League Studio elaborated on what to expect. “Arena, Soul Brawl, and Tag Duel will let players experience League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift, respectively, in new ways that we think bring something really fresh to the table. We can't wait to see what players think once they get their hands on them."

In addition to the slew of cosmetics and skins, the upcoming game modes look particularly promising. A new Arena mode is set to be added to League of Legends as part of the summer event and promises tight battles between four teams of two players across four different battlefields. League is also getting a new metagame where players can take on the role of Samira, a competitor in the Tournament of Souls, and gain reputation by playing games of League. Play enough games, and you'll be able to face new opponents and unlock new abilities for Samira in a "style-rating-focused combo battler". 

Teamfight Tactics will also be getting its own bespoke narrative experience, based in the Tournament of Souls universe, while Wild Rift will be introducing a Tag Duel mode which will allow players to switch champions on the fly. Legends of Runeterra doesn't seem slated to get any new modes, but will be getting a range of cosmetics as well as a brand-new event pass.  

The Runeterra universe is an increasingly ambitious project, encompassing some of the best strategy games out there. However, if you want to get stuck into Riot's flagship title, then we've got a League of Legends beginner's guide just for you.

Cat Bussell
Staff Writer

Cat Bussell is a Staff Writer at TechRadar Gaming. Hailing from the crooked spires of London, Cat is an experienced writer and journalist. As seen on Wargamer.com, TheGamer.com, and Superjumpmagazine.com, Cat is here to bring you coverage from all corners of the video game world. An inveterate RPG maven and strategy game enjoyer, Cat is known for her love of rich narratives; both story-driven and emergent.