This week, Riot Games puts the “games” in Games with announcement of new upcoming titles, and Google commits to launching Stadia next month.

After a decade of League of Legends, Riot to expand with new games
Wednesday, in a livestream celebrating their ten-year anniversary, Riot made a large number of game announcements, from a new mobile and console League experiences to an upcoming shooter, as well as non-game announcements such as a new animated series. Press like Ars Technica are seemingly digesting the details of all that was announced and sentiment is mostly neutral, with some enthusiast outlets expressing excitement about the titles to come. 

Games press reactions range from skepticism to surprise, with journalists like Noah Smith at The Washington Post noting some of the announcements (such as a first-person shooter and a card game) are out of left field for the previously one-game company. Others like DotEsports noted that some of these announcements feel like a long time coming.

Made by Google event confirms Stadia’s November launch
After much speculation that the tech won’t be ready in time, Google announced at their Made by Google event that Stadia, the streaming video game service, will launch November 19. However, Ars Technica confirms that the only players who will be able to access Stadia on launch day are those that pre-purchase special packages. Some like The Motley Fool welcomed the launch news and expressed optimism that the platform will be a game changer in the market, while others like The Verge note “seems like the full Stadia experience is a little ways out.”