I recently had the opportunity to speak with Rowan Parker, the Creative Director at Riot Forge Games. While some of the interview with Rowan touched on the overall design process at Riot Forge, most of the focus was on the upcoming Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story. I have to admit I had expected the interview to be rather straightforward. Based on what I had seen from the trailers for Song of Nunu so far, I thought I knew what was in store. A cozy and playful lighthearted adventure through the Freljord as Nunu, with Willump and Braum by my side. Surely there’d be some laughs, some gaffes, and maybe even a guffaw or two.
As my questioning began, Rowan was quick to remind me: Song of Nunu is being developed by Tequila Works, a developer well known for their hard-hitting narratives in titles like RiME and GYLT. Rowan smirked as I connected the dots about what this meant in terms of what could be in store for Nunu and Willump.
“Wait, so this isn’t just a happy cozy adventure?” I asked.
“Nothing bad could possibly happen, right?” Rowan teased. “What could go wrong?”
A tale of a ten-year-old boy and his pet Yeti
I think Rowan said it best. Tequila Works are masters at creating intimately personal stories that know how to hit hard. I’m not quite sure how I had not perceived this beforehand. Tequila Works being the developer might, in fact, be the biggest hint into what we can expect from Song of Nunu.
Wrapping up the interview, I shared some thoughts on my newfound knowledge of what’s in store.
“I don’t know what’s coming, but I feel it’s going to hit me harder than I expected,” I said.
Rowan smirked again. “I think you probably could guess what’s coming. The question is, what flavor is it going to be?”
My full interview with Rowan will be available on September 25, and I recommend checking it out for even more details on what to expect from Song of Nunu.
Song of Nunu is available for pre-order now on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.com ahead of its November 1 release. Other console releases will follow later. A warm and fuzzy Collector’s Edition is also available directly through the Riot Games Merch store for all confirmed platforms.
