Legends of Runeterra is an interesting case study; the game was originally envisioned as a player-versus-player (PvP) card game in the vein of Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering, but eventually pivoted to primarily a player-versus-environment (PvE) experience. This was partially because the focus on PvP was costing Riot money, and the PvE aspects wound up being more commercially viable.
Although many players feared their beloved game was being put into "maintenance mode", the term for live-service games that remain online but aren't actively updated, Riot has continued to actively update the game since the pivot.
In celebration of Legends of Runeterra's fifth anniversary, Riot Games co-founder Marc "Tryndamere" Merrill released a post on social media talking about the future of the digital card game.
"Over the past year, the Path of Champions has evolved into something special, shaped by the creativity, feedback and love of the Legends of Runeterra community," writes Merrill. "We've been building a strong foundation for future experiments like events and working with players to make the experience deeper and more replayable. Legends of Runeterra isn't surviving or in "maintenance mode," it's adapting, growing, and laying down new roots for the...
