Gangplank killed off in League of Legends’ latest event

League of Legends has always had fascinating lore, but never has the story actually affected gameplay.

That changed this week when Riot Games, as part of the ongoing Bilgewater: Burning Tides event, removed (probably temporarily) Gangplank from the game. The son of the dread pirate captain Vincent the Shadow was killed by Miss Fortune in act three of the story-driven event which centers on Bilgewater and the game's many pirate and nautical-themed champions.

Special events in League of Legends are nothing new, and this isn't the first time we've seen an event tied to the game's lore. Usually, they simply offer players new temporary mini-game experiences and themed skins. This, however, is the first time something that happened in an event's story has had a direct impact on the actual game, which is odd because League of Legends has been marketed more as an eSport.

First reported by Kotaku, when you log into League of Legends, an alert at the top of the clients announces that "Gangplank is dead and has been disabled in all queues."

If we're considering League of Legends a "sport," I guess we can liken his being disabled to an athlete's injury, but still — this is unprecedented for the game.

Beyond eSports, there's also the whole consumer aspect. Gangplank is just one of many champions players can purchase with cash (in the form of RP) or IP (in-game currency earned by simply playing). Many have also spent real money on skins for the champion. Because so many have invested money into the character, I doubt he's gone for good. And in anticipation of the fan uproar over his removal, Riot posted on the forums, confirming they are not addressing any refund requests for the character or his skins.

"Champion death is unprecedented in League of Legends, and we do not take it lightly. We encourage all Gangplank fans to remain calm for a few days until we can fully assess the situation. At this time, we are not addressing refund requests for him or his skins but please know that over the next several days we’ll do our best to make things right for everyone."

I'm not surprised to see the event's story involve Gangplank and Miss Fortune, as both champions just received a major overhaul. Given the work Riot has put into the character, what he brings to the gameplay, and the money people have spent on him, I doubt he's gone for good.

I'm sure it'll all be explained as the Bilgewater: Burning Tides event goes on. Maybe we'll get a cool new skin out of it or something. Gangplank already has a ghost skin, so not sure what else they could do to him aesthetically.

Where's Zilean when you need him?