Rising Thunder Developers Promise To Give Back To The Fighting Game Genre

The news that Radiant Entertainment were shutting down Rising Thunder in the wake of their buyout by Riot Games came as a shock last week. But in the wake of speculation about what Radiant’s new project for Riot could entail, one of the company’s founders has come out with some vague information.

In case you’re not up to speed, Radiant Entertainment was founded by Tom and Tony Cannon. They’re the same brothers who own the Shoryuken fighting game website and the founders behind the annual EVO fighting game championships that have become a hallmark of the gaming calendar.

Coupled with the help of Seth Killian, it meant Rising Thunder was being developed by three people who really knew fighting games inside out. And when the project was canned, suspicions immediately turned to the prospect of a fighting game built with the League of Legends IP.

After all, the one-button specials would make League of Legends fans feel right at home. It’s pretty easy to see the appeal for Riot as well: it uses their existing property but in a new way that could expand their fanbase immensely.

Tom Cannon has added more fuel to those rumours recently with a post on the Radiant forums, indicating that their new project will still be giving back to the fighting game community in some fashion.

“As many of you know, I’m a fighting game fanatic. I got hooked on the original Street Fighter II, and fighting games have been a driving force in my life ever since. Through these games I’ve met lifelong friends and had amazing experiences around the world,” the Radiant co-founder wrote. “Throughout our journey with these games, Tony and I have always tried to do what’s best for players, and give back to the genre that’s been so fulfilling to us.”

“It’s why we started Evo, and why Evo has such a nutty open-bracket format. It’s why Tony built GGPO. It’s why we founded Radiant. And, though it probably sounds crazy now, it’s why we’re joining forces with Riot and putting Rising Thunder to rest.”

It’s not exactly an outright admission. But if anything, Cannon is pretty clear about one thing: the company’s new project will be designed to give back to the community he, his brother and colleagues, so dearly love. We won’t know what that is for a while. But there’s enough of a suggestion that I’m not giving up on my hope of seeing Rising Thunder come back to life, even if it does so under the veil of League of Legends.


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