It was 2014. The gaming world was shifting. Most people think of Imagine Dragons as a "radio band," but for a massive chunk of the internet, they are the guys who defined an entire era of competitive spirit. When we talk about Warriors Imagine Dragons, we aren't just talking about another track on Smoke + Mirrors. We’re talking about a cultural reset for esports. It was a collaboration with Riot Games for the League of Legends World Championship, and honestly, it changed how music and gaming intersect forever.
The unexpected origins of Warriors Imagine Dragons
The song didn't just appear out of thin air because a marketing executive wanted a "hit." Dan Reynolds and the rest of the band were actually fans of League of Legends. That's the part people usually miss. They weren't just hired guns; they were players. When they sat down to write it, they weren't trying to write a pop song for the Billboard Hot 100. They were trying to capture the feeling of being a kid in your bedroom, grinding for hours, trying to be the best at something nobody else in your real life seems to understand.
That's why the lyrics hit so hard. "As a child, you would wait and watch from far away." It’s visceral. It’s about the underdog story. At the time, esports wasn't the multi-billion dollar behemoth it is now. It was still fighting for legitimacy. Warriors Imagine Dragons became the anthem for that fight.
Why this specific track actually matters (and why others failed)
Music in gaming is usually forgettable. You have the generic EDM drops or the overly aggressive metal tracks that feel forced. Imagine Dragons did something different. They used a cinematic, orchestral foundation mixed with their signature stomp-clap percussion. It felt huge.
- It bridge the gap between "nerd culture" and mainstream cool.
- The music video featured pro players as actual athletes.
- It established a tradition of Riot Games collaborating with massive stars (leading to K/DA, Lil Nas X, and NewJeans).
Think about the music video for a second. It didn't just show gameplay. It showed the physical toll. The sweat. The shaking hands. The "warriors" weren't guys with swords; they were teenagers with mice and keyboards. By the time the chorus kicks in—"We are the warriors that built this town"—the metaphor is complete. They built the community. They built the stage.
The technical side of the sound
If you strip away the hype, why does the song work? It’s the tension. The verses are relatively quiet, driven by a persistent, ticking rhythm that sounds like a clock or a heart rate monitor. It builds. And builds. The guitar solo by Wayne Sermon in the middle is probably one of the most underrated moments in their entire discography. It’s messy, soaring, and triumphant.
People love to hate on Imagine Dragons for being "formulaic." Maybe they are. But "Warriors" is the blueprint for that formula. It’s meant to be an arena anthem. It’s meant to be played at 110 decibels while 50,000 people scream in a stadium in Seoul. You can't replicate that kind of energy with a "standard" pop structure.
The 2019 cover and the song's second life
A lot of younger fans actually found the song through the 2020 League of Legends cinematic. It was a darker, slower, more orchestral cover featuring 2WEI and Edda Hayes. It was haunting. It proved that the bones of the song were so strong they could be reinterpreted for a completely different vibe. While the original was about the climb, the 2020 version felt like the battle itself.
Impact on the music industry and licensing
The success of Warriors Imagine Dragons opened the floodgates. Suddenly, every major game studio wanted an "Imagine Dragons type" song. We saw it with Arcane and "Enemy." We saw it with Starfield and "Children of the Sky." The band basically carved out a niche as the "Official Sound of Epic Media."
Critics often complain that this makes their music feel like product placement. Kinda true? Maybe. But if the product is a shared emotional experience for millions of people, does it really matter? The song has over 400 million views on YouTube for a reason. It’s not just because people like League of Legends. It’s because the song taps into a universal human desire to be seen as a winner.
What you should do next to appreciate the track
If you haven't listened to it in a few years, go back and watch the original 2014 music video. Don't just listen to the audio on Spotify. The visuals are essential to understanding the intent.
- Watch the live performance from the 2014 World Finals. The band performed with a literal orchestra in the Sangam Stadium. The look on Dan Reynolds' face tells you everything you need to know about how much this meant to them.
- Compare it to "Enemy." Notice how they refined the "gaming anthem" sound. "Enemy" is more polished, but "Warriors" has more raw heart.
- Listen to the stems. If you can find the isolated vocal tracks, you’ll hear just how much layering went into the harmonies. It’s a wall of sound.
There’s a lot of debate about whether Imagine Dragons is "rock" or "pop" or "alternative." It doesn't really matter. Warriors Imagine Dragons is its own thing. It’s a piece of digital history. It’s the sound of a generation of people who grew up online finally getting their own "Eye of the Tiger."
Stop looking at it as just another track on a playlist. It was a moment in time where two massive industries—music and gaming—finally realized they were speaking the same language. Whether you're a Diamond-ranked player or someone who has never touched a controller, that feeling of wanting to "build this town from dust" is something we all get. It’s about the grind. It’s about the payoff. And that is why, ten years later, people are still searching for it.
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Go check out the 2014 World Championship documentary Road to Seoul. It features the band heavily and gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how the collaboration actually happened. It’s the best way to see the genuine connection between the artists and the players. After that, listen to the Smoke + Mirrors (Super Deluxe) version of the track to hear the high-fidelity mastering that the original YouTube upload lacks.