A virtual Mercedes-Benz concept was created for a ‘League of Legends’ promotion

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a new concept vehicle. It doesn’t seem to have a name, a traditional body, or even wheels. It’s completely virtual, created for a “League of Legends” promotional video.

What exactly is “League of Legends”? It is a popular online multiplayer battle game that has its own e-sports series. Mercedes-Benz is the series’ exclusive partner, hence the virtual show car. It made its debut in an animated music video for a Lil Nas X song for the game’s Worlds 2022 event.

“Because of the virtual space, there are no limits to what we can do, which means we can push boundaries and give our creativity room to surprise,” said Gorden Wagener, chief design officer at Mercedes-Benz Group. Indeed, even in a fantasy world of magical warriors, the company provided no explanation for how the car might work.

Because Mercedes is promoting the EQS SUV through the “League of Legends” partnership, the car is most likely electric, and there are some beams of what appears to be blue lightning flowing through the rear. Massive wheel-like shapes are attached to each of the four corners, but they do not appear to be capable of rotating independently. In fact, the entire vehicle appears to be encased in glass, much like one of those 1970s paperweights.

Mercedes says one application that will exist in the real world is a “League of Legends” skin for their MBUX infotainment system.

This is not the first time Mercedes has used video games to promote its vehicles. They created an AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept for “Gran Turismo 6” almost a decade ago, which resulted in a 1:1 scale model (it had no powertrain). Mercedes-Benz of Japan collaborated with Nintendo in 2014 to include the GLA (and several other Mercedes models) in “Mario Kart.”

“League of Legends Worlds” will begin on November 3.