Riot Forge is releasing a new rendition of “You and Me Makes Us,” the anthem for Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story, today. The latest version of the song is set to feature the soulful vocals of Tori Kelly, combined seamlessly with the original singer and songwriter DEEGAN.
The journey of this heartwarming track began earlier this year, according to Jonny Altepeter, lead music supervisor at Riot, who shared insights into the creative process in an exclusive interview with Dot Esports.
He explained that Riot Forge looked for an innovative approach to its games’ marketing campaigns and sought to create a unique musical identity for Song of Nunu, whose gameplay is deeply intertwined with music—as the title suggests. The goal was to capture the essence of the game through a song that resonates with players while remaining true to the League of Legends universe—a feature similar to what Riot seeks to recreate each year with its Worlds anthems.
“We wanted a road trippy song, a friendship anthem, but seen through the lens of Nunu and Willump,” Altepeter told Dot Esports. The search for the perfect sound led the music team to DEEGAN, who originally wrote the song with a romantic sentiment behind it as it was initially designed to fit his relationship with his girlfriend—which was not really fitting for the friendship between the boy and the Yeti.
But the project’s momentum and the infectious excitement within Riot prompted a reevaluation. “The more people within Riot Forge started hearing it, the more excitement started building around it,” Altepeter said, who, recognizing the song’s potential, made the decision to use it in the game’s campaign and then work on it to elevate it further by transforming it into a duet.
Enter Kelly, Riot’s “first choice” for this musical partnership.
Describing the collaboration with the two-time Grammy Award-winning artist, Altepeter pointed at the fact that she is also a fellow gamer—and when she heard the song, “she was all for it,” according to Altepeter. Kelly’s vocals added another layer of depth and emotion to the song, creating a synergy that perfectly complements the atmosphere and feelings conveyed by the narrative in Song of Nunu.
Altepeter highlighted that the song allows players and fans “to dive into something outside of the game” and “take it with them outside of it.” Addressing the considerations in producing music that resonates with players and enhances the gaming experience, Altepeter emphasized the importance of finding the right artist for the collaboration, which then “sets the tone for the whole thing,” he explained.
This new rendition of “You and Me Makes Us” debuted on Kelly’s Twitch livestream on Dec. 14, over a month after the game came out. With this song, Riot Forge aims to reignite the enthusiasm for Song of Nunu in the gaming community that is getting ready to play a cozy game that can warm their hearts during the cold weather of the holiday season. And for that, Altepeter expressed the hope that the song will spread even wider than before, attracting new listeners and creating a lasting impact in the League community—just like many other Riot Music creations have done before.
Kelly and DEEGAN’s new version of “You and Me Makes Us” will be available at 11am CT today on Riot Forge’s YouTube channel.
