League of Legends AmEx debit cards to be unveiled this week

Credit card company American Express is set to launch a League of Legends-themed debit card that offers in-game Riot Points for spending real money.

According to a report in the New York Times, League of Legends developer Riot Games and American Express will formally unveil the debit cards on Wednesday, along with a sponsorship deal in the game from the American financial company.

The prepaid debit card will feature images of the game's characters, with the New York Times showing an image of a Teemo-branded card. Owners can also accumulate Riot Points, used in League of Legends to buy characters, costumes, and bonuses.

Customers receive 1000 Riot Points for signing up, followed by another 1000 when loading the card with $20 of credit. 10,000 Riot Points are offered for linking the card to a direct deposit account, and the first 10 purchases made with the card will also hand out bonus points.

American Express general manager Stefan Happ said that the scheme was designed to attract a generation of players that are becoming harder to target with traditional advertising. "It gives you a sense of how deeply engaged the players are in playing this game," said Happ. "We are about loyalty, we are about contact and long-lasting engagement. This is an ideal fit from an audience perspective."

The deal will include a 30-second advert from American Express about the prepaid debit card, alongside a series of banner ads to run on the company's Championship Series site.

In addition to the League of Legends debit cards, Blizzard and Visa have a partnership to provide World of Warcraft-themed Visa credit cards.