Piltover

Piltover is a city-state in Runeterra, commonly referred to as the City of Progress. It sits in the northern Valoran region and is closely linked with the industrial region of Zaun. The city is renowned for its advances in science and engineering, notably hextech, a fusion of magical power and technology that drives its industry, education, and military applications. Piltover has become a hub for trade, invention, and diplomacy in the region.

Piltover is governed by a council that emphasizes merit and order, with policy decisions limited by patent-like licenses and the need for council approval on major projects. The economy relies on licensed innovation, manufacturing, trade, and export of hextech devices. Wealth is concentrated in the upper city, where guilds, academies, and capital finance concentrate power; the lower city (Zaun) lies beneath and challenges this order.

Hextech, pioneered by inventors such as Heimerdinger, Jayce, and Viktor, shapes everyday life, industry, and defense. Pipelines, canals, and elevated walkways reflect urban design; education and industrial culture are highly valued. The city promotes scientific progress but faces ethical and social tensions regarding inequality and the use of magic-powered tech.

Zaun, an adjacent undercity, sits beneath Piltover, sharing resources while remaining politically separate. The two cities have a fraught relationship, with Piltover's wealth and regulation contrasted with Zaun's crowded districts and more improvisational technology.

Piltover appears prominently in League of Legends media and the Arcane series, where its tech-driven society and its interactions with Zaun are explored.