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League of Legends Season 13 preview

We are still a few months away from the end of season 12 but Riot have already started teasing... Scott Kostov | 13. August 2022

We are still a few months away from the end of season 12 but Riot have already started teasing us with preseason 2023.

Champions

2023 Champion release schedule

In the recently released video, Riot Reav3 the lead gameplay producer on League shared some details regarding the champion roadmap and the upcoming releases. In season 13 we will get a new top lane tank that hails from Shurima.  K’Sante, the Pride of Nazumah, will have a regenerating skill and can use his main trait both offensively and defensively.

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New champion K’Sante teaser Credit: Riot Games

League’s player base will also be happy to hear that a new Darkin assassin is entering the Rift. Like all before it, it will have a weapon in which it will be trapped, but instead of  Kayn’s Scythe, its weapon will be a Darkin Dagger. Support players should be excited for a new male Enchanter, giving Rakan and Taric some competition. It will hail from Ixtal, giving Qiyana some company, and should be released later next year.

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Darkin Dagger teaser Credit: Riot Games

Midscope updates

After giving us Zerri, Renata, Bel Veth, and Nilah in 2022, the champion team at Riot has been much more invested in fixing existing champions. Janna, Ahri, Swain, Taliyah, Olaf, and recently Sivir, have all received gameplay updates that should help them fit in better in 2022 League, without changing the champion too much. These changes have resulted in great feedback in terms of play rate spikes, so they want to build upon this, and Neeko and Syndra are next up.

VGU/ CGU/ ASU

As confusing as these may seem, they are quite simple. A visual gameplay update (VGU) is what Udyr is receiving on the next patch, in which they changed all of his visuals and updated his spells. These are full reworks like the ones that Akali and Irelia received a few seasons ago.

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Aurelion Sol new Q and W Abilities combined Credit: Riot Games

A comprehensive gameplay update (CGU) is when the champion team decided that everything about the champion stays the same, except how his spells interact with each other. To everyone’s joy, Aurelion Sol will be the target of this update, since his problematic kit has been gatekeeping him from the community. His Q ability will now breathe fire instead of throwing out a stun, and his new W ability will allow him to fly anywhere, not just in a straight line. And best of all, he can do both simultaneously. 

An ASU (Art&Sustainability Update) is what Ahri is receiving later this year. Her new base model is almost finished, but since she has a ton of skins that need to be changed it will take a while. This update will change her appearance in and outside of gameplay, to make her look more up-to-date.

Gameplay & Systems

The lead gameplay designer on the League team, Riot Phroxzon, announced that large-scale gameplay updates like the Durability patch, won’t happen anymore during the season only during the preseason.

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Better patience meter handling in the jungle

Jungle Changes

But since runes, items, and the drakes are recently updated, their main focus this preseason will be the jungle. Their goal is to make jungling easier for newer players, and they have multiple ways to accomplish that. Giving away your buffs as a jungler will now give you a small pet running around the jungle with you and giving you partial value from those buffs. Camp patience meters will also be displayed to help newer players multi-camp clears, and the Vision and Blast cones in the jungle will be improved once Chemtech Soul takes over.

Chemtech Drake

That’s right, everyone’s least favorite Chemtech Drake is back from the dead in season 13. But this time it won’t bring you back from the dead. The new Chemtech Soul will now grant more damage and more reduction with lower health. If you reveal an enemy with a Vision cone on the Chemtech Rift, you will receive a movement speed towards them, and using the Blast cone on this Rift will send you flying further away than usual.

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New and improved ping wheel Credit: Riot Games

Updated Ping and Vision Systems

Despite not adding voice chat, Riot are still trying to improve the communication systems, this time with an improved Ping wheel. With it, you can state your intentions more clearly and avoid triggering your teammates. All of the warding and vision options will also become easier to use, with better indicators for better placement, and much more information regarding vision being available.

Header: Riot Games