Exciting updates are on the horizon for League of Legends, including new seasonal themes, the formidable monster Atakhan, Herald of Ruin, and gameplay changes like Nexus turrets respawning. The introduction of the Swiftplay mode aims to enhance player engagement. Additionally, a prior change obscuring summoner names during champion selection has improved the gaming experience by reducing pre-game harassment, fostering a more team-focused environment, and receiving positive community feedback. New champions like Ambessa Medarda from the Arcane series are also anticipated.
Exciting Changes Coming to League of Legends
With every new season, League of Legends ushers in a wave of changes, and this year is no different. Players can look forward to a trio of seasonal themes, the introduction of an epic new monster named Atakhan, Herald of Ruin, and gameplay alterations, including the exciting ability for Nexus turrets to respawn after destruction. Additionally, the new game mode, Swiftplay, promises to keep players engaged in the coming weeks.
A Minor Yet Impactful Change
For those new to Riot Games’ popular MOBA, you might not be aware of some significant updates that occurred in the past. Specifically, prior to Season 12, players’ summoner names were visible during champion selection, which led to various issues. However, with the release of patch 12.22 over two years ago, this practice changed, and player names were hidden during the selection process. Initially, there were some challenges, such as the ability to access names through the source code, but these were quickly addressed by the developers. Now, players can only see their teammates’ names once the game loading screen appears.
This adjustment aimed to eliminate the tendency of players to gather information about their teammates via external sites before the game even began, which often led to pre-game harassment or ‘flaming’ based on past performance. Riot Games recognized that this behavior could create a toxic atmosphere and wanted to encourage a more team-oriented focus rather than one fixated on individual statistics. Initially met with mixed reviews, this feature has since garnered overwhelming support from the community.
Today, the obscured summoner names are a non-issue for most players, and feedback has shifted dramatically in favor of this change. Many players now consider it one of the best decisions made by Riot Games, as highlighted by a Reddit discussion from January 2nd. While some concerns about transparency remain—such as identifying questionable accounts—most players agree that this change fosters a healthier and more inclusive gaming environment.
Though it hasn’t eradicated all toxicity issues within the game, it undeniably represents progress in the right direction. On another note, the popular Arcane series has opened the door for new champions, including Ambessa Medarda, and fans are eager for her arrival in the League of Legends universe.