There are two things Riot Games are looking to accomplish within their previously stated goal of "champion diversity":

  • Every game of League should feel meaningfully different based on the champions in it
  • Each champion in League should feel distinct from one another

Recognizing that this isn't always the case, they're looking to make some meaningful changes to a group of champions they've affectionately dubbed "juggernauts." You can read fully about the changes that are being tested here, but here's a quick breakdown by champion:

 

Darius

Understanding how difficult it is to be Darius in the late game, his passive has now been slightly re-worked. He'll still be bleeding his enemies out and dunking fools, but it's now going to feel a lot more rewarding. His new passive reads:

Hemorrhage: Darius cuts enemies he attacks, causing them to bleed. Hemorrhage can stack up to five times.

[New] Bloodrage: Whenever Darius executes an enemy with Noxian Guillotine or fully stacks Hemorrhage on a target, he gains Bloodrage for a few seconds. While under the effects of Bloodrage, Darius deals greatly increased physical damage and applies max Hemorrhage stacks to all enemies he hits.

 

Garen

Once again, the focus is on the late-game (or lack thereof, in many cases) of Demacia's Might. Now, his ultimate has both a passive and an active, and has received a straight buff:

R: Demacian Justice

[NEW] Passive: Garen identifies the enemy champion with the most recent kills as the enemy team’s Villain. Judgment ticks and basic attacks on the Villain deal an additional 1% of their max Health as true damage.

Active: Garen calls upon the might of Demacia to deal a finishing blow to a targeted enemy. The more health they’re missing, the more damage Demacian Justice will deal. [NEW] Demacian Justice deals true damage to the enemy team’s Villain.

 

Skarner

Skarner introduces something pretty different into Summoner's Rift: the Dominion game mode. When Skarner is in the game, 6 crystal spires will be on the Rift, placed by the friendly blue and red buffs, as well as Dragon and Baron. When he captures a spire, the surrounding area will grant him (no one else) a massive attack and movement speed buff. If the enemy team captures a spire, they gain gold and a short burst of vision. It's unusual that one champion simply being in the game creates a whole new mini-game on such a large scale, but something completely different is being tested out here.

 

Mordekaiser

Speaking of completely different...Riot is envisioning Mordekaiser no longer as a solo laner, but as a duo lane mage who can take the place of your ADC. That vision seems a bit iffy, but they're giving him some tools to really encourage this playstyle. For one, Creeping Death will now only deal damage if Morde is near an allied champion. That might seem like a nerf, but there are some interesting changes to really encourage duo lane play. Even if an allied champion is near, Morde will gain full experience whenever he last-hits a minion, instead of sharing the exp (though the Support will still get their normal half exp.) This means that all other things being equal, Mordekaiser will be able to level up, and hit the all-important level 6 mark, before his enemies do in every game when in a 2v2 lane. This can be very useful for Dragon fights, which brings us to the last point. If Mordekaiser deals damage to Dragon, he "curses" it. If his team kills the neutral monster while it's cursed, Mordekaiser summons a specter of the Dragon that follows him around and attacks enemies. You read that correctly: he gets his own frickin' Dragon.

 

To be clear, all of these changes are experimental, very much subject to change, and will not all be rolling out at the same time. With that said, it's pretty exciting to see that Riot is willing to experiment with pretty radical changes (Skarner, Mordekaiser), and are always looking to help champions be viable in different roles without being incredibly overpowered (Darius, Garen.) It's good to see this level of commitment, and looking to make everything new and fresh all over again while still keeping the game feeling like League of Legends.


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Last Updated: Mar 14, 2016

About The Author

A longtime fan of competitive gaming, Jeremy got his first chance to work in the field as a writer for eSportsMax. Now eSports Editor for TenTonHammer, he looks to keep readers aware of all of the biggest events and happenings in the eSports world, while also welcoming new fans who aren't yet sure where to go to get the most relevant information. Jeremy always looks to provide content for new fans and veterans alike, believing that helping as many people as possible enjoy all the scene has to offer is key to its growth.

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