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League of Legends in 2023: 5 things to get excited about

New champions, and more reworks await, but what else

Yes, we're getting more skins. But what else can we expect in 2023? (Photo: Riot Games)
Yes, we're getting more skins. But what else can we expect in 2023? (Photo: Riot Games)

2023 is just a few days away, and while the League of Legends (LoL) Preseason changes have been rolled out, a ton more will still happen in the coming year.

What are some of the other things we're expecting to see in 2023?

And yes, we're talking about other things aside from 100+ skins.

New Riot servers for Southeast Asia

A new dawn is coming to LoL and TFT players on 6 January, when Riot Games takes over from Garena. (Photo: Riot Games)
A new dawn is coming to LoL and TFT players on 6 January, when Riot Games takes over from Garena. (Photo: Riot Games)

For the players in Southeast Asia, Riot Games taking over the publishing of LoL and Teamfight Tactics from Garena will be the best news welcoming them in 2023. T

his means the whole of SEA will now be integrated with the global LoL community, so players cross-game events, global campaigns, and more

New servers launch on 6 January, so make sure to migrate your Garena account to a Riot Games account to ensure a smooth transition.

New champions

This photo is the only hint we got about the male Ixtali Enchanter. (Photo: Riot Games)
This photo is the only hint we got about the male Ixtali Enchanter. (Photo: Riot Games)

Riot’s devs said they weren’t going to stop releasing new champions just yet, so we’re going to expect a few more next year.

According to Ryan “Reav3” Mireles in a dev blog about Champions and Preseason 2023, we’ll be introduced to a support champion which was in very early development from August. The new champion will be a male Ixtali Enchanter.

The artwork shared so far are three little fire orbs that would probably be part of the support kit. It was also hinted that this champion could be a child, with references to being “cute”.

In a Reddit conversation, with screenshots shared by Twitter user Jumarlo Hex, Reave3 confirmed that this champion not going to be a high-skill champion because he didn’t “want to release two very high skilled champions so close together” because the audience is "a little more niche".

The Darkin Assassin will have a Dagger as a weapon. (Photo: Riot Games)
The Darkin Assassin will have a Dagger as a weapon. (Photo: Riot Games)

Another champion we can look forward to is a Darkin Assassin, which players have requested for quite some time now. According to the dev blog, the Darkin will be trapped in a dagger. Whoever wields the dagger, though, is yet to be revealed.

We’ve yet to know if Riot will reveal more new champions on their list for next year as the Season kicks off in 2023.

More champion reworks and updates

Another integral part of keeping LoL updated is the endless reworks cycle. In 2022, players were gifted (or cursed) with 9 reworks that shook the meta. Three of them stood out to us, and we think the upcoming ones in 2023 will also be game-changing.

Ahri’s kit was also reworked, but her Art and Sustainability Update (ASU) will also arrive this coming year, with the devs improving her animations, visual effects, audio, and lore.

It was also revealed that one of the most frustrating champions in LoL, Yuumi, is about to get a rework. However, this is still in the early stages, so we’re assuming this might arrive later in the year, but details on the Magical Cat will be revealed in early 2023.

On top of this, champions like Neeko, Rell, and Jax will get some mid-scope updates, with the earliest one arriving in 13.1.

Jax, one of the original champions in the game, will also get a mini-rework of sorts, as confirmed by Lead champion designer August "August" Browning on Twitter. The changes, according to him were "mainly focused on making his ult more exciting/interesting to cast."

After Jax, there's Neeko, whose rework was delayed from Season 2022 and will now be revealed in Season 2023 because according to a tweet by Riot’s champion designer Ezra 'Phlox' Lynn, “the strongest tomatoes take the longest to ripen.”

Details weren’t disclosed yet, with Phlox only hinting in a reply to his tweet that the goal was to “Make Neeko as Neeko as possible and even more fun for Neeko fans.”

Then, Design Manager on the Champs team, Steven "Raptorr" Auker, shared on Twitter that Rell's rework will address frustration points and "lean into the mounted/dismounted fantasy." Expect more solid updates in early 2023 since devs have hinted that her rework is already "in flight."

Lastly, of the least-picked champions, Aurelion Sol, is getting a comprehensive gameplay update. The Star Forger’s kit is quite outdated, and it’s hard to manipulate his skills on the map, so he rarely gets picked.

Aurelion Sol is now going to be a legit Dragon that can breathe fire. (Photo: Riot Games)
Aurelion Sol is now going to be a legit Dragon that can breathe fire. (Photo: Riot Games)

Based on the dev blog, the dragon Aspect's rework will allow him to breathe fire, fly over walls on the Summoner’s Rift, and more. Hopefully, this would make him more relevant in the meta after years of nearly hibernating among the stars.

Healing Changes: Grievous Wounds

Aatrox was one of the biggest winners of the Durability Update, so it's important that some changes to Grievous Wounds would be made. (Photo: Riot Games)
Aatrox was one of the biggest winners of the Durability Update, so it's important that some changes to Grievous Wounds would be made. (Photo: Riot Games)

Healing has been one of the most recent issues being raised by players.

Notably, it was confirmed by Lead Champion designer Axes, that the current Grievous Wounds system has many issues, but the total rework alternatives would also have flaws. The screenshot of the Reddit response was shared by Twitter user Spideraxe.

The devs currently intend to grant 40% Grievous Wounds to anti-heal components (Executioner's Calling, Bramble Vest, and Oblivion's Orb) from the start. These items currently provide a 25% GW. Riot expects players to use the counters as needed with this change.

Riot will also change the completed Grievous Wounds item to include more bonuses. Riot confirmed, for example, that armour penetration would return to Mortal Reminder.

Although these changes will not completely resolve all issues related to healing, they have stated that they are working on recovery changes for the future.

Changes in Ranked

The Ranked Season will have two splits, which means more rewards. (Photo: Riot Games)
The Ranked Season will have two splits, which means more rewards. (Photo: Riot Games)

Finally, some changes to ranked in 2023 were announced earlier this month. The Season will have two Ranked resets, which will be equivalent to two splits, with the first beginning in January, and the second, sometime in mid-year (no exact timing yet). And with two splits in a Season, there will also be two skin rewards for Ranked.

Promotion series will also change from best-of-five to best-of-three, with visible rank influence removed from the matches.

Generally, Riot’s devs always want players to have a goal to chase, with more rewards, too, so that they can be more engaged in the game and in the community.

Which of the changes are you excited about, and which ones are you dreading?

Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.

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