New Aphelios changes coming soon to League

League of Legends boasts one of the largest rosters in the gaming world. The developers at Riot Games have worked hard to create champions with diverse playstyles.

One of the most popular roles in the MOBA is the AD carry, a position primarily focused on kiting and dealing damage from a distance through auto-attacks. The role requires a balance between dealing damage through auto attacks and abilities, which can vary based on the effectiveness of different items.

Currently, Aphelios is heavily focused on using abilities. However, the developers want to change this and have plans to significantly revamp the champion in an upcoming patch. In the patch 14.14 preview, Riot Phreak explained their vision for the champion.

“We actually aren’t huge fans of the fact that Aphelios is kind of a caster right now. His primary build is E max second, and rush Collector. We’d really rather he be more of an auto-attacker and less of a 5000 range burst mage.”

Aphelios has been a controversial champion since his release, particularly due to his ability to deal massive on-hit damage with his white Chakram gun. Since then, the developers have significantly nerfed Aphelios, leaving him less impactful compared to other champions.

Riot Phreak mentioned that he has some ideas for Aphelios. He suggested that it’s possible they might implement some patchwork changes in updates 14.15 or 14.16. These changes would aim to make Aphelios more of a traditional auto-attack carry and less focused on what can feel like overly powerful gun combos.

According to the League of Legends patch schedule, Patch 14.15 is set to be released on July 31, with Patch 14.16 following two weeks later on August 14. This means we may soon see many of these changes implemented.

For an extended period, Aphelios earned the “200-year champion” in League of Legends, owing to the complexity of his kit featuring across his 5 weapons. However, Riot Games seems to have surpassed this reputation with the introduction of Hwei, the game’s newest mid laner.

Hwei gameplay showcased by LoL devs

In a recent match on the League PBE test server, the new champion designer, Myles “Emizery” Salholm, showcased the potential of the new mid laner, particularly when synergized with Aphelios’ arsenal of weapons.

In the clip, the game was evenly poised at the 20-minute mark, with both teams boasting similar kills, and gold. As a teamfight unfolded, Emizery’s team found themselves on the brink of defeat, with teammates falling one after another.

However, a turn of events occurred when the enemy team grouped tightly in the river. Seizing this opportunity, Hwei executed a perfectly timed Crushing Maw, pulling the four foes back into each other. Subsequently, he unleashed Devastating Fire, and Aphelios used his Moonlight Vigil ultimate, resulting in an astonishing burst of damage in under two seconds.

Adding to the onslaught, the ink mage wielded the new Stormsurge legendary item, featuring a passive that struck enemies with lightning, potentially causing a chain reaction of detonations in a large area.

Both Aphelios and Hwei, acknowledged as two of the most intricate champions in the game, emerge as formidable adversaries when mastered. The ink mage versatile kit, encompassing damage abilities, utility, and crowd control, positions him as a Swiss Army knife for team compositions. Meanwhile, Aphelios maintains his status as a late-game carry, capable of decimating entire teams with a swift of spells and the right itemization.

Players eager to experience the new champion can test him on the League PBE now or anticipate his arrival on live servers with Patch 13.24 on December 6.

Riot Games has been quite active in introducing various skins in League of Legends. In addition to skins, they’ve created multiple music bands in the past, releasing both music and corresponding skins for these bands.

This time, a new band has emerged in the League of Legends universe, bringing together a group of determined solo artists who may have faced setbacks but are unwavering in showcasing their talents. Soon, players of the popular MOBA will have the opportunity to experience the music and vibes of this band directly on Summoner’s Rift.

With the recent release of HEARTSTEEL’s debut song “PARANOIA,” Riot Games has given players a glimpse of how the members of this boy band, including Ezreal, Yone, Kayn, K’Sante, Sett, and Aphelios, will appear in-game through their official splash arts.

Each of these champions closely resembles their appearance and personality as showcased in the “PARANOIA” music video and various teasers shared on social media leading up to the video’s premiere.

Although all the HEARTSTEEL members are featured in each splash art, individual members are highlighted in their own splash arts to emphasize their distinctive qualities. For example, Aphelios’ artwork includes the presence of Alune, even though she is not visibly seen in-game.

LoL HEARTSTEEL skins

Kayn

Rarity: Legendary

Price: 1820 RP

Aphelios

Rarity: Epic

Price: 1350 RP

Ezreal

Rarity: Epic

Price: 1350 RP

Sett

Rarity: Epic

Price: 1350 RP

K’Sante

Rarity: Epic

Price: 1350 RP

Yone

Rarity: Epic

Price: 1350 RP

Yone (Prestige Edition)

Rarity: Mythic

Price: 2000 Event Tokens

These music-inspired and edgy versions of these well-known League champions will become available in the game starting on November 8 with Patch 13.22, just a few weeks before the 2023 World Championship finals.

They not only require particular 4-cost units all the time, but practically everyone in the lobby battles for them, and whoever gets them wins.

A recent TFT Reddit post discussed this, as well as why practically every effective composition hinges on rolling a 4-cost unit as early as possible to attain that top four finish. If you are unable to obtain the unit you want, as the original posting stated, “enjoy 6th-8th place.”

Players believed the impact of 4-cost units is making TFT Set 9 boring

When it comes to some of the strongest TFT comps as of now, their carry units are almost entirely four-costs.

Kai’Sa is available to both Challenger and Void, Azir is available to both Strategist and Shurima, Lux is available to both Sorcerer and Demacia, and Zeri is available for Gunner, along with Aphelios for Deadeye (not entirely as Akshan can also be the carry).

Those units in particular have gained popularity, not only because they are extremely powerful, but also because they are critical to winning the game.

Fans are annoyed by the 4-cost factor since they know how the game will end based on their luck (or Augments). Some of the Reddit comments mention additional choices, such as Noxus, which concentrates on three-cost Darius. The main disadvantage is that Darius’ pool is perhaps more competitive because all players may roll into him sooner in the game.

Many players were upset that an issue from the previous set had simply become worse in Set 9. Some said that the 4-cost meta had already happened in the last set, while others believed that at least in the last set, players could play the game with 1 or 2 cost carries.

Knowing that this is a problem, players are hopeful that Riot Games and their TFT balancing team can fix it so that it is more pleasant.

There is a lot to look forward to when the MSI 2023 games begin on May 9, 2023. Moving on, the MSI meta has proven itself so far, with more to come in the Bracket Stage. This article will go through all of the top picked and banned champions in MSI 2023.

Most picked, banned champions at MSI 2023 so far

Aphelios

According to League statistic site Games of Legends, MSI has seen 64 distinct League champions thus far. During the first round of the event, one champion stood out above the rest: Aphelios was picked 13 times out of the 25 games played.

The ADC was especially popular with two players: PSG Wako and LOUD Route, who played five and four games, respectively. With just three bans on the board, Aphelios is likely to be selected again in the bracket stage.

Kennen

And, in terms of bans, Kennen and Vi are presently the two most prominent selections in the MSI meta, with 88 and 92 percent presence, respectively.

Kennen, in particular, is the MSI winner with the most win while maintaining a flawless win rate. Kennen has gained popularity at the end of the spring splits, particularly in the Eastern areas.

His ultimate deals massive AoE damage and can be a great teamfight starting tool, allowing him to completely destroy teams. Not to add that his ranged nature grants him a safe laning phase.

Vi

With Vi, despite the nerfs in Patch 13.7, the jungler’s ultimate makes her one of the most successful engagers in the game. She’s still tanky, and her synergy with Radiant Virtue is far too potent for teamfights, which are prevalent in professional play.

As the metagame has transitioned to a more skirmish and early-game-focused game, pro players have noticed Vi more, making her to have the highest presence in drafts.

Riot Games has finally confirmed the reintroduction of Spirit Blossom to League, following an original teaser. The Spirit Blossom skin line, which was first introduced in 2020, is one of League of Legends’ most popular skin lines. Many players still regard it as the greatest skin the game has ever gotten.

Syndra, Tristana, Soraka, Evelynn, Sett, Aphelios, Yorick, Darius, and Master Yi will be joining the Spirit Blossom skin line this time. Master Yi will also get a Prestige skin for his new look.

2022 Spirit Blossom skins

Sett

Syndra

Evelynn

Darius

Aphelios

Tristana

Soraka

Yorick

Master Yi

Each of these skins portrays these champions clad in light, Eastern-style clothes and adorned with mysterious pink blossoms.

When Spirit Blossom 2022 was revealed, many were concerned that the event’s skins would fail. Fortunately, players thought the skins were absolutely fantastic. Many people believed that their design, color palette, and aesthetics were appropriate for the theme.

It’s uncertain whether all of these skins will be released at the same time. However, they are expected to be separated across two patches to keep players interested in what is anticipated to be at the Spirit Blossom event.

Players may expect to return to the realm when at least some of these skins become available with Patch 12.19 on October 5.

The outcome of the event is difficult to predict. Fans of League of Legends will only have to wait two weeks to receive the full image of the event.

The TFT Mid-Set was released with Patch 12.17 on September 8, and it included 12 new dragons, 62 champions, a revamped Treasure Dragon, and substantial Dragon Traits.

Riot’s Stephen “Mortdog” Mortimer has recently announced the specifics of a b-patch less than a week after the release of the new set.

TFT Patch 12.17b notes

Units

Tier 2

Aphelios

• Attack damage: 65 ⇒ 60
• Attack speed: 0.8 ⇒ 0.75

Tier 3

Olaf

• Mana: 50/100 ⇒ 30/100
• Passive attack damage scaling: 5 ⇒ 4

Tier 4

Jayce

• Stun duration: 1.5 seconds ⇒ 1.25 seconds

Pantheon

• Spell damage: 280/300/400% ⇒ 265/280/380%
• Bug fix: Pantheon is now mana locked for the duration of his spell

Xayah

• Attack damage: 75 ⇒ 70

Tier 5

Shyvana

• Stun duration: 1.5 seconds ⇒ 1.25 seconds

Traits

Cannoneer

• Cannonball damage: 175/350/550% AD ⇒ 150/300/475% AD

Darkflight

• Health gained: 600/800/1000/1800 ⇒ 500/750/1000/1800

Augments

Knife’s Edge I / II / III

• Attack damage: 20/35/50 ⇒ 15/25/40

Darkflight Cannoneers and Guild Xayah have dominated the opening week of set 7.5.  So, it’s obvious that TFT patch 12.17b nerfs the two carriers of both comps, Aphelios and Xayah.

Pantheon and Olaf have also been doing excellently. They are also being nerfed when the patch is settled.

Olaf’s starting mana has been reduced, and he will get less AD from his passive after dying in each stage. Pantheon’s ability will now do less damage at all tiers and his mana will now be locked for the whole duration of his spell.

The updates have already gone live on September 13 at this time of the day now so players should expect some changes (although it is minor).

The Spirit Blossom event is set to return in League of Legends with Worlds 2022. The community got this information quite some time ago.

However, famous leaker Big Bad Bear has recently revealed additional details about two skins that will be introduced in line with the Spirit Blossom 2022 event. Sett and Aphelios appear to be the champions who will receive the skins.

Sett’s skin will supposedly be of legendary tier, and it will be the champion’s first. Aside from that, Aphelios’ skin will be his second of the year, having also earned the Worlds 2021 skin in May.

Unfortunately, this is the only leak for now, but more will undoubtedly be released in the future since the previous Spirit Blossom event saw the release of multiple skins.

The Spirit Blossom 2022 event is scheduled to begin around patch 12.19

The 2022 Spirit Blossom event in League of Legends is a delightful surprise for the League community. When it comes to major events, Riot Games usually concentrates on only one per year, which is generally held during the summer.

However, it appears that they have determined that Spirit Blossom should also return to the game. Fans won’t be complaining, because the previous Spirit Blossom event is still widely regarded as the biggest in the game’s history.

As previously stated, sources indicate that Sett and Aphelios will receive completely new skins during the Spirit Blossom 2022 event. Sett will have legendary skin, whereas Aphelios’ skin will most likely be epic.

Spirit Blossom 2022 is scheduled to be launched on October 5, during patch 12.19, around the time Worlds 2022 takes place.

Each player has been allowed to select the champion who would receive their own skin, which includes Graves, Viego, Zoe, Aphelios, and Yuumi in this round. Each skin will be linked to a certain EDG player and will be available for purchase on the live servers soon. 

With the exception of Graves, this year’s champions are all relatively new to the game with their own unique mechanics. This reflects not just a new age of champions in the game, but also the meta that was used in the World Championship last year.

Players have seen the leaked splash art before, now they can get a glimpse of how they will appear in-game. Each new cosmetic will be displayed in smooth blue and white tones, as stated in the teaser. The colors themselves give each winner a highly attractive and world champion appearance. Furthermore, each skin includes unique special effects that are related to EDG when used in-game.

Many fans have been keeping an eye on each skin’s distinctive recall animation. Riot has included interesting mini easter eggs that each create a plot in numerous of them. One of the earliest is on Graves, as he takes up Lucian’s rifle at the start of his recall animation. This is a reference to EDG top laner Li “Flandre” Xuan-Jun, who is well-known for his solo queue Lucian.

Viego’s recall animation is another easter egg. The recall indicates “WLLWW,” which refers to the order of EDG’s victories and defeats in the Worlds final.

The EDward Gaming Worlds skins are presently available on the PBE and are scheduled to be released to live servers in patch 12.9 on May 11.

During the most recent League of Legends World Championship, EDG’s run was extremely thrilling, with every series ending in a silver scrape. Even in the finals, EDG defeated DK in a 3-2 series. Even without a live audience, these sorts of games made Worlds 2021 so entertaining to watch.

Korean teams formerly dominated Worlds, winning six of the eleven World Championships. Finally, Chinese teams won back-to-back World Championships in 2018 and 2019. But then Damwon Gaming, another Korean team, dominated Worlds 2020. Then, just as it appeared like a new period of Korean dominance was about to begin, EDG won it for China in 2021.

Winning Worlds is the ultimate accolade bestowed to any League of Legends team. Nothing else counts when compared to Worlds. Riot also creates exclusive skins for World Champions. Riot, for example, launched DWG Kennen, Nidalee, Twisted Fate, Jhin, and Leona skins last year to honor Damwon’s World Championship triumph. This year, EDG skins will be available.

This season, Big Bad Bear (@BigBadBear_) is leaking every upcoming stuffs from Riot Games. Some of his leaks this season include the new void jungler Bel’Veth, Eclipse skins, and the forthcoming Star Guardian skins, among others. When it comes to leaks, he is really trustworthy. Earlier,  Big Bad Bear just shared a leaked splash art for the EDG Worlds skins.

Graves, Viego, Zoe, Aphelios, and Yummi have officially been confirmed as the champions that will receive the Champion skins. BigBadBear also posted another full splash art of all the champions.

Last year’s Damwon skins were incredible. However, it appears like this year’s skins will be the finest worlds skins yet as t he splash art has an incredible degree of detail and already hyped up the community.

Skins for DWG worlds were released on April 29, 2021, right before MSI 2021. This year should be no different. Skins for EDG Worlds are expected to be published before or during this year MSI.