The ranked season in League of Legends is well underway, with players eagerly grinding through games to achieve higher ranks. However, the pursuit isn’t just for fame and glory; Riot Games rewards players who earn enough split points with exclusive skins.

These Victorious skins are highly anticipated among ranked players, who are always curious to see which champion will receive one each split.

Typically, the Victorious skin is awarded to a champion that has significantly impacted the game mode during that particular split. In the past, champions like Maokai, Aatrox, Graves, and Orianna have received these prestigious skins. Now, Sona will join the elite group of champions with a Victorious skin, as her new skin has been spotted in the PBE store.

SkinSpotlights, a well-known community source for in-game content, showcased that leaked Victorious Sona is available for testing on the PBE servers. Riot Games uses the PBE to test new content before its official release, so the skin is expected to be available on live servers soon.

While details about the leaked skin’s design are still scarce, the Victorious skin line usually features a consistent aesthetic. These skins are often shiny and incorporate shades of gold and other metals to accentuate the champions’ features.

However, the most recent Victorious skin for Kog’Maw deviated slightly from this theme, so Sona’s skin might also present a unique look.

For Sona players eager to obtain the skin once it goes live, there are specific requirements to meet. Players in Gold rank or higher need to earn at least 80 split points, while those in Silver rank or below must accumulate 1000 split points to unlock this new cosmetic.

Swarm mode has been available for a while, and players have finally experienced the long-awaited PvE version of the game. With the launch of Swarm, we got to see what the developers’ take on Vampire Survivors looks like in League of Legends, and it has been a hit among players.

The mode features hordes of enemies and rogue-like upgrades that gradually make you stronger as you progress through each match. There is a lot to love about what Riot has introduced. The mode includes 4 different maps, each with unique bosses, a variety of champions to try out, and an upgrade system that makes the grind worthwhile.

These upgrades are essential if you want to tackle the more difficult levels. However, a newly discovered hidden feature might make things a bit easier, especially if you find yourself cornered by the Swarm.

YouTuber Vandiril discovered that the Swarm user interface (UI) still includes a recall button, and it is actually visible to the player. The recall feature allows you to channel for a short time before teleporting back to your starting point. In Swarm mode, this teleportation seems to bring you near the center of the Arena.

It appears that while Swarm’s UI has been modified to fit the new mode, it still contains elements from the original game’s UI, which is why the recall button is still present.

This feature is quite handy as it allows you to move quickly across the map. Additionally, if you find yourself trapped in a corner with no way out, recalling can be a great option to escape a difficult situation.

However, it is important to note that, just like in the regular League of Legends game, taking damage while recalling will interrupt the process. Therefore, make sure you either have an ally to assist you to keep enemies at bay while you recall.

Riot Games likely anticipated this outcome, as it has become a trend with their combined event-and-champion releases.

Since her arrival in League on July 17, the new champion Aurora has struggled to make a significant impact on the game’s dedicated fanbase. Instead, the focus has been entirely on Swarm, the exciting new bullet-hell game mode that Riot released alongside the champion.

Unfortunately for Aurora, the combination of her release with this new mode has effectively overshadowed her hype.

The League community quickly voiced their surprise at how fast Aurora and her release were pushed aside. Some players criticized her for being too “uninteresting” to make a significant impact, while others blamed her theme for failing to generate excitement. A few even suggested that Riot had missed the mark with “more anime nonsense.”

Despite this, Aurora has been seen in many matches so far. According to League statistic site U.GG, she has already appeared in over 73k games. However, compared to the usual excitement surrounding new champion debuts, her release feels underwhelming.

This curious release strategy from Riot seems to be part of a larger pattern, as seen with other underwhelming debuts like Nilah and Naafiri. Naafiri, who was released in the middle of the 2023 Soul Fighter event, was overshadowed by the Arena mode.

Not all champions have been overshadowed by events, though. Lillia and Yone, who were released during the Spirit Blossom event, and Akshan, who headlined the Sentinels event, managed to avoid being eclipsed. However, it’s worth noting that all three required periods of significant metagame dominance to stand out.

It’s possible that Aurora might become more prominent once the Swarm hype dies down, especially if Riot buffs her in the upcoming Season 14 updates. Nevertheless, the initial damage to her launch seems to have been done.

League of Legends is no stranger to bugs, both big and small, and these glitches tend to surface especially with the release of new updates or champions. Recently, following the 14.14 update, the community discovered an amusing yet problematic bug.

For reasons not entirely understood, champions utilizing abilities like Ekko, Illao, and certain aspects of Rengar while targeting enemy structures such as Inhibitors or the Nexus, fail to execute their leap. Instead, these champions appear to attack from an extended range, resembling ranged champions.

This bug was thoroughly investigated and confirmed by Vandiril, a prominent content creator known for testing and showcasing it. He conducted an experiment with Ivern and Rengar, revealing that Rengar, even without using his ultimate, could attack the Nexus from within a brush, bypassing the usual melee range restrictions.

The extent of this bug’s impact is still uncertain. It’s unclear whether it affects only Ekko, Illaoi, and Rengar or if it applies to all champions with jump abilities and attack buffs. Nevertheless, this glitch provides significant advantages to these melee champions during late-game fights, allowing them to safely attack structures from a distance, much like ranged champions.

However, exploiting this bug requires the enemy to be pushed back to their Nexus turrets, limiting its impact in the early to mid-game stages. Thus, while it presents a notable advantage in certain situations, it doesn’t offer an overwhelming benefit for consistent rank climbing. Despite this, it is significant enough that Riot Games will need to address it promptly to maintain game balance and fairness.

In summary, this bug, although humorous at first glance, creates an unfair advantage for specific champions when attacking key enemy structures. Riot Games will likely prioritize a fix to ensure the gameplay consistency.

This new patch is designed to make several important adjustments to the game, with a focus on melee assassins that will likely alter their power dynamics considerably.

In this patch, many melee assassins are undergoing significant changes. Champions like Zed, Yone, Yasuo, Irelia, and Akali are all receiving major updates that will impact their power levels in meaningful ways. These changes aim to balance their effectiveness and ensure a more equitable gameplay experience.

Additionally, boots items are being nerfed across the board. Many of these items will see increases in cost and reductions in their effective resistances and other stats. These adjustments are intended to balance the overall power of boots and their impact on gameplay.

League of Legends Patch 14.15 early notes

Champions

Akali

W: Twilight Shroud

• Cooldown reduced: 20 seconds flat >>> 20-16 seconds

R: Perfect Execution

• Cooldown increased: 100-60 seconds >>> 120 – 60 seconds
• R1 base damage changed: 80-360 >>> 110-330
• R2 base damage increased: 60-200 >>> 70-210

Cassiopeia

Base Stats

• Base mana increased: 350 >>> 400
• Mana growth reduced: 60 >>> 40

Q: Noxious Blast

• Mana cost reduced: 50-90 >>> 50-70
• AP ratio reduced: 90% >>> 80%

W: Miasma

• Mana cost reduced: 70-110 >>> 70-90

E: Twin Fang

• Mana cost reduced: 50-42 >>> 40 flat

Irelia

Base Stats

• Base health increased: 590 >>> 630
• Base health regen reduced: 8.5 >>> 6

Passive: Ionian Fervor

• Duration reduced: 6 seconds >>> 5 seconds

Skarner

Base Stats

• Health growth increased: 105 >>> 110
• Armor growth increased: 4.8 >>> 5

Q: Shattered Earth/ Upheaval

• Mana cost reduced: 50 >>> 40

E: Ixtal’s Impact

• Backwards kidnap removed
• Bug fix to stun more consistently

Sylas

Q: Chain Lash

• Cooldown reduced: 11-7 seconds >>> 10-6 seconds
• Explosion base damage reduced: 70-290 >>> 60-260
• Explosion AP ratio reduced: 90% >>> 80%

W: Kingslayer

• Heal now scales with 5% bonus HP
• Heal AP ratio reduced: 35% >>> 20%
• Damage AP ratio reduced: 80% >>> 70%

E: Abscond/ Abduct

• AP ratio reduced: 100% >>> 80%

Yasuo

E: Sweeping Blade

• Base damage increased: 60-100 >>> 70-130
• No longer scales with 20% bonus AD
• Bonus damage per stack increased: 15-25% (1-18) >>> 25% flat

Yone

Q: Mortal Steel

• Base damage increased: 20-100 >>> 20-120

R: Fate Sealed

• Cooldown increased: 120-60 seconds >>> 120-80 seconds

Zed

Q: Razor Shuriken

• Base damage increased: 80-220 >>> 80-240
• Bonus AD ratio reduced: 110% >>> 100%

E: Shadow Slash

• Base damage changed: 65-165 >>> 60-180
• Bonus AD ratio increased: 65% >>> 80%
• Cooldown changed: 5-3 seconds >>> 4 seconds flat
• Energy cost increased: 40 >>> 50

R: Death Mark

• Cooldown increased: 120-80 seconds >>> 120-100 seconds

Items

Abyssal Mask

• MR reduction increased: 20% >>> 30%
• Cost increased: 2300 >>> 2500
• Aura radius increased: 600 >>> 700

Wit’s End

• Dagger replaced by Recurve Bow in recipe
• On hit damage changed: 15-80 >>> 40-80(linear)

Null-Magic Mantle

• Cost reduced: 450 >>> 400
• MR reduced: 25 >>> 20

Mercury’s Treads

• Cost increased: 1100 >>> 1200
• MR reduced: 25 >>> 20

Plated Steelcaps

• Cost increased: 1000 >>> 1200

Ionian Boots of Lucidity

• Cost increased: 900 >>> 1000
• Summoner spell haste reduced: 12 >>> 10

Sorcerer’s Shoes

• Magic pen reduced: 18 >>> 15

Berserker’s Greaves

• Attack speed reduced: 35% >>> 30%

Boots of Swiftness

• Cost increased: 900 >>> 1000

Runes

Dark Harvest

• Cooldown reduced: 40 seconds >>> 35 seconds
• Takedown cooldown reduced: 1.5 seconds >>> 1.25 seconds

According to the patch schedule, League of Legends Patch 14.15 is expected to go live on July 31, 2024. Players can look forward to experiencing these changes and seeing how they affect the dynamics of the game.

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.

Recently released on the live servers, League of Legends’ Swarm mode has proven to be exactly what the game needs. Not only is it incredibly fun, but it also shows that the developers can still innovate within the decade-old game.

Riot Games has introduced the Swarm game mode in League of Legends as part of the Anima Squad 2024 event. This massive summer celebration includes new Anima Squad and Primordian skins, along with the highly anticipated Vampire Survivors Swarm mode. Despite being out for just over 1, or 2 days, players are already enthusiastic about the new mode and its offerings.

Many consider this mode to be some of the highest-quality content Riot has ever released into League of Legends. It’s impressive how the developers have managed to transform the traditional League of Legends experience.

Initially, it might be challenging to adapt to, but it makes complete sense for the mode, which benefits from the precise movement enabled by the new control scheme. This is the first time players can move League champions using keyboard buttons, opening up opportunities for even more innovation.

Each champion has been well-adapted for the game mode, with one ability converted into an auto-firing weapon, leaving a basic ability and an ultimate. Swarm mode is also infinitely replayable, offering a vast array of combinations of champions, abilities, and weapons to choose from as you progress through each stage. You can play solo or with a party of up to four players, providing more freedom of choice than many other modes.

While Swarm is currently a limited-time mode, the League of Legends developers have suggested that its popularity and consistent player engagement could lead Riot to bring it back and possibly make it a permanent feature. Riot has done something similar with Arena, as they work towards making the 2v2 battle mode sustainable for continuous play.

Although different from League, Swarm has a ton of weapons you can unlock to make your fights with Primordians easier. Since all weapons are unique and powerful, combining them with champions doesn’t only guarantee you success but also fun wombos combos.

Weapons are equipment you use to fight Primordians in Swarm. Like you unlock champions and certain passives, you obtain these weapons through achievements and progress through the Swarm. Unlike League, as you unlock weapons and progress through the Swarm, you can upgrade and level up these weapons.

The maximum level of each weapon is 5, and while every weapon has an evolved form, you can also stack one weapon by selecting it multiple times, which improves its passive. Although every champion has a starting weapon, there are currently 20 other weapons you can collect as you play the Swarm mode.

League of Legends Swarm: All weapons

Ani-Mines

• Evolution: Jinx’s Tri-Namite
• Passive: Area Size
• Function: Drops time explosive projectiles.

Anti-Shark Sea Mine

• Evolution: Neverending Mobstomper
• Passive: Damage
• Function: Fires explosives that bounce between opponents.

Battle Bunny Crossbow

• Evolution: Bunny Prime Ballista
• Passive: Critical Chance
• Function: Fires projectiles that pierce on critical strike.

Blade-o-rang

• Evolution: Quad-o-rang
• Passive: Move Speed
• Function: Fires returning projectiles.

Bunny Mega-Blast

• Evolution: Rabid Rabbit Raindown
• Passive: Critical Chance
• Function: Fires orbital strikes that scale with critical chance.

Cyclonic Slicers

• Evolution: Unceasing Cyclone
• Passive: Health Regen
• Function: Orbital strikes that knock back enemies.

Echoing Batblades

• Evolution: Vayne’s Chromablades
• Passive: Projectile Count
• Function: Fires piercing projectiles that bounce off terrain.

Final City Transit

• Evolution: FC Limited Express
• Passive: Damage
• Function: Trains drive through opponents.

Gatling Bunny-Guns

• Evolution: Double Bun-Bun Barrage
• Passive: Duration
• Function: Deals big AoE damage.

Iceblast Armor

• Evolution: Deep Freeze
• Passive: Armor
• Function: Blocks damage and freezes opponents.

Lioness’s Lament

• Evolution: Enveloping Light
• Passive: Ability Haste
• Function: Fires crescent-shaped projectiles.

Paw Print Poisoner

• Evolution: Bearfoot Chem-Dispenser
• Passive: Move Speed
• Function: Creates a poisoning cloud that deals damage.

Radiant Field

• Evolution: Explosive Embrace
• Passive: Max Health
• Function: Scales with Max Health and damages opponents.

Searing Shortbow

• Evolution: Evolved Embershot
• Passive: Area Size
• Function: Projectiles deal lingering fire damage.

Statikk Sword

• Evolution: Prumbis’s Electrocarver
• Passive: Max Health
• Function: Lightning shock bounces between opponents and deals damage.

T.I.B.B.E.R.S.

• Evolution: T.I.B.B.E.R.S. (B.E.E.G. Edition)
• Passive: Duration
• Function: Summons Robo-Tibbers that focuses opponents with the biggest health.

The Annihilator

• Evolution: Animapocalypse
• Passive: EXP
• Function: Deals massive AoE damage that instantly kills normal opponents.

UwU Blaster

• Evolution: OwO Blaster
• Passive: Ability Haste
• Function: Fires rapid lasers at the nearest opponent.

Vortex Glove

• Evolution: Tempest’s Gauntlet
• Passive: Health Regen
• Function: Fires rotating projectiles that deal damage.

YuumiBot

• Evolution: YumiBot_Final_FINAL
• Passive: Pickup Radius
• Function: Summons a Yummi AI drone that knocks up opponents and collects EXP Orbs.

This project would have brought the thrilling world of platform fighting to Runeterra. According to reporter Mikhail Klimentov, Riot was developing a game called Pool Party, which was inspired by the popular Super Smash Bros. series. This game would have featured champions from League of Legends in a classic platform-based fighting system.

The development of Pool Party was quite significant, with about 70 to 80 employees working on it before the project was closed in May. The idea behind Pool Party was to create a game similar to Super Smash Bros but with characters from League of Legends.

Additionally, Riot planned to support the game’s esports scene, leveraging their extensive experience with successful games like League of Legends, VALORANT, and Teamfight Tactics.

Despite the promising concept, Pool Party was ultimately canceled. One of the main reasons for its cancellation was the hesitation from Riot’s higher-ups. They were concerned about releasing a game that might not succeed, especially after seeing the perceived failure of MultiVersus.

MultiVersus, a game developed by Warner Bros., featured characters from various universes within the company’s portfolio. Its performance made Riot executives cautious about entering the competitive fighting game market.

After reassessing the market, Riot executives concluded that there wasn’t much room for a new competitor to the long-standing and highly popular Super Smash Bros. series. Even though the series has been around for over two decades, it remains incredibly popular among its dedicated fans. No other game has managed to take its place as the top platform fighter in the gaming scene.

While Pool Party may have been canceled, Riot Games is still moving forward with 2XKO. They are planning to launch the first online play test for this upcoming fighting game in August. The League of Legends community remains excited for what Riot has in store with 2XKO.

In a recent stream, Riot Games’ August expressed his dislike for the Summoner’s Spell Teleport but acknowledged that it is an essential part of the game. August openly admitted that he is not a fan of the Teleport spell, yet he believes it is too important to remove, especially for top lane players.

He emphasized that Teleport provides a significant advantage to players who use it over those who choose Ignite because it allows them to return to the lane quickly and make up for lost minions and experience points.

“I do not like that TP. As a defensive Summoner’s Spell, you take it, you win your lane,”

August finds it frustrating that Teleport, a spell intended to be defensive, gives players an edge over those who opt for more aggressive spells like Ignite. However, he also recognized how crucial Teleport is for top lane players, who depend on it. Top lane mains rely on Teleport for split-pushing, ganking other lanes, and surviving tough situations.

“TP creates a lot of important things for the game, especially in regards to top lane,”

One solution August suggested to address this issue is to start the game with Teleport on cooldown. This way, if a player dies in the early levels, they will justifiably lose the lane. However, he did not seem entirely convinced by his own suggestion.

In the current meta, particularly in higher ranks and competitive play, Teleport is arguably the most crucial spell in League of Legends. Many top laners and mid laners pick it, and sometimes even bot lane duos opt for the spell.

In the final of the 2024 Esports World Cup between Top Esports and T1, every top laner and mid laner selected Teleport along with Flash in each of the four games, according to Leaguepedia.

Casual players also favor Teleport. The combination of Teleport and Flash is the most popular, chosen by 25.6% of players. This shows that the spell is not only vital in pro  play but also widely used and appreciated by the general player base.