Developers have confirmed the next League of Legends champions

TL;DR

  • Skarner’s complete VGU transforms him from outdated scuttler to terrain-wielding powerhouse
  • New ultimate can suppress multiple enemies, making it potentially game-changing in team fights
  • Hwei’s artistic theme and potential Jhin connection create exciting lore possibilities
  • Creature champion teaser suggests noble lineage and non-humanoid gameplay mechanics
  • All three additions address different gaps in League’s champion diversity

Skarner new

Riot Games has officially unveiled the next wave of champions heading to Summoner’s Rift, showcasing significant evolution in both design philosophy and gameplay mechanics.

The developer’s established pattern for champion releases typically follows a predictable cadence: announce the immediate upcoming champion while providing sneak peeks at the next two in development, alongside any visual gameplay updates.

This announcement cycle breaks from tradition by revealing Skarner’s comprehensive VGU alongside two entirely new champions – Hwei, an artistic mid lane mage, and an enigmatic creature champion that’s already sparking intense community speculation.

Skarner Rework Analysis

Skarner stands as the sole champion receiving a full ability kit reveal in this development update, marking a significant milestone for a champion long considered problematic.

The crystalline scorpion has languished as an outdated relic from League’s earlier design era, his point-and-click suppression ultimate creating binary gameplay that limited creative design space.

Significant lore inconsistencies further complicated Skarner’s position, particularly with narrative conflicts emerging from Riot’s critically acclaimed Arcane series that redefined Runeterra’s storytelling.

Since winning the community vote for visual gameplay updates last year, developers have completely reimagined Skarner’s thematic identity and mechanical execution.

Skarner’s Revamped Kit

Seismic Toss (Q)

Skarner’s primary combat ability undergoes a dramatic transformation, introducing deliberate casting mechanics that fundamentally change his jungle clearing patterns.

By tearing chunks of terrain from the battlefield itself, Skarner gains enhanced auto-attacks while carrying the boulder, creating new decision-making dynamics.

The secondary activation converts the carried terrain into a powerful area-of-effect skillshot, exploding upon impact with champions or reaching maximum travel distance.

Strategic applications include accelerated jungle camp clearing and extended pursuit capabilities against mobile targets using Flash or dash abilities.

Defensive Shockwave (W)

Maintaining his durability-focused identity, Skarner’s W provides defensive shielding while generating a concussive wave that damages and impairs enemy movement.

This ability preserves Skarner’s accessibility while modernizing his defensive toolkit for contemporary gameplay standards.

Wall-Driving Charge (E)

Skarner’s most innovative ability introduces unprecedented mobility mechanics, allowing him to traverse terrain boundaries similar to Sion’s ultimate charge.

Upon colliding with enemies during his accelerated movement, Skarner seizes opponents and maintains momentum to potentially pin them against walls.

Successful wall impacts trigger crowd control effects and significant burst damage, rewarding precise positioning and timing.

An additional synergy automatically grants Skarner a boulder when passing through terrain, eliminating the need for separate Q activation during mobility sequences.

Multi-Target Suppression (R)


Skarner’s iconic ultimate ability transforms from single-target point-and-click to multi-target skillshot, dramatically increasing its strategic potential.

The previous iteration’s reliability came at the cost of limited skill expression, with Skarner’s basic abilities suffering from compensatory weakness.

The skillshot conversion enables substantially increased power budget allocation, now permitting Skarner to simultaneously suppress and reposition multiple enemy champions caught in the ability’s trajectory.

This mechanical evolution potentially creates one of the most impactful team fight abilities in League’s current roster, enabling spectacular multi-champion captures.

Hwei – The Painter Mid Laner

League’s ever-evolving champion ecosystem continues to prioritize innovative design, with Hwei introducing unprecedented artistic thematic elements to the mid lane role.

Originating from Ionia’s vibrant cultural landscape, this emerging artist carves his own path separate from established regional traditions.

Hwei’s creative aesthetic and speculated connection to the infamous virtuoso Jhin have captivated both gameplay enthusiasts and lore scholars throughout the community.

Compelling parallels between the two characters extend beyond superficial similarities, sharing profound philosophical explorations about artistic expression’s fundamental nature.

The shared Ionian heritage between Hwei and Jhin raises intriguing narrative questions about their potential historical interactions.

Community theories explore multiple relationship possibilities: master-apprentice dynamics, artistic rivalry, or perhaps ideological opposition regarding creative expression methodologies.

Hwei’s painter identity generates substantial anticipation about potential ability mechanics, with expectations leaning toward wave management tools and crowd control consistent with his artistic theme.

The mid lane position prepares to welcome its first truly artistic champion, blending creative expression with strategic combat in ways previously unexplored within League’s diverse roster.

Enigmatic Creature Champion Teaser

Revealed through developer diary artwork, the striking turquoise egg embellished with crimson flame accents has ignited global player imagination.

Riot’s video presentation establishes themes of aristocratic mystery and noble bearing, generating intense curiosity about this unique addition to League’s champion taxonomy.

The upcoming creature champion addresses a notable diversity gap within League’s current roster composition, where human, yordle, and humanoid champions dominate recent releases.

While champions like Yuumi and Fiddlesticks provide some morphological variety, truly non-humanoid designs remain underrepresented in modern champion development.

The most compelling community hypothesis centers on potential parentage involving Shyvana and Jarvan IV, combining Demacian royal lineage with draconic heritage.

Although Riot maintains official silence regarding lineage theories, visual similarities between the creature champion’s teaser and Shyvana’s draconic features prove difficult to dismiss as coincidental.

Shyvana’s instantly recognizable scaly draconic form and thematically appropriate abilities have maintained player popularity across multiple seasons.

Jarvan IV embodies Demacian aristocratic values and narrative significance within League’s expansive lore framework.

The potential union between these iconic champions producing offspring of extraordinary capability and narrative intrigue captures community imagination for deeper lore exploration.

The noble creature champion’s preview suggests substantially more approachable aesthetics compared to Shyvana’s intimidating presence.

Regal attire depictions in video content suggest aristocratic background and potentially dignified behavioral characteristics.

How these noble attributes integrate with gameplay mechanics and narrative development remains one of the most anticipated revelations within current champion development cycles.

Action Checklist

  • Study Skarner’s new terrain interaction mechanics for optimal jungle pathing
  • Practice wall-drift timing and enemy pinning combinations in practice tool
  • Research Ionian lore connections between Hwei and existing champions
  • Analyze creature champion teasers for gameplay mechanic clues
  • Monitor PBE updates for ability reveals and balancing changes

No reproduction without permission:Games Guides Website » Developers have confirmed the next League of Legends champions Complete guide to Skarner's VGU rework, new champion Hwei, and mysterious creature champion