Riot is aiming to release two new items and rework Sanguine Blade

League of Legends players can anticipate significant itemization changes arriving this summer season. These updates represent Riot’s ongoing commitment to refining the game’s strategic depth and addressing current balance concerns.

Recent developer communications through the Ask Riot platform have revealed three major item adjustments coming to the game. Players will see the introduction of two completely new Legendary items alongside a comprehensive rework of an existing item that has struggled to find its place in the meta.

Ask Riot: More New Items When?
What new items are in the works? Human skins for non-humans? Plus canon LGBTQIA+ representation in LoL.

➡️ Details here: https://t.co/0UCbpmV5f6 pic.twitter.com/jyZnyYpFYF

— League of Legends (@LeagueOfLegends) June 3, 2021

The development team has identified specific gameplay gaps that these new items aim to address. Tank champions need better tools to handle excessively fed carries, while enchanter supports require additional defensive options against burst damage compositions.

New Tank Item: Enemy-Targeting Defensive Tool

The upcoming tank item introduces a revolutionary mechanic that fundamentally changes how tanks approach defensive itemization against priority targets. Unlike traditional defensive items that provide blanket protection, this tool offers targeted counterplay against specific threats.

This Legendary tank item features a binding mechanism similar to Knight’s Vow or Zeke’s Convergence, but with a crucial tactical difference: instead of connecting to an ally, the bind targets an enemy champion. This creates a dynamic where tanks can strategically isolate and neutralize the most dangerous opponent on the enemy team.

Activation requires proximity between the caster and the bound enemy, making it particularly effective for melee tanks who excel at sticking to targets. The item provides two key benefits: personal damage reduction against the specific enemy and an aura that reduces the target’s tenacity.

Strategic applications include countering split-push scenarios where a single fed carry threatens to overwhelm your team’s defenses. Champions like Ornn, Malphite, and Leona who can reliably engage and maintain close proximity will benefit tremendously from this addition to their itemization options.

Common mistakes to avoid: attempting to use this item against highly mobile champions who can easily break proximity, or activating it on secondary targets instead of the primary damage threat.

The second new addition specifically addresses the vulnerability concerns of enchanter support champions. Currently, champions like Janna, Lulu, and Soraka have limited defensive options when facing burst-heavy compositions, often forcing them to sacrifice supportive power for survivability.

This Legendary support item provides burst resistance functionality comparable to Zhonya’s Hourglass but designed with supportive capabilities rather than selfish protection.

Riot developers have confirmed the item will feature “a much more supportive bend” compared to existing defensive options. This suggests the item may provide benefits to nearby allies while protecting the user, creating new strategic possibilities for teamfight positioning and ability usage.

Optimal usage scenarios include countering assassin-heavy compositions where traditional enchanter itemization falls short. The item should particularly shine in situations where your carries need protection but you also face immediate threat to your own survival.

Advanced players should consider pairing this item with existing support tools to create layered defensive systems for their team. The timing of activation will be crucial—using it too early wastes the protective cooldown, while activating too late may result in getting burst down before the effect applies.

Sanguine Blade Rework: From Niche to Mainstream

Sanguine Blade’s upcoming rework represents a fundamental shift in design philosophy. The item currently occupies a narrow niche within the lethality space, but will transition to become viable for any attack damage champion seeking specific combat advantages.

Riot acknowledges that while the item’s thematic identity remains strong, its statistical performance and situational applicability have fallen short of expectations.

The redesign will shift power distribution to partially index into what developers term “1v1 potential” while also enhancing capabilities against durable defenders during tower-taking scenarios.

This strategic repositioning should make the item appealing to a broader range of AD champions beyond its current limited user base. The rework aims to maintain the item’s duelist identity while making it relevant in more game situations.

Practical implications include creating new itemization paths for champions who currently lack effective options for extended 1v1 engagements or structured objective taking against tanky opponents.

Optimization tips: monitor the item’s new stat profile to determine optimal build timing, and practice its application in split-push scenarios to maximize value.

These item changes collectively address several strategic gaps in League of Legends’ current meta. The tank item provides targeted counterplay tools that reward strategic thinking and champion knowledge.

The support item introduction may significantly alter how enchanters approach teamfight positioning and ability usage, potentially increasing their viability in high-burst environments.

Sanguine Blade’s transformation could create new build possibilities for AD champions who previously overlooked the item due to its narrow applicability.

Release timing follows a phased approach: the tank item and Sanguine Blade rework will arrive in a summer patch, while the support item requires additional development time and will release later.

For players looking to master these new additions, our Class Selection Guide provides deeper insights into champion-specific synergies and counterplay options.

Advanced strategic considerations include how these items might interact with existing systems and whether they’ll create new competitive strategies at both casual and professional levels.

No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Riot is aiming to release two new items and rework Sanguine Blade League of Legends introduces new tank and support items plus Sanguine Blade rework for summer updates