With the reveal of Udyr in Legends of Runeterra, fans have received their first glimpse at a new version of the Spirit Walker
Riot Games has announced that Udyr will be the next champion to receive a full VGU. Since then, Riot has published numerous new concept arts for the Shaman. Fans will notice clearly that the Legends of Runeterra release differs significantly from both the pre-release concept in League of Legends and his current form. Does this LoR adaption have anything to do with his upcoming rework in League?
Some fans may be surprised by Udyr’s new look since his concept has been updated and new components have been added to the Shaman’s appearance. Riot Games stated that they intended to introduce him to Legends of Runeterra, but knowing that it would have to come before the League of Legends rework is just unexpected.
This might say that Udyr couldn’t really be based on his initial design since it would rapidly become old, but they also wouldn’t be able to view the completed form of his redesign. According to Riot Games, perhaps they are revealing the Spirit Walker in the past with this LoR release.
Udyr in Legends of Runeterra is a younger man who has just returned from his trip to the mystical realms of Ionia. He spends time in Ionia studying how to control the spirits of demigods that strive to manifest themselves via him. The LoR version is obviously a younger version compared to the grizzlier and bulkier one from the concept art.
This new representation does offer us a sense of where Riot Games could want to take Udyr once he is reworked. However, it is not exactly reflective of the final form, which will depict an older version of him.