Riot Games is currently reassessing its approach to the frequency of champion reworks, both in terms of visual and gameplay updates, in response to player preferences.
Over the past several years, Riot has been conducting VGU polls, allowing League of Legends players to actively participate in choosing champions deserving of rework.
A noteworthy revelation comes from Riot Lexical, who highlighted an intriguing trend observed in these surveys.
According to him, it appears that players who have a fondness for and specialize in a particular champion generally don’t want changes, expressing a preference for the champion to remain as is.
Conversely, those advocating for reworks are often players who want to play a specific champion but find its current form lacking in interest or excitement.
The challenges associated with champion VGUs extend beyond player sentiments, as Lexical pointed out the considerable additional workload involved.
Each champion, along with its unique identity, boasts multiple skins and chromas. Therefore, undertaking a rework necessitates the painstaking task of redesigning all associated cosmetics, adding a layer of complexity to the process.
Lexical further emphasized that Riot has historically excelled in creating entirely new content rather than refining existing elements. The appeal of new champion designs and concepts tends to captivate players more than updates to existing ones.
This presents Riot with a dilemma: should they focus on introducing new champions or invest resources in modernizing old champions?
Navigating this delicate balance between overall game quality and player engagement proves to be a formidable challenge. In light of this, Riot has committed to providing a comprehensive update on their strategy and direction early in the upcoming season.
As League of Legends Season 2024 kicks off on January 9, 2024 with Patch 14.1 across all servers, players can anticipate insights into Riot’s plans for champion updates.