Riot Games is introducing a significant alteration to the early League of Legends experience by lowering the Summoner level required to unlock the Smite Summoner Spell from 9 to 3.
For new League players, stepping onto the Summoner’s Rift for the first time can be a mix of excitement and intimidation. Traditionally, the concern of mastering jungle gameplay right from the start was alleviated by the fact that the Smite spell, essential for jungling, only unlocked at Summoner level 9. However, this is about to change, as Riot is testing the alteration on the League PBE, with plans for it to go live soon.
Riot changes Smite unlock
The pivotal shift in this change is that Smite will now be accessible when a player reaches Summoner level 3, a stark contrast to the previous requirement. This change is not only significant but also long overdue, as players have been advocating for a modification like this for nearly a decade.
The primary objective behind this adjustment is to empower new League players to delve into the world of jungle gameplay sooner. The jungle role can be perceived as challenging by many newcomers, especially if they’ve received discouraging feedback from other players regarding the complexities of jungling for beginners.
Nonetheless, some players are eager to immerse themselves in the jungle with understanding timers, Smite mechanics, jungle pathing, etc. For these players, the Smite changes are poised to be incredibly advantageous.
However, there is a potential concern related to the expedited access to Smite. This change could inadvertently allow experienced players with alternate accounts, often referred to as ‘smurfs,’ to access Smite earlier, potentially leading to new players facing off against more seasoned junglers more frequently than before.
It’s worth noting that this change is not expected to have a substantial impact on lower-ranked players, as accounts still need to reach level 30 before they can engage in ranked League games. The primary intent of this adjustment is to promote accessibility to the jungle role for newcomers and provide a smoother learning curve.