The Udyr change is on its way, and Riot has announced that Spirit Guard Udyr will retain the champion’s original stances until the rework is complete
Riot Games is nearing completion on one of League of Legends’ most eagerly anticipated champion changes. As part of the April 18 Champion Roadmap, base VGU Udyr is complete and ready for release, but Riot is currently working on the expensive Spirit Guard cosmetic package for the jungler.
“We really want to pour a lot of love and attention into that skin, with it being an Ultimate and all”
In the blog, Riot teased Udyr’s Spirit Guard skin by displaying an early prototype of the champion’s in-game model. Riot had also previously provided an in-depth look at the visual effects for several of Udyr’s forthcoming abilities and how they’ll appear.
Udyr’s stances will be changed from bear, phoenix, tiger, and turtle to animals symbolizing each of the Freljordian gods as part of the redesign. This implies he’ll have new postures like a bear, phoenix, boar, and ram. This new form of him has learned how to manage the gods’ spirits that strive to manifest through him.
Spirit Guard skin would portray him before he learned how to completely control the heavenly force inside him while he was still in Ionia. Riot revealed in the Champion Roadmap that Udyr’s prior stances will be retained while utilizing the Spirit Guard skin. The new appearance is a very Ionian take on the Freljordian spirit walker. He is dressed in tabis and an ornate gold and white robe, with startling red metal gauntlets.
This is the first time that an Ultimate skin has been utilized to narrate the tale of a champion, and it may serve as a template for future reworks that employ similar skins.
The VGU will be available sometime during League of Legends Season 12. Though no exact date has been set, Reav3 expects Udyr’s VGU to launch later in the summer of 2022, at the very least.