The fan-favorite game mode, LoL Arena, is getting some big updates! A new map is being added to the game, along with new items for players to use. Plus, more teams for extra chaotic fights! These changes should make it even more exciting for the players.
New Map & Shop Area
With more teams joining the LoL Arena, Riot needed to create a bigger space for everyone to play. That's why they're adding a brand new map called "The Koi Pond". This map looks really cool.
This map will feel different from the old maps. You won't always be able to easily get to certain areas. But there's a special "Bloom Bridge" that will open up during the game, allowing you to cross over to other parts of the map. You can also use portals and blast cones to move around.
In addition to the new map, they've also added a new shop area. This bigger shop will have more items for players to buy and equip during the matches. The whole arena has been given a cool new Empyrean theme to go along with the upcoming MSI tournament.
Also Read: LoL Vanguard is Almost Here!
New Itemization System
Riot is introducing a new tier of items called "Prismatic" items. These are very powerful items that can define your whole build strategy. You'll see some brand new Prismatic items, as well as some familiar items that have been turned into Prismatics for the Arena mode.
Riot knows that players will always try to find the mathematically best build. So they've designed Prismatic items to not be directly purchasable. Instead, they will be presented to you randomly during a match, similar to how augments work. This means you and your opponents won't be able to reliably build the same items every game. The focus will be more on adapting to what items you get presented with.
Riot hopes this will help prevent the game from feeling too stale or repetitive. Even if you face similar teams, they will likely be building different Prismatic items and augments each game. Players who can best adapt to the current game's conditions will come out on top, rather than just relying on a specific strategy.
To get Prismatic items, players will use a new system called Anvils. Anvils are purchasable consumables that present you with a random selection of items in a certain category when used. There are three main types:
Prismatic Anvils give you a random choice of Prismatic items
Legendary Anvils give you a random choice of Legendary items in a specific category
Stat Anvils give you a random boost to your raw stats
Legendary Anvils tend to be cheaper than buying the items outright, so they're good if you know what you want. Stat Anvils are a way to get a boost with spare gold.
More Teams
The most noticeable change to the LoL Arena is that the number of teams has doubled, going from 4 teams to 8 teams. Riot believes that having more teams and players will lead to a wider variety of team compositions and strategies. This should make each Arena match feel much more unique and less repetitive.
Riot is also making some changes to the user interface to better track everything that's happening in the larger matches. The tab scoreboard will now focus on the team you're up against, showing their match history and recent picks. You can still check out the other teams by clicking on their icon in the team health panel.
To make sure the games don't feel too long with the increased number of teams, Riot is adjusting things like the gold rewards for wins and kills, starting health, and health gained/lost. The goal is to keep the overall match length similar to what players are used to, just with a lot more action and variety.
Also Read: The Meaning of L9 in League of Legends
Release Date & General Updates
Riot is going to experiment with a "preseason" period for the first two weeks before the Arena Ranked season starts alongside the Summoner's Rift Ranked season in patch 14.10. During this time, there won't be a leaderboard system or Gladiator points. Riot wants to see how things play out without those systems as they shape the future of Arena progression and Ranked.
There are also some updates to party sizes for matchmaking:
Players can queue up with party sizes between 1-8 players
Players cannot queue up with party sizes between 9-15 players
Players can queue up as a full 16-player premade party, but won't see changes to their MMR or Gladiator Rank
Additionally, Riot is making some quality-of-life improvements, like enabling spectators and replays and allowing players to surrender games that aren't going well.
Other changes include:
Enabling cameos from Lux, Sett, Thresh, Pyke, and Jhin
Making champion-specific balance adjustments
Adjusting legendary items to match changes on Summoner's Rift
Removing Mythic items
All of these updates and changes to the League of Legends Arena mode will be released on May 1st.
Also Read: How to Show Your Ping In League of Legends?
Conclusion
The LoL Arena is getting a major overhaul with a brand new map, a revamped item system, and an expanded number of teams. These changes are aimed at making the game mode more exciting, dynamic, and less repetitive for players. The introduction of Prismatic items, Anvils, and increased team count will force players to adapt their strategies on the fly, leading to more varied and unpredictable matches. Riot is also making several quality-of-life improvements and experimenting with a preseason period before the ranked season kicks off.
But why stop there? If you want to take your game to the next level and dominate the competition, check out our High-quality League of Legends accounts, and professional League of Legends services.