The MOBA League of Legends now has 159 champions: With Zeri and Renata Glasc, the last two were added to the game in January and February 2022. But there are further plans. In a developer post, they hinted at the next 3 champions. A new jungler, top laner, and bot laner could join LoL in 2022.
How many new champions are added to LoL each year? Champions in LoL are in development for a long time and are released at different times. The plan is more or less to bring five new champs each year, ideally one for each role. This is working somewhat:
- In 2019, there were 5 champs
- In 2020, 6 new ones were added
- In 2021, there were only 4
- In 2022, Zeri and Renata Glasc have already been released, one bot laner and one supporter – Riot hints that 3 more new legends could be added in 2022, but they are not committing to it yet. These should be a jungler, another bot laner, and a top laner.
It now says in a new blog post:
In the course of the last champion plans, I mentioned that we would scale back the production of new champions a bit for a while. We want to ensure that each champion receives the time and attention it needs to shine upon release, even if that means we may not be able to develop a new character for each position every year. While we don’t yet know exactly how many champions we will release this year, it should be about the same number as last year.
Ryan “Reav3” Mireles, Lead Champion Producer LoL
So it could be that all 3 champions that Riot is outlining could come in 2022, making it 5 champions. But maybe it will only be 4 like in 2021.
Riot probably doesn’t know it themselves yet.
The next jungler sounds like Kerrigan from StarCraft
This is known about the next jungler: The next new champion is set to be a jungler from the ‘Void’. It is said to be an empress to whom one must submit.
It is spoken of ‘true elegance, true beauty, and the true face of the Void’. It is set to be a ‘skirmish jungler’.
Already in January 2021, it was speculated on reddit that the new jungler in LoL could function like a ‘Kerrigan’ from StarCraft 2 and take over the map with Voidling creatures. Some kind of ‘evil brood mother’ that seizes everything.
Cheerful but deadly – Is a sea otter waddling onto the bot lane?
This is known about the next bot laner: According to LoL, the next bot laner is set to be a ‘colorful but deadly stranger’ who has arrived from the sea to Runeterra.
Apparently, the new champion laughs a lot and has a ‘water and mist’ motif. In January, it was hinted that an ‘unconventional bot laner’ is what awaits us.
On reddit, there is a joke: This could perhaps be a laughing sea otter, with whom one can then go ‘full Disney’ by playing with Zoe and Yuumi.
In LoL, there are several champions that resemble animals like Volibear (bear), Renekton (crocodile), or Anivia (bird). An otter could fit in well.
New top laner could fill a cultural gap
This is known about the next top laner: The last new champion is set to be a top laner, who is to be the ‘Pride of Nazumah’, a region of Shurima that has yet to be visited by anyone.
It is hinted that it could be a tank from a desert region. On reddit, it is speculated that it could be a proud warrior with a lion motif. Others hope to receive a champion that represents the iridescent region of North Africa.
Many seem to be waiting for such a champion, who could fill a gap in LoL.
New champions in LoL are delicate; Riot often doesn’t quite get the balancing right and has to adjust:
LoL: New champ is so strong that he receives 8 nerfs shortly after release
