League of Legends: Wild Rift rings in the New Year with a brand-new patch from developer Riot Games jam-packed with content. Launching January 18th, Patch 5.0: Bright Heights introduces new champions, retooled existing champions, and a flurry of fantastic gameplay improvements, adding new depth to the MOBA strategy game. Join the celebration and enjoy a number of in-game holiday events, starting with Lunar New Year, upon the patch’s release.
Wild Rift’s newest champions include Syndra, the Dark Sovereign; Talon, the Blade’s Shadow and Kindred, the Eternal Hunter. Syndra is an Ionian mage who specializes in firing long-range bursts of magic, winning the day from a distance. Players seeking a stealthier approach can wield the silent assassin, Talon. Raised on the streets of Noxus, Talon learned to use an arsenal of daggers to slash his way to survival. In battle, he quickly and quietly slays enemies while going unnoticed. Finally, Kindred, the Eternal Hunter, is a fierce duo, representing the “twin essences of death.” Lamb uses a bow to swiftly dispatch enemies, while Wolf prefers to stalk his prey from the shadows, crushing them with his mighty jaws.
In keeping with the spirit of the season, significant improvements have been made to several of Wild Rift’s current champions. Aurelion Sol the Star Forger sports an entirely new skillset, complete with a potent passive ability. Wukong the Monkey King’s clones last longer on the battlefield and mirror his Nimbus Strike ability. Lastly, Yuumi the Magical Cat will offer more consistent support, while Gragas the Rabble Rouser plays smoother than ever before. New year, new me, indeed!
Plenty of new items will also be available in the Rift. The Heartsteal item will make its Rift debut, allowing players to amass impressive health pots. Additionally, champions can now wield the Titanic Hydra, which offers devastating AOE damage, or the Spear of Shojin, which buffs movement, speed and basic ability cooldowns. Not to be outdone, a number of current items will also receive balance adjustments, details of which can be found in the patch notes.
League of Legends: Wild Rift players will also notice various other tweaks to the Rift. Weaker minions now roam about, and the Rift Herald aims directly at the enemy turret instead of the closest minions. The Baron Lane will also feature a new alcove for players to incorporate into their strategy. The new Wild Pass skin rewards, Food Spirits Veigar and Black Frost Rendeton, also arrive for players to collect. Finally, the pet system will offer more rewards than ever before, encouraging players to collect and evolve their Chonccs.
Bright Heights also introduces a variety of updates to the game’s various modes, including Ranked Season 12! Unlock Glorious Crown Xin Zhao in the Ranked Store and collect new rewards from the Legendary Queue. The Arena will feature a new ninth round, “all-gloves-off clash,” where the remaining teams can earn even more experience and rewards. A new hybrid mode called Double Cast will also be introduced. Champions’ basic attacks will occasionally count as a double hit, applying their effects twice. Ability cooldowns will also fully refresh during specific timing windows.
Wild Rift’s dragon-themed Lunar New Year event is just the beginning. After earning various Dragon Lantern skins and piles of goodies, players can look forward to Valentine’s Day and Ramadan-themed events in the coming months as well.
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