League Of Legends' Most Infamous Villain Revealed As Next Champion
Riot Games just revealed the first new League of Legends champion of 2021 via a teaser trailer on Friday. Viego, the notorious Ruined King, is on his way to Runeterra. The announcement is a huge one, as The Blade of the Ruined King has long been one of the most mysterious items in the game. Since its first appearance in Season 3, many have wondered about its origin and its namesake. It seems long-time players may finally get their questions answered.
Ryan "REAV3" Mireles, the lead producer of the champions team, informed fans about Riot's upcoming plans in the Season 2021 Opening Day livestream. "So, Viego's release is just the start of The Ruined King's story and the next three new champions we will be releasing this year will also tie into Viego's return," revealed Mireles.
Viego looks to shake up the jungle role and impact the standard lanes. The champions team also aims to bring magic-based fighters into the top lane. Considering the imagery and Mireles' choice of words in the livesteam, the concept for the upcoming top laner appears to revolve around tailoring, sewing, or the use of scissors. Riot will also introduce a new Yordle champion, who Mireles described as a "gloomy artillery mage." Riot hasn't added a Yordle champion since unveiling Kled in 2016. Mireles didn't provide much information about the third unannounced champion, a marksman, beyond teasing that "much like Senna, they are planned for a non-traditional position."
Viego might just be League of Legends' biggest release to date. The Ruined King is the only champion within the League universe to have an item named after them and receive their own stand-alone title. No doubt Riot's debut single-player game, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, will reveal more details about its titular character and how Viego fits into the overall lore.
Riot Games also offered an update on its plans for League of Legends: Wild Rift, the mobile and console version of League of Legends. The game is headed to North America for an open beta sometime in March, but is already available in a number of countries. Today also marks the start of the competitive Ranked Season, so League of Legends players can begin their ascent to the top of the leaderboards. Remember, Faker is rooting for you.