After years of development, the hugely ambitious Lego Star Wars game, The Skywalker Saga, is finally set for release in April this year. It’s the first new entry in the series since 2016’s Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, so clearly fans are geared up and eager for the next installment.

A brand-new trailer for The Skywalker Saga is out now, showcasing the game’s sprawling and varied worlds and highlighting some of its many, many playable characters. The trailer also confirms an April 5 release date, which is right around the corner.

To learn more about The Skywalker Saga, GameSpot spoke with senior producer James Burgon. Burgon discussed the highly ambitious nature of the game–it adapts all nine Skywalker films!–and touched on how the combat mechanics are different and improved with the new installment. Burgon also spoke to us about how the game allows players to start from any trilogy and the freedom and opportunities that allows for. “As freedom was one of our key pillars during development, we knew we had to give fans the option to jump straight into the trilogy they wanted to,” Burgon said.

The Lego games are known for their humor, even when they touch on heavy and dramatic material–and there is no shortage of those elements in Star Wars. Burgon said TT Games worked alongside Lucasfilm Games and The Lego Group to ensure a balance between staying true to the source material but also imbuing certain scenes with a “softer, more lighthearted touch.”

“That’s British humour for you; you can never take yourself too seriously,” Burgon said.

The producer also took some time to speak about The Skywalker Saga’s gigantic roster of characters–there are 400 playable characters and more than 800 in all, counting NPCs.

“The beauty of Star Wars is that every character, no matter how little screen time, naturally ends up having a backstory we can dive into and create a quest around,” Burgon said. “The Star Wars galaxy is so rich with creatures and alien races that it was difficult to define a cut off point, but I think hardcore fans of Star Wars are going to be pleasantly surprised at who made it into the roster.”

GameSpot’s full interview with Burgon follows below. The Skywalker Saga launches on April 5 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The Skywalker Saga adapts NINE movies. That’s so many. Why go so big? And how did you go about boiling it down to avoid the package coming across as overwhelming to players?

With an incredible IP like Star Wars spanning decades with millions of adoring fans, it’s hard not to go big as you really can’t bring yourself to leave anything out.

LEGO Star Wars The Videogame came out over 15 years ago, and it’s a joy to behold how we’ve come so far over those years. We always try to outdo ourselves with each LEGO game we make and this one is no exception. There’s an entire galaxy at your fingertips, filled with rich, vibrant planets begging for you to disembark your ship and roam around in. It’s a celebration of Star Wars through and through and needed to be as epic in scale as the saga we were retelling.

We know that players love exploring our Freeplay content so we made the Story levels snappier and more action-focused. Having pre-levels take place on the planet surfaces makes for a more cohesive experience overall and makes the game feel more like a journey, rather than two separate modes of Story and Freeplay. Players can hop between trilogies or enter Galaxy Freeplay to explore at their own pace if they choose. Having that freedom means players can take their time and immerse themselves without feeling overwhelmed.

The Skywalker Saga launches in April

The ability to start the game from any trilogy sounds great–I personally enjoy that sense of freedom when a game allows for it. What drove that decision from your design perspective?

From the offset, we wanted to let players start at the trilogy they connected with the most. Reiterating the fact that the Skywalker saga spans decades and fans of all ages, we knew players would want to jump into the action of their fondest trilogy; Newcomers to the Star Wars galaxy may want to jump straight to Jakku with Rey and BB-8, or our more veteran players may want to start where it all began on the Tantive IV. As freedom was one of our key pillars during development, we knew we had to give fans the option to jump straight into the trilogy they wanted to.

“From the offset, we wanted to let players start at the trilogy they connected with the most. Reiterating the fact that the Skywalker saga spans decades and fans of all ages, we knew players would want to jump into the action of their fondest trilogy” — Burgon

I read that combat is new and different in The Skywalker Saga–can you walk us through how combat works and what’s new and changed this time around?

Combat has had a massive overhaul in this game. Enemies will block or even try to rush you, and you can either combat roll out of the way, counter these ambushes with a special attack, or switch up attacks to break their block. We’ve also introduced Character Classes, which all come with their own upgrades. For example, you can upgrade Protocol Droids to emit shockwaves when they detach their upper and lower halves, stunning all enemies in a small radius. We wanted to make combat overall more engaging, with more ways to use character quirks to your advantage and add to that sense of power and progression.

Force powers can be used with free-aim, allowing you to grab any nearby LEGO rocks or debris and hurl it at any enemies nearby – which is extremely satisfying to do with explosive barrels or even Battle Droids themselves. Same with blasters, you can now free-aim and shoot enemies with precision, allowing complete control on how you save the galaxy and defeat the Empire.

TT’s games are always imbued with a sense of humor and levity, even if the fate of the galaxy is hanging in the balance. How are you approaching humor with The Skywalker Saga, which deals with some heavy topics and themes?

That’s British humour for you; you can never take yourself too seriously. Working so closely with Lucasfilm Games and The LEGO Group was great in ensuring a balance where we’re staying as true as possible to the source material, but also approaching those moments with a softer, more lighthearted touch.

It’s incredible that even after all these years we can still find a great gag to make or a unique take on a classic moment, and that really is just down to the sheer creativity of the fantastic team we have here at TT. Despite this being our 4th outing to the galaxy far, far away, there were still hundreds of new ideas being shared on how we can inject some humour into certain scenes the only way LEGO minifigs can.

I have always been impressed by how these LEGO games, ostensibly at least, seem to be aimed at a younger audience but they truly appeal to a wide range of ages. What’s the secret there?

I think we can admit we’re all children at heart, regardless of our age. When we work with such globally known IP’s that everyone knows and loves, there’s a comforting feeling in taking a break and seeing your favourite characters roaming around in LEGO form that I believe appeals to anyone and everyone.

Humour is always a key point; there’s cutscenes in this game that I have of course seen hundreds of times during development but they still never fail to make me laugh. It’s finding the balance between accessibility, whimsy and familiarity, juxtaposed with the true fan service we provide that keeps all players, young and old, engaged and enjoying our games.

“It’s finding the balance between accessibility, whimsy and familiarity, juxtaposed with the true fan service we provide that keeps all players, young and old, engaged and enjoying our games.” — Burgon

It’s been a number of years since the last LEGO Star Wars game, which was The Force Awakens in 2016. How have you seen the gaming landscape evolve since then and how is The Skywalker Saga being developed to accommodate what gamers want in 2022?

I think it’s clear to see in the footage of our newest gameplay trailer that we have reimagined what a LEGO game is with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, while keeping it familiar enough to feel like an evolution of the formula. Take the holoprojector for example – it’s more than just a simple navigation tool. You can keep track of all current quests, set waypoints across the galaxy, use studs to purchase rumours on how to unlock certain characters and vehicles, and much much more. We’ve also naturally taken advantage of the new generation of console hardware where possible to deliver the best-looking LEGO game to date.

You’ve got, I think, hundreds of playable characters. Obviously the big ones are there–but what was the decision-making process for choosing which of the less widely known characters to include?

The beauty of Star Wars is that every character, no matter how little screen time, naturally ends up having a backstory we can dive into and create a quest around. It was a struggle to keep the playable number below 400, but in terms of NPC’s I think we almost hit 800! The Star Wars galaxy is so rich with creatures and alien races that it was difficult to define a cut off point, but I think hardcore fans of Star Wars are going to be pleasantly surprised at who made it into the roster.

Anything else people should know?

Just that the team and I want to say thanks to the gamers and fans for their patience and sticking with us whilst we work hard on delivering the biggest and most ambitious LEGO game ever. We’re just as excited for April as you all are, and we can’t wait for players of all ages to immerse themselves in exploring the LEGO Star Wars galaxy we’ve created.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Sony has responded to Microsoft’s blockbuster proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a deal that sent shockwaves through the industry and one that could hurt the PlayStation company.

One of the biggest questions going forward, should Microsoft’s deal go through, is whether or not games like Call of Duty will become Xbox-exclusive or stay on all platforms. A spokesperson for Sony told The Wall Street Journal (via VGC), “We expect that Microsoft will abide by contractural agreements and continue to ensure Activision games are multiplatform.”

Activision recently published the prospectus of its deal with Microsoft, and there are multiple sections pertaining to what happens with regards to “existing partner agreements.” You can see a full breakdown of these below, but the quick takeaway is that Activision Blizzard said it will honor “all existing commitments” when the deal closes. “As with Microsoft’s acquisition of Minecraft, we have no intent to remove any content from platforms where it exists today,” the company said.

Microsoft acquired Mojang and the Minecraft series and it continues to release the games on PlayStation (and Nintendo) instead of making them exclusive to Xbox. For Microsoft’s Bethesda buyout, Microsoft is honoring existing contracts–which is why Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo are PlayStation exclusives at launch–but future titles like Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI are expected to be Xbox-exclusives.

Activision and Sony have never disclosed the terms of their exclusivity arrangement for Call of Duty, so it remains unclear if the franchise will stay multiplatform. Some have suggested that Call of Duty: Warzone might remain multiplatform, with the yearly “mainline” games becoming Xbox-exclusive. This is just speculation for now, though, and no official announcements have been made.

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard may be legally forbidden from discussing specifics about the deal due to regulatory rules, so fans hoping for concrete answers might not get them for some time. Officially, the deal is expected to close in Microsoft’s FY2023, which runs July 2022-June 2023.

This will no doubt be an evolving and ongoing story, so keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.

Activision/Microsoft Contract Details

How does this transaction impact existing partner agreements (i.e., Sony, Google, Apple)? Will this change what we’re able to offer our partners or how we structure our agreements?

We will honor all existing commitments post close. As with Microsoft’s acquisition of Minecraft, we have no intent to remove any content from platforms where it exists today. We would be open to discussions to enter into an agreement to confirm our intent when it is appropriate to do so.

Will Activision Blizzard begin to work with Microsoft partners?

At this time, it remains business as usual, and we do not anticipate any changes to existing contracts or partnerships.Players are at the center of everything we do at Activision Blizzard and Microsoft, and both teams will continue to provide great games and services to their players and partners. We are still working to finalize the specifics of the future organization and will provide updates as we are able

Does this mean Microsoft has to approve all business decisions at Activision Blizzard?

Until transaction close both companies will continue to operate independently.

What will the relationship between Xbox and Activision Blizzard be?

Activision Blizzard’s games exist on a variety of platforms today, and we plan to continue supporting those communities moving forward. The transaction is about increasing the availability of Activision Blizzard’s content across more platforms. This is consistent with Microsoft’s commitment to giving players more choice to play the games they want, anywhere.

How will this transaction affect our pipeline and existing games? How will current projects be affected by the transaction? After the deal closes, will we work on non-Activision Blizzard titles/products within Microsoft/Xbox/Bethesda?

We do not anticipate that this news will affect the rollout of Activision Blizzard’s current pipeline or existing games. Until close it remains business as usual and both companies will continue to operate independently. We are still working to finalize the specifics of the future organization. For now, we ask that you stay focused on your current responsibilities.

Will this acquisition increase Activision Blizzard’s ability to create new products and focus on innovation?

This transaction is predominantly about growth and Microsoft’s diversified operation will create meaningful opportunities for future development and innovation. This deal will combine Activision Blizzard’s audience, IP, and iconic games with Microsoft’s secure technology and platform to create a new company that can increase competition in the metaverse.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Inflexion Games, a Canadian game studio made up of ex-Bioware developers and headed by former Bioware GM Aaryn Flynn, announced its first game Nightingale at last year’s Game Awards. At first glance, the survival crafting game doesn’t seem to have much in common with the types of games Bioware is known for–but Flynn says the team have taken a number of important lessons from Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and even Anthem in developing Nightingale.

In a new interview with IGN, Flynn has explained how Nightingale ended up the project it is today, from its first conception and even further back in his history as Bioware’s general manager. While Flynn says that Nightingale won’t have the “narrative spine” of a game like Mass Effect, there was still plenty of lessons the team could take from the Bioware style of game development.

“We think we can take a lot of lessons learned from Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and even Anthem,” Flynn explained. “And say, ‘How can we build a world that has survival crafting gameplay in it, but still provides that tremendous umbrella of lore and rich conceits, that make it just a compelling place to be in that space?'”

Flynn also said that Nightingale will lean into the idea of player choice, something Bioware games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age are well known for. While the choices in Nightingale may not take the same form due to the differences in genre, Flynn said the important aspect was making players feel like their decisions had real weight and impact on the game’s world.

“I think one thing that great RPGs, and these survival sandbox games should have in common is this notion of autonomy,” Flynn said. “That players feel like [they] get to do what [they] want in this world. And we can only offer so much; there are always going to be invisible walls and things like that. But the more we can, as developers, offer autonomy and real meaningful chances to impact and change the world of the game, and see those choices reflected back in compelling ways, the better a job we’ve done.”

Another lesson Flynn has brought with him from Bioware comes from another former Bioware developer, Mike Laidlaw–this time about how to make sure the game finds its intended audience.

“A former colleague of mine, Michael Laidlaw, who was the creative director on Dragon Age: Inquisition had a great phrase he used to use that always resonated with me,” Flynn explained. “When it came to things like marketing the games… he used to say, ‘I just wish we’d have a marketing campaign that was, “Here’s our game. I hope you like it.”‘ And that’s really what it comes down to.”

Nightingale is currently planned to release in early access on PC sometime in 2022. Players who are interested in checking the game out early can register for closed beta testing, which is due to begin in the next few months.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

League of Legends‘ first new champion for 2022, Zeri, the Spark of Zaun, arrives this week on January 20, along with the rest of the updates included in patch 12.2. With Lunar New Year and the beginning of the Year of the Tiger coming up on February 1, the patch includes a number of event-themed skins and chromas, as well as the return of ARURF for a limited time.

The patch introduces new champion Zeri, who boasts an electricity-themed kit including a shield that buffs her move speed, an electric pulse that slows enemies, and a dash that gives Zeri the ability to vault over terrain. Zeri will launch on January 20 when Patch 12.2 drops, along with her Withered Rose skin.

A huge number of skins and chromas are also being added for League’s Lunar New Year event, with five champions getting new Porcelain skins and another five getting Firecracker skins.

The full list of new Lunar New Year skins includes Porcelain Protector Ezreal, Porcelain Lissandra, Porcelain Amumu, Porcelain Lux, Porcelain Kindred, Firecracker Sett, Firecracker Diana, Firecracker Teemo, Firecracker Tristana, and Firecracker Xin Zhao. The event will also include Prestige Edition skins for Porcelain Lux and Brave Phoenix Xayah.

While a number of champion tweaks are included with this patch, Janna is receiving a more in-depth champion refresh, with the patch notes pointing out that “Janna just hasn’t felt very rewarding to play over the past few seasons, especially when compared to other enchanter options in bot lane.”

Riot is also bringing All Random Ultra Rapid Fire mode, or ARURF, back for the Lunar New Year event. The patch notes promise a few surprises on top of what players might expect from previous ARURF runs, saying “we added a flipper full of changes to a couple of runes and a few surprises to the Awesome Buff of Awesomely Awesome Buffing’s tooltip.”

Check out the full patch notes below, including Champion balance tweaks, item tweaks, bug fixes, and quality of life changes:

League of Legends Patch 12.2

#Champions

+++

Zeri

The Spark of Zaun

Zip, zap, and zoom across Summoner’s Rift with Zeri on January 20!

—

+++

Janna

Base stats and all abilities adjusted.

Janna just hasn’t felt very rewarding to play over the past few seasons, especially when compared to other enchanter options in bot lane. We wanted to approach this mid-scope update to her while staying true to her classic playstyle and identity. In particular, we believe Janna’s ally shielding and peel are what makes her appealing to most enchanter players, so we’ve shifted some power from her W and poke damage into her Es and Qs. We also made a few nice little QoL changes here and there in hopes of blowing you away~

###Base Stats

Move Speed :: 315 >>> 330

Base AD :: 46-71.5 >>> 52-103

AD Growth :: 1.5 >>> 3

Basic Attack Range :: 550 >>> 500

Passive – Tailwind

TAILWIND :: Janna gains 8% bonus move speed only while moving toward allied champions. (Bonus move speed for allied champions moving towards Janna unchanged.)

FAST & FURIOUS :: Janna’s basic attacks and W – Zephyr no longer deal bonus magic damage based on her bonus move speed

Q – Howling Gale

Cost :: 60/90/100/120/140 mana >>> 60/70/80/90/100 mana

Minimum Range :: 1000 >>> 1100

Maximum Range :: 1750 >>> 1760

Time to Destination :: 1.5 seconds >>> 1.25 seconds

W – Zephyr

Range :: 550 (from edge to edge) >>> 650 (centered)

Slow Duration :: 2 seconds >>> 3 seconds

Cooldown :: 8/7.5/7/6.5/6 seconds >>> 12 seconds at all ranks

Base Damage :: 55/85/115/145/175 >>> 70/100/130/160/190

Bonus Move Speed :: 6/7/8/9/10% >>> 8/9/10/11/12%

E – Eye of the Storm

A FRIENDLY FORECAST :: Innate – Whenever Janna’s abilities slow or knock up at least one enemy champion, ||| E – Eye of the Storm’s cooldown is reduced by 20% >>> she receives +20% heal and shield power for 5 seconds

Shield :: 80/115/150/185/220 (+70% AP) >>> 80/110/140/170/200 (+65% AP)

Cooldown :: 16/15/14/13/12 seconds >>> 15/13.5/12/10.5/9 seconds

Shield Decay Starts After :: 0.75 seconds >>> 1.25 seconds

R – Monsoon

Healing Tick Rate :: 0.5 seconds >>> 0.25 seconds (total heal amount unchanged)

—

+++

Lulu

W cooldown increased.

Lulu’s been queen of the bot lane for quite some time now—especially at the highest levels of play—so we’re reducing access to her most versatile spell just a pinch!

W – Whimsy

Cooldown :: 16/15/14/13/12 seconds >>> 17/16/15/14/13 seconds

—

+++

Nocturne

Health growth increased. Q damage ratio increased.

Nocturne has been a nightmare to play as in all skill brackets, regardless of his builds or runes. We’re buffing him with some scaling power, so he can become more useful as the game progresses, rather than just relying on his ultimate as his only way to say lights out.

###Base Stats

Health Growth :: 85 >> 95

Q – Duskbringer

Bonus AD Ratio :: 75% >>> 85%

—

+++

Qiyana

Base health regen decreased. Brush Q zone duration decreased.

Qiyana is dominating Elite play quite a bit right now. We’re reducing how much time she gets to spend being invisible in a fight, which should help lower some frustration when playing against the Empress of the Elements.

###Base Stats

Base Health Regeneration :: 7.5 >>> 6

Q – Edge of Ixtal

Grass Trail Zone Duration :: 3.5 seconds >>> 3 seconds

—

+++

Rengar

R passive now enables leaping from camouflage.

As a primary jungler, this battle kitty has been suffering a lot on the Chemtech Rift. While he’s not the only champion affected, Rengar has certainly gotten the worst of it as so much of his power budget is dedicated to his passive’s interaction with brush. Removing 12 spots of it is incredibly disruptive—not just to his core farming pattern, but his entire gameplay, really—so we’re giving him a new way to pounce and prowl. No catnip needed. (Note that this passive is on his R and only takes effect once he ranks up his ultimate.)

R – Thrill of the Hunt

HIDE AND LEAP :: Innate – Rengar can leap to enemies with his next basic attack when he is in camouflage

—

+++

Samira

R base damage increased.

Now that her mid-game transition is less reliable with the Shieldbow nerfs, we’re giving Samira a bit more baseline potential in her R so she can snowball in style.

R – Inferno Trigger

Physical Damage per Shot :: 0/10/20 (+50% AD) >>> 5/15/25 (+50% AD)

Total Damage per Target :: 0/100/200 (+500% AD) >>> 50/150/250 (+500% AD)

—

+++

Senna

Q passive now empowers basic attacks with slows.

Senna is quite weak this season, especially when she builds for DPS. The old Glacial Augment was a crucial part of that playstyle and since it no longer procs off Senna’s basic attacks, we’re adding some utility back into her kit.

Q – Absolution

LOW VISIBILITY :: Innate – Senna’s basic attacks now slow enemies by 20% (+6% per 100 AP) (+10% per 100 bonus AD) for 2 seconds

—

+++

Shen

Q damage decreased.

With the changes to Teleport in 12.1, Shen has once again become king when it comes to map influence from top lane. To bring things back to equilibrium, we’re lowering his damage as a duelist instead of bringing down his cross-map power so that his unique, global presence remains his most powerful tool.

Q – Twilight Assault

Increased Bonus Damage :: 10-40 (+6 every 3 levels) (+5/5.5/6/6.5/7% (+2% per 100 AP) of target’s max health) >>> 10-40 (+6 every 3 levels) (+4/4.5/5/5.5/6% (+2% per 100 AP) of target’s max health)

—

+++

Tahm Kench

Q slow increased. E adjusted; damage stored as grey health decreased (unless near multiple enemies). R ally shield increased; now grants move speed upon devouring ally.

We did a mini-rework of Tahm Kench back in 11.13 because his old kit held huge advantages in highly coordinated team play. Our goal back then was to lower his priority in Pro pick/ban while putting him in a place where he could have a fun playstyle, as well as reasonable winrates in both of his roles. (Historically, his top lane winrate has been higher than that of his support.)

The rework is looking pretty good so far in terms of Pro play as he doesn’t have nearly as much priority there as he used to. When it comes to his winrates, the rework didn’t dramatically affect the difference between his support versus top capabilities, but it did highlight the gap. This left support Tahm Kench players feeling like the catfish was no longer viable in their role. Now that we’ve had some time to observe all of these effects together, we’re willing to take a riskier swing to buff support Kench while nerfing his top lane capabilities to keep him in check up there.

Q – Tongue Lash

Enemy Slow :: 40% >>> 50%

E – Thick Skin

Amount of Damage Stored into Grey Health :: 45/50/55/60/65% >>> 15/25/35/45/55%, increased to 45/50/55/60/65% if there are 2 or more visible enemy champions nearby (dead or alive)

Amount of Healing Restored from Grey Health :: 30-100% (levels 1-18) >>> 45-100% (levels 1-18)

R – Devour

Ally Shield Upon Devour :: 400/500/600 (+100% AP) >>> 500/700/900 (+150% AP)

Move Speed Upon Devouring Ally :: Slows Tahm Kench by 30/20/10% while ally is swallowed >>> Grants Tahm Kench 40% move speed for 3 seconds (regardless of swallow duration)

—

+++

Talon

W monster damage ratio decreased.

We introduced Talon jungle in 11.18 in hopes of bringing new players and playstyles into the jungle. He ended up becoming one of the stronger jungle assassins, especially in Elite play where his mobility, damage, and clear speed are almost unmatched. He’s still extremely fun as a flex pick, but we also understand that his current state has very few weaknesses, which can be frustrating to play against. In turn, we’re heavily nerfing his clear speed to tune him down. He’ll still be viable there and will keep his high-mobility edge, but you might need to think a little longer before jumping into the jungle with him.

W – Rake

Damage Against Monsters :: 130% >>> 105%

—

+++

Tristana

Base health and health regen increased.

Our rocket girl isn’t doing so hot lately. Her abilities already hit super hard, but they’re pretty risky and can take a while to stack up. We’re bumping up her early durability to give Tristana the time she needs to finish her combos and survive those explosive plays.

###Base Stats

Base Health :: 559 >>> 600

Base Health Regeneration :: 3.75 >>> 4

—

+++

Veigar

Q cooldown decreased; stacks from large monsters and minions increased.

The tiny master of evil has been less threatening than usual as of late. We’re upping the rate on his Phenomenal Evil stacks so that he can stand above his competitors in the mid lane. (Figuratively speaking, at least.)

Q – Baleful Strike

Cooldown :: 7/6.5/6/5.5/5 seconds >>> 6/5.5/5/4.5/4 seconds

Stacks Granted Upon Killing Large Monsters and Minions :: 2 >>> 3

—

+++

Volibear

Base AD growth increased. E cooldown decreased.

The once-fearsome Volibear is bad for everyone, everywhere. We’re giving him a reliable baseline stat buff and more access to his signature stormy skill.

###Base Stats

Attack Damage Growth :: 3 >>> 3.5

E – Sky Splitter

Cooldown :: 15 seconds >>> 13 seconds

—

+++

Yasuo

Q damage ratio increased.

Like Samira, the wind brothers were hit hard by the Immortal Shieldbow nerfs. We’re compensating for this by returning some of that power into their more skill-dependent abilities.

Q – Steel Tempest

Damage :: 20/45/70/95/120 (+100% AD) >>> 20/45/70/95/120 (+105% AD)

—

+++

Yone

Q damage ratio increased.

Of course, we have to do the same for Yone to make sure he doesn’t fall behind in the sibling rivalry.

Q – Mortal Steel

Damage :: 20/40/60/80/100 (+100% AD) >>> 20/40/60/80/100 (+105% AD)

—

+++

Zed

R base damage ratio decreased.

Zed has been creeping up from the shadows in terms of both power and ban rate. We’re tapping him back down in a way that will require him to make better use of his base kit to secure kills.

R – Death Mark

Damage :: 100% AD (+25/40/55% of damage dealt against marked target)>>> 65% AD (+25/40/55% of damage dealt against marked target)

—

#Items

+++

Lich Bane

At the start of Season 2021, we revamped Lich Bane to broaden its user base by removing its ability haste and increasing Spellblade’s damage and cooldown. These changes made it very powerful as a burst tool, but that burst also got a few nerfs throughout the year. As a result, Lich Bane was left feeling pretty underwhelming for its core users, so we’re partially restoring it to a healthier state.

Build Path :: Blasting Wand + Aether Wisp + Sheen + 600g >>> Fiendish Codex + Aether Wisp + Sheen + 550g (total cost unchanged)

Ability Haste :: 0 >>> 15

Spellblade Damage :: 150% base AD (+40% AP) >>> 75% base AD (+50% AP)

Spellblade Cooldown :: 2.5 seconds >>> 1.5 seconds

—

+++

Rylai’s Crystal Scepter

Rylai’s has been struggling to find its place in the last couple of seasons because it’s been trying to serve tanky battlemages, burn mages, and AP supports alike all at once. We’re focusing on its purpose as a utility item by lowering its cost and increasing its health to make it more accessible to tankier midrange mages and supports.

Total Cost :: 3000 gold >>> 2600 gold

Combine Cost :: 815 gold >>> 415 gold

Ability Power :: 90 >>> 75

Health :: 350 >>> 400

—

#Jungle

+++

Chemtech Drake

###Chemtech Dragon Soul

The Chemtech Dragon Soul is still significantly overperforming compared to other dragon soul buffs. We’re nerfing the undeads’ health and, uh, longevity. Expected lifetime? Active duration? … You get what we mean.

Zombie Health :: 80% base health + 50% bonus health >>> 70% base health + 40% bonus health

Zombie Duration (Without Other Health Impacting Factors) :: 4 seconds >>> 3 seconds

###Chemtech Rift

We’re making a few changes to make the ahead team slightly less advantaged when fighting in the Chemtech Rift.

(Now’s a good time to mention we stealth-nerfed (heh) the Chemtech Rift last patch. At launch, champions instantly entered camouflage when they entered the fog. In 11.24, we made the camouflage timer check if you’ve made any offensive moves in the last 1.5 seconds upon entering the fog as well. The only change to the camouflage mechanics this patch is an increase to that timer.)

Offensive Action Camouflage Timer :: 1.5 seconds* >>> 2.5 seconds

Bonus Damage Vs Enemies with More Current Health :: Up to 10% >>> Up to 12%

—

+++

Hextech Drake

###Hextech Dragon Soul

Hextech Dragon Soul is also overperforming compared to other soul effects, though not to the same degree as Chemtech.

Chain Lightning True Damage :: 25-75 (based on attacker’s level, 1-18) >>> 25-50 (based on attacker’s level, 1-18)

—

#Runes

+++

Lethal Tempo

Lethal Tempo’s power is skewed a little too much toward early game right now, making it especially cheese for melee champions. We’re adjusting it to be weaker early on and letting it scale instead.

Attack Speed per Stack (Melee) :: 13% >>> 10-15% (levels 1-15)

Attack Speed per Stack (Ranged) :: 7% >>> 5-9% (levels 1-12)

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#ARURF is Back!

Ring in the Lunar New Year with ARURF starting on January 26! (That’s the All Random Ultra Rapid Fire game mode if you’re new around these parts.) Beyond the normal ARURF that you know and love, we added a flipper full of changes to a couple of runes and a few surprises to the Awesome Buff of Awesomely Awesome Buffing’s tooltip.

ARURF First Strike Cooldown :: 25-15 seconds (levels 1-18) >>> 15-9 seconds (levels 1-18)

ARURF Glacial Augment Cooldown :: 25 seconds >>> 15 seconds

#VFX Updates

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Sona

Base Sona :: Complete overhaul

Muse Sona :: Minor details added to new base

Pentakill Sona :: Same as new base

Silent Night Sona :: Recolored from new base

Guqin Sona :: Minor details added to new base

Arcade Sona :: Complete overhaul

DJ Sona :: Complete overhaul and additional special celebration effects for each passive aura

Sweetheart Sona :: Same as new base, plus some cleanup

Odyssey Sona :: Minimal tweaks

Pentakill III: Lost Chapter Sona :: Minimal tweaks

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Vayne

Base Vayne :: Complete overhaul

Dragonslayer Vayne :: Recolored from base with added smoke and flames

Heartseeker Vayne :: Recolored from base with heart in W decal

SKT T1 :: Same as new base, different missiles to match model

Arclight Vayne :: Recolored from base with more golden, divine sparks

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#Bugfixes & QoL Changes

Fixed a bug where Teleport could sometimes still target certain units other than towers before 14 minutes

Fixed a bug where Unleashed Teleport would permanently replace one of your Summoner Spells if acquired and used via the Unsealed Spellbook rune

Champions will now correctly drop Unleashed Teleport spell shards if used after 14 minutes into a game with Zoe

Fixed a bug where Yone could sometimes cast Unleashed Teleport while his E – Soul Unbound was active

The exclamation point stealth indicator has been fixed and will correctly reappear above your champion if you are visible to an enemy inside the Chemtech Fog after completing certain stealthing abilities (such as Akali’s W – Twilight Shroud)

Fixed a bug where towers would incorrectly target enemy champions who took damage from Kog’Maw’s Passive – Icathian Surprise or Karthus’s Passive – Death Defied

Rengar’s Passive – Unseen Predator leap basic attacks will correctly trigger Navori Quickblades’ Deft Strikes effect

Fixed a bug where taking damage from certain jungle monsters would sometimes incorrectly grant stacks toward Force of Nature’s Absorb passive

Fixed a bug where triggering Glacial Augment’s passive would incorrectly count toward triggering Eclipse’s Ever Rising Moon passive

Fixed a bug where Mythic or active item icon borders would sometimes appear in incorrect locations. (Yes, the mysterious orange squares…)

Enemy player chat and emote mute toggle buttons have been fixed and will no longer overlap with other icons in the scoreboard

DJ Sona and K/DA Seraphine’s in-game music mute toggle buttons have been fixed and will display correctly next to their champion icon in the scoreboard every game

Chat restriction notifications have been fixed and will once again inform players how many messages they have left in their limit

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News