This morning's red post collection includes a direction post for the lower scope Mid Year Mage Update changes, SuperCakes with an update that they will be holding off on releasing the SKT World Championship skins to improve them and add an SKT Azir skin, and more!

Table of Contents

Mid Year Mage Updates - Low-Scope Mage Directions

Scarizard

"When we began talking about the Mid Year Mage Update a while back, we mentioned that we’d be taking a sweep through the rest of the class and not just reworking the ‘Big Six’ and calling it a day. Similar to the Marksman Update, we’ve targeted 9 champions with low-scope changes to their existing kits, aimed at improving their feel and thematics. These champions weren’t in need of in-depth playstyle changes or visual work like the Big Six did, but were great opportunities to apply a fresh coat of gameplay nonetheless. Like the other direction posts you’ve seen, we’ll do a rapid-fire breakdown of why we picked these champions and what you can expect coming into midseason.

Let’s meet the team.

Fiddlesticks

What we’re happy with:

Sneaky. Fiddle’s always looking for the perfect opportunity to jump-scare the enemy team (and often wins the game because of it) What we’re less happy with:

Low-engagement passive is just a stat-boost that’s hard to feel

Perma-drain on targets without CC to stop you lends itself to dull gameplay for both parties What we hope to see coming out of the update:

Fiddlesticks’ passive feels impactful and interactive

Make some general game health improvements and remove some of Fiddle’s overall clunkiness

Veigar

What we’re happy with:

AP Stacking feels like you’re actively growing Veigar’s strength

Nukes a single target. We like Veigar’s presence in a game being meaningful for both teams - ‘how do we best enable his burst’ vs. ‘how do we defend against it?’

Strong fantasy. ‘Getting revenge on the big guys’ is a strong theme for someone that ultimately catches you out and destroys you. What we’re less happy with:

Contributions drop off hard after ulting someone

Current passive just feels like an excuse to give him higher-than-average mana costs What we hope to see coming out of the update:

Veigar’s passive feels aligned with his thematics and overall game plan

Players understand when and why they get destroyed by Primordial Burst

Kennen

What we’re happy with:

Mark of the Storm lets Kennen show his mastery over chaining abilities to get stuns

Zone Control. Kennen generates a lot of threat over tight-spaces which creates tense pre-fight situations. What we’re less happy with:

Slicing Maelstrom’s RNG makes it confusing for both teams to get a clear expectation of what Kennen’s going to contribute when the fight breaks out. What we hope to see coming out of the update:

Increased payoff & satisfaction when setting up the perfect Kennen Ult

Strengthened identity of ‘skirmisher with lots of crowd control potential’

Ziggs

What we’re happy with:

Perfectly captures the Mad Bomber thematic.

Fills a unique artillery role by lobbing bombs constantly

Mega Inferno Bomb creates some high-moments and big plays What we’re less happy with:

Has the ability to stall out games by keeping multiple minion waves pushed

Doesn’t distinguish himself enough from the other long-range mages (like Lux and Xerath), meaning you tend to just play whichever is the strongest What we hope to see coming out of the update:

Ziggs fulfills a strategic niche that rewards you for picking him over other mages in the right situations

His ability to stall a game is diminished to the point that a strong Ziggs doesn’t delay the outcome of games by large lengths of time

Xerath

What we’re happy with:

Keepaway. Xerath has a lot of tension built-in to wanting to be just far away to poke, but never close enough to be in threat range. What we’re less happy with:

For a mage that feels like he’s ascending to ultimate power, Rite of the Arcane can feel really lackluster.

Playing against Xerath can feel like some of his abilities cheat in his favor What we hope to see coming out of the update:

Reinforce the use of his abilities at long-range while making them more fair to play against

Make Rite of the Arcane feel like a meaningful crescendo for Xerath’s poke-pattern

Swain

What we're happy with:

Sturdy. Swain's one of the few mages that can live on the front lines and take a punch. What we're less happy with:

Damage-over-time spells, while central to Swain's damage output feel very 'fire-and-forget'.

Give Swain more meaningful decisions around his target selection rather than 'click on the nearest champion'. What we're hoping comes out of the update:

Introduce more interesting decisions to Swain's pattern while keeping him familiar. If you like drain-tanking and DoT's, this won't change.

Anivia

What we’re happy with:

Strategic niche as a zone-control mage with R and W feels well-defined.

Feels very thematically tied to Ice What we’re less happy with:

Effortless waveclear makes her hard to interact with when strong

‘Feels old’ from a usability standpoint. Anivia’s one of our first champions and it shows. What we hope to see coming out of the update:

Focus her strategic niche by increasing the power and game health of her zone control

Improve her usability so she feels crisp to play

Viktor

What we’re happy with:

‘Glorious Evolution’ thematic and Hex Core feel unique

Multiple cast paradigms make playing Viktor different from other mages What we’re less happy with:

Viktor’s primary contributions to his team are overwhelmingly about getting damage off quickly, lending itself to a flat experience overall. What we hope to see coming out of the update:

Viktor provides a team unique ways to play around enabling his huge teamfight potential rather than feeling like a one-man show

Syndra

What we’re happy with:

Syndra’s interactions with Dark Spheres give her a unique combo feel

She’s an imminent threat that forces opponents to react to her as more Spheres pop up What we’re less happy with:

Transcendence feels lame and forgetful compared to her fantasy’s promise of ultimate power What we hope to see coming out of the update:

Give her passive some visceral power that Syndra can feel excited about

Follow-through on the promise of making her abilities evolve to allow stronger play-making

And that’s the squad! We’ll be sticking around in the comments to answer questions you may have about anything you see above - otherwise, we’ll see you when Midseason rolls around soon."

Riot Sotere

"Quote:

What do you guys mean when you say xerath feels like abilities cheat? Playing as xerath and against he feels pretty fair to me. He has clear windups and animations that give you as a player clear moments to dodge. If you fail to respect or recognize those animations you get punished hard. Main offender in my mind was Arcanopulse (Q). Even with the warnings, it can feel undodgeable even if that's your only focus. We recognize it does have to have a decent amount of reliability as his main sieging spell, but there were cases where it seemed overly generous in his favor."

Beluga Whale

"Quote:

You looking to keep Fiddle primarily in the jungle? Or do you want to support support and mid fiddles as well? Fiddle is definitely aimed at primarily Jungle"

Beluga Whale

"Quote:

All i request is that you keep fiddle's idea of being a teamfight legend, while providing more unique ways to do stuff so it isnt "hey, im just gonna stand here and go get a cup of tea while i drain you" or "oh you're just gonna cc me with all the new champ kits, so im worthless unless i ult."

fiddle needs change, but please keep his ult relatively the same. that thing is so Kreygasm

i look forward to this tho, thanks rito Theres some usability tweaks on his ult, but otherwise its not really changing. It does get affected a bit by the passive though"

Beluga Whale

"Quote:

As a Veigar Main I am really happy that his passive is getting a bit more love as I do agree, his mana costs are stupidly high so his passive never feels very useful. I hope it makes his early game a little better so he can counter ganks/all ins without sacrificing his ability to stack Q as he runs our of mana.

I'm also interested to see what is planned to make his kit a bit more useful without his ult. Sorry, wanted to clarify that point, a bit got lost in transition. Its more about the ultimate being a rather flat ability that really doesn't have an "I used this in an optimal/sub-optimal way"."

Beluga Whale

"Quote:

Please tell me you're going to remove Veigar's ult enemy AP scaling in favor of something else. Yes"

"But we aren't particularly happy about that one so that's why we want to replace it - neither party really has a say this factor past champ select. If an AP mid asks "How am I supposed to deal with this", you can't really say "Uh. Don't build AP!""

Beluga Whale

"Quote:

Can we get Veiger's Q stacks to show as a buff on his character like Nasus? It's fairly vital information to know when playing against him. This would be a great QoL feature. Yes"

RiotRepertoir

"Quote:

Are you going to turn Veigar's ult into a skillshot? No."



SKT Worlds Skins Update - Holding off release & SKT Azir to be added.

SuperCakes

"Hey everyone,

This is SuperCakes and I’m the Product Manager on Personalization (aka Skins Team).

I want to take a minute to chat with you about this year’s SKT Worlds Skins. When we released these skins to PBE earlier this week, we were excited to see what you all thought. And what we found out is these skins haven’t lived up to expectations.

Our approach to this skin line historically has been to treat it as something commemorative; a representation of a team’s victory at the World Championships. We would occasionally make a nod to a specific player, and we would try to choose champions that most reflected the team, but the focus was more on the team than the individual player. And that’s how we went into designing this year’s skins.

But what we’ve heard from you is that you expect more from these skins. You want to see the player, you want to see the highlights and you want to see cooler shit. To be honest, we’re really excited about that potential.

So, we’re holding off releasing these skins for now and looking for things we can do to make them even more awesome.

And while we’re at it, we’ll be adding Azir. Making a skin for a sub was not something we’d had to consider before and we were worried about setting a precedent. But it’s time for us to start looking at these skins as a celebration of the winning team’s year instead of just Worlds. Easyhoon was way more than a sub. He was an integral part of their victorious year.

This conversation reminded us how much this scene has evolved. It’s time for the skins to evolve with it."

Guinsoo's Rageblade and Devourer Changes in Midseason

Riot Axes

"Quote:

I've said they need to delete guinsoo's and devourer, but Riot gives no fucks as they rarely influence the LCS. Both items have significant changes planned for the midseason patch."





League at PAX East

Next up we have a look at what Riot has planned for summoners venturing to Boston, Massachusetts for the upcoming PAX EAST 2016 event!

" (Header image by RinTheYordle

In case you missed our announcement, League of Legends is back at PAX East for 2016! From April 22 - 24, we’re setting up shop at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center to join members of the League and wider video game communities for one of the best shows in gaming!

This page will be updated over the next two weeks, so treat it as your one-stop shop for all things League-related at PAX East. Attendees should check below for all the info you’ll need to make the most of your time at PAX. Even if you’re not attending, check back as we’ll be providing daily updates and photos for you to see all the best in League cosplay, competition, and more!

What to Expect

Experience the League of Legends Riftwalk - an immersive, interactive journey through League’s history, showcasing memorable moments from the last six years, beloved community contributors, and the community that’s made it all possible. Located in rooms #153 A-C. More info below!

- an immersive, interactive journey through League’s history, showcasing memorable moments from the last six years, beloved community contributors, and the community that’s made it all possible. Located in rooms More info below! Watch the best in collegiate competition at the uLoL Campus Series Finals - check out the announcement here for now, and keep an eye out for more details as we get closer to kickoff. Located in booth #1256, PAX Arena .

- check out the announcement here for now, and keep an eye out for more details as we get closer to kickoff. Located in . Need to mend a wing or repair a foxtail? Look no further than the League Cospitality Room - here you’ll find an official cosplay photographer, changing rooms, costume repair supplies, and space to rest and take a break with fellow cosplayers. As always, the room is open to any and all cosplayers (and their handlers), regardless of inspiration. Located in room #152 , open during show hours only.

- here you’ll find an official cosplay photographer, changing rooms, costume repair supplies, and space to rest and take a break with fellow cosplayers. As always, the room is open to any and all cosplayers (and their handlers), regardless of inspiration. Located in , open during show hours only. Hear from some of your favorite community contributors at the Creator Showcase Panel - more than a dozen of the League community’s brightest lights will share their experiences as content creators. Saturday @ 1:30 PM EST, main PAX stage . Roster below!

- more than a dozen of the League community’s brightest lights will share their experiences as content creators. . Roster below! We’re putting the finishing touches on a mobile app - this awesome resource will include a map & schedule for all League events, quests and prizes, a community feed, and the ability to add friends who’ll integrate with your League friends list! Last but not least, it’ll be a key component in creating a video chronicling your personal Riftwalk. Check back next week for download links!

- this awesome resource will include a map & schedule for all League events, quests and prizes, a community feed, and the ability to add friends who’ll integrate with your League friends list! Last but not least, it’ll be a key component in creating a video chronicling your personal Riftwalk. Check back next week for download links! Stay in touch on social media - more details to come, but we’re looking to hear about your PAX experiences on twitter, instagram, and more!

- more details to come, but we’re looking to hear about your PAX experiences on twitter, instagram, and more! Other events

Live podcast recording and Q&A with Sp4zie - Friday @ 10:30 AM EST , booth #1256

, booth #1256

Sp4zie meet & greet - Friday & Sunday @ 2 PM EST , booth #1256

, booth #1256

League cosplay showcase - Friday @ 5 PM EST (4 PM signup), booth #1256

(4 PM signup), booth #1256

Nicki Taylor performs “Worlds Collide” - Sunday @ 11:20 AM EST , booth #1256

, booth #1256

League will be pre-installed and available to play during show hours at the CybertronPC Room

Away from the hustle and bustle of the show floor, you’ll approach a mysterious overgrown facade before entering the expansive pathways of Summoner’s Rift itself. The Riftwalk will take you on an immersive, interactive journey and showcase some of the brightest moments and personalities from League’s rich community history. You’ll enjoy photo ops astride legendary locations from the Rift itself, as well as busts, concept art, and cinematics highlighting League's evolution. Finally, amidst celebrations of seminal community content, you’ll have the chance to meet some of the contributors themselves!

We’ve also teamed up with the folks at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and 4 itchy Tasty! Cosplay to build what’s quite simply the most badass Thresh experience ever conceived. You’ll have the dubious privilege of meeting the Chain Warden in full 12-foot ghostly form and, should you master your fear, taking a photo that places you inside his lantern!

Speaking of badass, it wouldn’t be PAX without the reveal of a new, larger-than-life statue produced by master creature artist Steve Wang, the guy behind previous Ryze, Katarina, and Ziggs statues, as well as the Annie & Tibbers who command the lobby here at Riot Games. His latest creation will feature Lucian in the midst of an epic duel as he continues his quest to purify Runeterra of the undead and cleanse the souls of the Shadow Isles.

The Riftwalk will feature work by:

Artists : Athavan A | Grace Zhu | Hozure | Nips | Robyn "Dubyaa" Lau | RinTheYordle |RossDraws | Ze Ocelot

: Athavan A | Grace Zhu | Hozure | Nips | Robyn "Dubyaa" Lau | RinTheYordle |RossDraws | Ze Ocelot YouTubers: Falconshield | Lilypichu | RHrealism You’ll also have the chance to get to personally get to know Rioters involved in all sorts of League development:

Mike Maurino (Champion Update) | Sunny Pandita (Skins) | Brian Feeney (Game Designer) | August Browning (Champion Designer) | Colt Hallam (Champion Lead) | Brad Wenban (Sr. Game Designer) | Jess Frucht (Creator Support Program) | Scott Hawkes (Narrative) And if you’re not headed to Boston, fear not! We’re so excited about this experience that we couldn’t possibly keep it to just one city - stay tuned for details later in the year as the Riftwalk experience travels to further events around North America.

[REMINDER] Rotating Game Mode Queue Live with Ascension

Continue reading for more information!First up we havewith a direction post for several of the lower scope champion updates in the upcoming Mid-Year Mage Update, including, andFollowing t his post, a few Rioters hung around the thread answering questions!When asked about thecommentary,When asked if they plan to keepprimarily a jungler, continued: noting there won't be significant changes to R:When asked about the comments onR,As for if they will remove the enemy AP scaling onR,He continued Q stacks will also be shown as on him as a buff for all to see:also commented theyturningR into a skill shot:For more on the, check out these links:Here's with an update on the SKT 2015 World Championship skins introduced in the 6.8 PBE cycle , mentioning they will be holding off release to improve the skin set and they will be adding anskin to honor Easyhoon's contribution to the team during the 2015 WC.While this means we won't see them released with patch 6.8, keep an eye out for more information soon!In a board thread inquiring on if Riot plans to changeor noted they plan to have "significant changes" for both in midseason:This was also mentioned in the recentarticle.In case you missed it the brand new Rotating Game Mode queue is now live with the return of Ascension ! After starting Friday afternoon, the queue will stay up until early Monday morning server time. Check out this post for more information and a quick refresher on the Ascension game mode! Each weekend a new game mode will be available for play through the Rotating Game Mode Queue, complete with champion mastery! Followingwill be available next weekend withmode the weekend after that andto round out April!For your convenience, I've also added the rotating game mode schedule to the sidebar of the site