Summoners, prepare for significant gameplay evolutions when League of Legends Season 14 begins in 2024. Riot Games has unveiled an array of changes centered around the insidious Void, along with terrain adjustments, item modifications, and more in the preseason updates. Read on for details on the Void-touched additions leading the charge into the new season.
The Void Spreads its Tendrils
The Void will make its presence known through multiple new elements focused on Baron Nashor’s pit and the jungle. Chief among them is the introduction of Voidgrubs, worm-like creatures that will spawn in the Baron pit starting at five minutes, replacing the first Rift Herald. Up to six Voidgrubs can appear in a single match, each with their own respawn timers. Slaying a Voidgrub will grant the killer and nearby allies the Hunger of the Void buff, empowering nearby minions and giving bonus damage to structures.
After 14 minutes when Voidgrubs cease spawning, Rift Herald will return to the Baron pit with a Void-inspired appearance. The major change for Herald is that it can now be controlled by a player or allied champion for a period of time after its Eye is crushed, allowing you to siege like never before.
Additional jungle changes arrive at 20 minutes when the Blue Sentinel and Red Brambleback transform into Voidborn versions. Slaying these jungle bosses grants their buffs to your entire team, not just the killer. Rift Scuttler also receives a makeover, becoming Voidborn Scuttler. Its death will reveal all enemy champions and wards in a massive area, providing major teamfight advantages.
Lastly for the Void, Baron Nashor will have three evolving forms over the course of a match, each unleashing unique terrain changes and attacks. Prepare for Baron to lay Void warp zones, fire lasers, and even stun your whole team as his power waxes and wanes.
Terrain Shifts to Alter Strategies
Several lanes and the jungle will see layout and brush changes to impact gameplay. In the top lane, the terrain will be made more mirrored across teams. A new wall and brush combination will also appear in the middle of the river entrance to facilitate early ganks and aggression.
The jungle sees straightforward but impactful adjustments, with long vertical walls added across from the Baron and Drake pits. This limits direct enemy vision into the major objectives. Mid lane also receives safety improvements, with its side brushes moved back closer to the towers.
Finally, bot lane gets symmetry improvements. A small new wall and brush area is added to mirror the blue team’s layout. The iconic tri-brush also shifts over to better match between teams. These combined changes aim to create more consistent laning patterns and gank setups on both sides of the map.
Items and Objectives Retooled
While Void and terrain modifications represent major changes, League of Legends Season 14 brings other critical updates. Mythic items – a defining feature of Season 11 – will be removed, with Riot shifting more power directly into champions and new items instead. Item tooltips across the board are also being updated for clarity based on player feedback.
Infernal Drake’s fiery map transformation will now lead to Infernal Cinders spawning periodically. Stepping on these Elemental shards will grant champions adaptive stats and movement speed for a short duration. This adds more interactive gameplay around the elemental map buffs.
Finally, epic new music themes will accompany critical moments like starting Baron fights and contesting Void objectives. Combined with the Void visuals and effects, these audio additions help build the fantasy of battling otherworldly forces.
The Void Beckons
League of Legends Season 14 clearly marks an ambitious shake-up aimed at evolving core systems and refreshing gameplay. The preseason changes signal Riot’s commitment to keeping League dynamic and engaging for dedicated fans and newcomers alike.
