Riot Games revealed yesterday that three League of Legends champions—Orianna, Leona, and Shaco—received updates to their visual effects (VFX) on the PBE subreddit.
The goal is to get these champions’ VFX to current League standards and improve gameplay clarity. Riot devs are looking forward to receiving players’ feedback regarding all of these changes available on the PBE today.
The devs are working on updates of champions whose abilities are in need of some love. The three champions chosen have been in the game for a long time. Shaco is the oldest, entering League on Oct. 10, 2009. And since then, he hasn’t received much attention, especially in regard to the lore and his connections with other champions. Orianna and Leona were released on June 1, 2011, and July 13, 2011, respectively, and will be receiving better visual clarity and cleaner hitboxes.
Orianna
Riot Zhanos detailed the changes on Reddit.
“The update was mainly focused on her W and R, but she received a complete update: Better visual clarity, cleaner hitboxes and a quality push to match our current standards,” Zhano said.
Here are the skin changes:
- Base: Complete overhaul
- Gothic Orianna: Same as base
- Sewn Chaos Orianna: Same as base
- Bladecraft Orianna: Recolored from new base
- TPA Orianna: Same as base
- Heartseeker Orianna: Complete overhaul
- Winter Wonder Orianna: Recolored from new base
- Victorious Orianna: Matching new base FX
- Dark Star Orianna: Complete overhaul
- Pool Party Orianna: Matching new base FX
- Orbeeanna: Matching new base FX
You can see them in action in the video below.
Leona
Riot Sirhaian noted that this is a small update for simply cleaning older VFXs from the base skin while trying to make her look more like she does in the cinematic, “The Call.” But he provided a great list of the details made in the update and what skins will be affected.
- Small VFX cleanup for her base and her older skins. Her more modern skins did not get touched as they’re fine.
- Idles: Leona’s sword now has some small flames, as well as inside the ring at the top of her shield.
- P: Small cleanup
- Q: New ground effect on Stun
- W: While the buff is up, added some rays of light coming from Leona and the shield shines brighter. New explosion around Leona on release.
- E: New missile and root effects.
- R: New cast, warning AOE and impact.
Affected skins
- Base: Updated and cleaned up base.
- Valkyrie Leona: Getting the new base VFXs.
- Defender Leona: Getting the new base VFXs.
- Iron Solari Leona: Getting the new base VFXs, and some more flames to match her original VFXs.
- Pool Party Leona: Getting the new base VFXs, a new R decal, and some bubbles and sunflowers across her kit.
- PROJECT Leona: Small tweaks.
- Barbecue Leona: Getting the new base VFXs, and her grill glows bright hot when her W is active.
- Solar Eclipse Leona: No changes
- Lunar Eclipse Leona: No changes
- Mecha Kingdoms Leona: No changes
- Battle Academia Leona: No changes
- Prestige Battle Academia Leona: No changes
- DWG Leona: No changes
- Debonair Leona: No changes
Shaco
Shaco’s update has a different focus, according to Riot Sirhaian.
“This VFX Update was mainly focused on giving Shaco’s spells a more unique and modern identity, while also making them a bit easier to see,” Sirhaian said.
The champion will now have new purple effects on all abilities, as well as new shadows and more details on his Q or W, adding even more terror to him.
The update details and the skins affected are as follows, according to Riot Sirhaian.
- P: All hits now have different effects based on whether they’re front- or back-stabs. Also different crit effects.
- Q: Completely new “poof”. Going for “illusion” magic. Tried to keep some of the iconic orange smoke in the composition. New hit effects.
- W: New box placement effect, cleaned up range indicator, and added a subtle burst around the box once they’re triggered, to show the range of the fear (it’s bigger than the box trigger range). Also new missiles and hit effects.
- E: New missile, hit and slow effects.
- R: New cast effect, poof, timer and explosion
- BA and Q now have different VFXs based on whether or not they’re a front attack, backstab or crit.
- Added some extra subtle particles to the Q invisibility.
- Added execute VFX for E (under 30 percent)
- Added a cast effect for R
Affected skins
- Base: Complete Overhaul
- Mad Hatter Shaco: Gets the new base VFXs
- Royal Shaco: Gets the new base VFXs
- Nutcracko: Gets the new base VFXs, with a winter-themed recolor and some snowflakes.
- Workshop Shaco: Gets the new base VFXs, with an electric-themed recolor and some sparking effects.
- Asylum Shaco: Gets the new base VFXs
- Masked Shaco: Gets the new base VFXs, with a red and purple recolor
- Wild Card Shaco: Gets the new base VFXs
- Dark Star Shaco: Mirrored new base VFXs, new hit effects and some minor cleanup.
- Arcanist Shaco: Mirrored new base VFXs, new hit effects and some minor cleanup.
- Crime City Nightmare Shaco: Minor tweaks
All of these changes are now on the PBE and may be altered before coming to League’s live servers.
