Riot says Volibear rework “coming next month,” new League champs might be delayed to later in year due to coronavirus

There are new League of Legends champions coming—we just don’t know when.

League gameplay producer Jessica “Safelocked” Nam broke down Riot’s 2020 plans today, discussing the champion release schedule for the rest of the year. While Volibear’s rework is scheduled to release next month, some of the new champions might be delayed for later in the year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With League fans getting a sneak peek of Volibear’s update earlier this month, the thundergod’s development seems to be nearing its end. Though we don’t have a set date for the rework’s release, “next month” sounds promising.

After Voli’s rework, Riot will be focusing on new champions for the rest of the year. But the champion roadmap may be tweaked a bit.

“Avoiding health risks is a top priority, and we don’t want to endanger the safety of folks like VO actors and external QA partners across the world,” Safelocked said. “If our roadmap changes, there’s a chance some of this year’s champion releases might end up more condensed than usual. But our goal is still to release all of the champs we had planned.”

The coronavirus has affected esports and sporting events around the world, so it makes sense that it would also cause delays in the champion development process. Since Riot wants to maintain the safety of VO actors and QA partners, new champions may be released closer together toward the end of 2020.

League players can expect a “whimsical new jungler” and a “masked melee carry who refuses to die.” The new jungler will be the first champion in the role since Kayn in 2017—though newer releases, like Ornn and Sett, do sometimes dabble in the jungle. And while the masked melee carry is a mystery, many League fans expect it to be General Marcus De Couteau, Katarina’s father.