Vel’koz, The Eye of the Void, will be receiving a number of visual effect updates during the 12.3 PBE Patch. This is a part of a larger plan to get all League champions up to current standards.
The initial Reddit post was made by Sirhaian, a senior VFX artist at Riot Games. In the post, Sirhaian explained Riot will continue to work on VFX updates to certain champions and that Vel’koz would be the champion for 12.3 PBE Patch.
“Similar to the previous VFX updates we’ve made in the past (Syndra, Zilean, Malzahar, etc) we’re working on updates to the Visual Effects of champions whose spell effects are in need of some love.” Sirhaian wrote. “Our aim is to get their VFX’s to current League standards and improve gameplay clarity.”
The visual update is primarily focused on tweaking Vel’koz’s design to better fit into the Void champions thematics while also making adjustments to his inaccurate hitbox indicators. Sirhaian ended the post asking the community for feedback on the current changes, and he left a thumbnail of what abilities and visuals that would change.
The Reddit post continues to feature a number of edits, detailing exactly what has changed in regards to VFX for Vel’koz following the community’s criticism of the new changes. Some of these changes include making his E projectile more visible by adjusting the respawn portal on base to fit the Void theme.
Another change was made to his Infernal and Blackfrost indicators to make it visually more exciting, along with a slew of various updates that enhance the visuals, while also maintaining the original feel that made Vel’koz beloved.
The community has been receptive towards the dedication to update champions who need visual tuning, with many asking for a list of the champions that will follow Vel’koz. While Sirhaian did not disclose this list to the community, he did provide some reassurance that Riot has “a large list of champions” it plans on updating.
The VFX updates have become an every patch occurrence as of late, where Varus and Vayne were the two most recent champions to receive visual updates, though they were minor updates. As the year progresses, the new Vel’koz VFX updates could be the start of some major VFX changes that will be headed our way soon.
For now, League players can continue to stay updated with Patch 12.3, which is slated to launch on Feb. 2, according to League’s official patch schedule for Season 12.
