Who will be the next League of Legends champion?

Riot Games is constantly adding new champions to the ever-growing League of Legends roster. Right now, there are 162 champions in the game, and that number will grow in 2023.

The newest champion in the rotation is K’Sante, the Pride of Nazumah, who is a bruiser-like top laner. K’Sante has been in the game since Nov. 2. In 2022, five new champions were released to the game. And while we can’t say for sure if that’s going to be a similar case next year, we have some details about the first champions arriving on the Rift in the coming months.

Information about two new additions to the roster in 2023 was first revealed during August 2022’s Champions Roadmap, and more details were added by the developers in January’s LoL Pls video. Now, we know that the first two upcoming champions this year are Milio and Naafiri.

Milio is a male enchanter from Ixtal who’s proficient in elemental magic, especially fire. But contrary to many other elemental mages, Milio uses his fire magic to heal his allies, rather than deal damage. The second champion, Naafiri, is a Darkin assassin from Shurima who will use her dagger to take down enemies.

In the same video, Riot hinted at two other champions releasing later this year. One of them is supposed to be a “hangry jungler,” while the other was described as an “artistic mid laner.” So far, however, there is almost no information regarding these two champs.

What role will the new League of Legends champions have?

In November, Riot China said the Ixtal enchanter support (most likely Milio) will be the first new champion in 2023, according to a translation from the YouTube channel Bad Bear. The champ will use fire to heal his allies, according to the Chinese devs. They also underlined that his gameplay should be straightforward, with the champion possessing an easy-to-learn kit. The LoL Pls video, which dropped in January, confirmed this to some extent, as the devs said that Milio is an adorable mage who uses fire magic to heal instead of dealing damage.

Naafiri, on the other hand, is a Darkin assassin that has been awakened from her slumber. Her goal is simple: to track down her siblings. But the case gets a little more complicated when it gets to the hunt since Riot possibly hinted at her having more than one body, using them in various ways. When it comes to her role on Summoner’s Rift, players may expect her to be a mid lane assassin.

When will the new League of Legends champions be released?

According to the developers, the current order for champion changes is Ahri’s art and sustainability update, followed by Aurelion Sol’s CGU, Milio’s release, and Naafiri’s release. The latest information coming out at the beginning of 2023 seems to confirm that theory, with Ahri’s update expected to go live with Patch 13.2, and Aurelion Sol’s changes going live with Patch 13.3. This would tease the release of Milio in Patch 13.4 at the earliest.

Aurelion Sol’s CGU rework releases in early 2023

Aurelion Sol’s rework is confirmed to be released with Patch 13.3 on Feb. 8. After years of requests to change his abilities, mostly from the dedicated Aurelion Sol mains, their prayers have finally been answered. The champion will maintain the same visuals and splash arts but will welcome a new kit, which should allow for more aggressive plays and rotations around the Rift. His abilities should wreak havoc on the battlefield since he will be able to smash enemies with a falling star, for example. You can learn more about his refreshed kit here.

Ahri’s art and balance changes on the horizon

Another popular League champion that is receiving quite a huge update at the beginning of 2023 is Ahri. The Nine-Tailed Fox will see a major art update, which will most likely come alongside balance changes. Both Ahri’s visual effects and some of her splash arts will have a new lease of life, which was recently revealed by Riot.

When it comes to balance changes, the developers decided to revert some of her changes made during season 12. As a result, she will be having her Q slightly nerfed, while two other pivotal abilities, E and R, are expected to see a buff, at least according to recent PBE tweaks. You can learn more here.