From new game modes to a special event and cross-shard friend challenges, Legends of Runeterra has a number of major changes taking place this summer.
A second official season, the Season of Fortune, will launch on June 24 within LoR. The season will contain two new game modes, a number of cosmetic personalizations, balance changes, a special event, and a cross-shard friend challenging feature.
Season of Fortune
No new cards are being added to LoR with the Season of Fortune. But there will be a minor ranked reset, along with the launch of Gauntlet. Upon the completion of the Season of Fortune in August, a new region and cards will be added to LoR. With the launch of the new expansion in August, ranked resets will occur in conjunction with seasons and new cards being added to LoR every other month.
Gauntlet Mode
The first Gauntlet will launch on June 26, featuring competitive style tournament play within a game mode. Various formats will rotate on a weekly basis within Gauntlet, with the first being Standard Constructed. On July 3, Constructed will rotate out and Singleton will become the new format. Gauntlet tournaments will last around four days, offering players rewards for playing and earning seven wins.
Lab Mode
Labs is a second gameplay mode coming to LoR in July with Patch 1.5. Unlike Gauntlet, Labs will feature gameplay that encourages experimentation and “meme-like” chaos. Labs will update, or get replaced with new ones, with every patch following 1.5.
“Some Labs will experiment with small changes to the classic LoR formula, while others will offer new game modes, or even more extreme takes on card play in the world of Runeterra,” the LoR team said.
The first Lab, A.R.A.M., launches on July 8 and will feature unlikely champion matchups. Players will choose random champions that will generate a deck based on the champion chosen.
LoR event
A month-long event will launch with the 1.6 LoR patch in late July and continue into Patch 1.7. This event will feature a new Lab, “special guests,” tons of personalization cosmetics, rewards, and a twist on the Singleton Gauntlet format in a Lab. Details regarding the event aren’t being released at this time, but a special preview is expected to drop in the near future.
All players will have access to the LoR event. An Event Pass will also be available in the store, offering players a chance to earn additional rewards.
Cross-shard friend challenges
Patch 1.6 will also include the implementation of cross-shard friend challenges. This is the first step toward a globally competitive ecosystem, according to the LoR team. And with Patch 1.7, players will be able to choose a card art that represents each deck in the deckbuilder.
Balance changes and cosmetics
The upcoming LoR 1.4 update will contain over 20 card balance adjustments, changes to Expedition archetypes, and a long-awaited update to the Master tier LP. Rewards for ranked performance during the Season of Plunder also drop with next weeks update, along with new personalization cosmetics that could be anything from game boards and Guardians to emotes and card backs.
