League of Legends Preseason 2023 Preview

The year is grinding to an end, and now that we're deep into the thick of Worlds 2022, it is time to look toward the horizon for the next season of League of Legends.

2022 brought with it a lot of fun, challenge, and interesting new additions. Check out our list of everything that is coming to League of Legends PBE. 

Preseason 2023: Preview

The following changes will be hitting the PBE tomorrow! Make sure you familiarize yourself with everything that's going to be added, removed, or altered before jumping into a game. Additionally, it has been stated that new additions may also come to PBE over the new couple of weeks. 

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Finally, it is important to remember that everything added to PBE during this update is tentative. Icons, items, effect names, and more will likely have their images, descriptions, or names changed for the final release. 

Chemtech Drake Is Back

The Chemtech Drake was just too powerful during its initial release. Not only did it alter the jungle to give stealth to units, allowing for much easier invades and counter jungling, but the Chemtech Soul had as powerful and game-winning of an effect as the Elder Dragon!

For those unaware, once acquiring Chemtech Soul, players would be able to continue performing actions for a few seconds after death. These extra seconds proved invaluable in turning the tables in a team fight, and the drake was quickly removed after an outcry from fans. 

It seems the balancing team has been hard at work trying to adjust the Chemtech Dragon buffs, and this is what they have come up with:

• "Chemtech Drake will now grant a small amount of Tenacity and Heal/Shield strength when slain."

• "Chemtech Soul will grant bonus damage when below a certain amount of health."

Additionally, instead of stealthing units in a certain area, the following effects will be added:

• "Blast Cones will now blast those in range twice as far as before."

• "Honey Fruits will upgrade into Stim Fruits, no longer slowing champions that consume them and granting a small bonus shield in addition to the usual heal."

• "Scryer’s Bloom will upgrade into Stalker’s Bloom. When hit, these plants will now reveal a small circular area around the plant and a cone opposite of the direction it was hit, granting movement speed towards revealed enemy champions and reducing wards revealed to 1 health."

Jungle Improvements

A huge addition to the Jungler role will be the inclusion of jungle pets - purchasable from the shop as an egg. These pets will acquire treats through monster kills and evolve over the course of the game. Once reaching their final ascension, they will grant their owners Avatar buffs which empower them with different abilities. These abilities are as follows:

• Noxian Embercat: "This will be the pet of choice for junglers looking to play more aggressively. It will provide slows and bonus damage."

• Ixtali Ixamander: "This jungle pet is perfect for junglers looking to frontline and tank for their teams. It will provide a shield based on your health that provides bonus slow resist and Tenacity when broken."

• Ionian Cloudleaper: "This jungle pet will be great for junglers looking to rotate and move around the map more quickly. It will provide bonus movement speed."

Finally, there will also be a few inclusions to help out newer players, such as leashing range indicators and recommended jungle paths for specific champions. These are to help newcomers and off-role players survive the new and dangerous jungle. 

Communication Tools

Riot Games have seemingly refused to include any kind of voice communication in their game (at least at the lower level). The developers take a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to toxicity, and any old-school Xbox 360 owner can tell you that things get pretty heated in pre-game lobbies. 

To combat this, the Ping system is being updated with a variety of new pings and an additional Ping wheel. These include:

• Returning Pings (clockwise): "Retreat, On My Way, Assist Me, Enemy Missing."

• New Pings (clockwise): "Push, All-In, Hold, Bait."

• (from left to right): "Vision Cleared, Enemy Vision, Need Vision."

Players will also be able to now vote on whether or not to take objectives. This will hold no mandatory impact on the game, but it is an easier way to judge how the rest of your team is feeling when it is time to try and sneak a Baron. 

Vision Updates

Players will now be able to track when allied wards are close to expiring in the form of a change in appearance when they reach 60 and 30 seconds remaining.

Additionally, if you ping an enemy ward placed within the last ten seconds, an accurate ward timer will appear until the ward is removed or expires.

Loadout and Ability Recommendations

Now, in champ select, players will be able to see a recommended runes/loadout page after locking in a champion. This way, if you find your main banned or are forced into an unfamiliar role with no time to pull up a guide, you can at least have the most popular builds at your fingertips right there in the client.

Obviously, theorycrafting is something that makes League of Legends great, and so Riot wants to make sure that it is still encouraged. This system will also be implemented in-game in a different manner with regards to popular ability level-up order. 

Top Lane Changes

Top Lane is a depressing ride. There is nothing worse than leaving lane with two or three kills under your belt - ready to influence the game - only to be met with a 15-0 bot and a 9-0 mid. The top lane has always been an island, and these changes should help to remedy that. 

• Solo Lane Experience: "Solo lanes will now receive a 95% experience multiplier (previously 93%) from minions."

• Duo Lane Experience: "Duo lanes will now receive a 22% bonus experience multiplier (previously 24.73%) from minions."

• Mid Lane Gold Changes: "All minions spawned in the mid lane will now be worth 1 less gold before 14 minutes when last hit (previously, only cannon minions were worth less gold, but were worth 10 less gold)."

New And Updated Items

Like with any new season, a little item spring cleaning is usually on the cards. This is in the form of introducing new items, changing the effects of existing items, or removing lesser-used items from the game entirely.

This time around, it doesn't look like any existing items will be removed. 12 new/updated items will be introduced this preseason. You can check out their names, stats, and effects below:

Icathia’s Endurance (Mythic Item)

• 400 Health

• 30 Armor

• 30 Magic Resist

• 20 Ability Haste

  • Voidborn Resilience: "For each second in champion combat gain a stack granting 3 Armor and Magic Resist, up to 10 max. At max stack become empowered, instantly draining enemies around you for 4% of your maximum health each (reduced to 1% against minions and monsters) and doubling your resists from stacks until end of combat (60 second cooldown)."

  • Mythic Passive: "Grants all other Legendary items 5 Armor and Magic Resist."

Radiant Virtue (Mythic Item)

• 400 Health

• 30 Armor

• 30 Magic Resist

• 20 Ability Haste

  • Guiding Light: "Upon casting your ultimate you Transcend, increasing your maximum health by 10% for 9 seconds. While Transcended you and allies within 1200 range of you gain 25 non-ultimate Ability Haste. You and allies will also heal for 1.5% of your maximum health every 3 seconds, increased by up to 100% based on that champion’s missing health. Healing is doubled on yourself (90 second cooldown)."

  • Mythic Passive: "Grants all other Legendary items 100 Health."

Iceborn Gauntlet (Mythic Item)

• 400 Health

• 40 Armor

• 20 Ability Haste

  • Spellblade: "After using an ability, your next attack is enhanced with an additional 100% base AoE physical damage and creates a frost field for 2.5 seconds. Enemies that move across the field are slowed by 15% + 0.003% of your maximum health. Your primate target is slowed for double the amount and has their damage against you reduced by 10% for 2.5 seconds (1.5 second cooldown)."

  • Mythic Passive: "Grants all other Legendary items 50 health, 5% Tenacity, and 5% Slow Resist."

Goliath’s Ascendiary (Mythic Item)

• 800 Health

• 200% Base Health Regeneration

• 20 Ability Haste

  • Colossal Consumption: "Charge up a powerful attack against a champion over 3 seconds while within 600 range of them. The charged attack drains the target, dealing 50 + 10% of your maximum health as bonus physical damage and healing you for that same amount. You permanently gain maximum health equal to 15% of the drain (30 second cooldown per target) (note: Maximum health will be lost if the item is sold)."

  • Mythic Passive: "Grants all other Legendary items 1% increased health and 6% champion size."

Rod of Ages (Mythic Item)

• 60 Ability Power

• 300 Health

• 300 Mana

  • "This item gains 20 health, 20 mana, and 4 ability power every minute, up to 10 times, for a maximum of 200 health, 200 mana, and 40 ability power. Upon reaching max stacks, gain a level (Note: the level cap will remain at 18)."

  • Mythic Passive: "Grants all other Legendary items 5 Ability Haste."

Catalyst of Aeons

• 225 Health

• 300 Mana

  • Eternity: "Restore mana equal to 15% of damage taken from champions, and health equal to 20% of mana spent, up to 15 health per cast. Toggled abilities can only heal for up to 15 health per second."

Abyssal Mask

• 500 Health

• 300 Mana

• 40 Magic Resist

• 10 Ability Haste

  • Eternity: "Restore mana equal to 15% of damage taken from champions, and health equal to 20% of mana spent, up to 15 health per cast. Toggled abilities can only heal for up to 15 health per second."

  • Unmake: "Curse nearby enemy champions, reducing the Magic Resist by 5 + 1.5% bonus health (maximum of 25). For each Cursed enemy, gain 9 Magic Resist."

  • "A champion can only be Cursed by one enemy at a time (prioritizing the most potent Curse)."

Sunfire Aegis (No longer a Mythic Item)

• 400 Health

• 50 Armor

  • Immolate: "Taking or dealing damage causes you to begin dealing 15 (+ 1.75% of bonus health) magic damage to nearby enemies (increased by 25% against minions and 150% against jungle monsters) for 3 seconds. Damaging champions or epic jungle monsters with this effect adds a stack, increasing subsequent Immolate damage by 10% for 5 seconds (6 stacks maximum)."

Turbo Chemtank (No longer a Mythic Item)

• 450 Health

• 50 Magic Resist

• 10 Ability Haste

  • Active - Supercharged: "Grants 40% movement speed towards enemies or enemy turrets for 4 seconds. Once near an enemy (or after 4 seconds) a shockwave is emitted that slows nearby champions by 40% for 1.5 seconds (90 second cooldown)."

Randuin’s Omen

• 400 Health

• 70 Armor

  • Active - Humility: "Briefly slow nearby enemies by 55% for 2 seconds (60 second cooldown)."

  • Rock Solid: "Reduce incoming damage from attacks by up to 5 (+ 0.35% of maximum health)%, capped at 40% of the attack’s damage."

  • Critical Resilience: "Critical Strikes deal 20% less damage to you."

Spear of Shojin

• 65 Attack Damage

• 300 Health

• 20 Ability Haste

  • Dragonforce: "Your non-ultimate spells gain (6 + 10% of bonus AD for Melee champions / 4 + 6% of bonus AD for Ranged Champions) Ability Haste, reduced to (3 + 5% of bonus AD for Melee champions / 42+ 3% of bonus AD for Ranged Champions) Ability Haste for immobilizing spells."

  • Exigency: "Gain up to (15% for Melee champions / 10% for Ranged champions) increased movement speed, based on your missing health (maxed out when below 33% health)."

Ravenous Hydra

• 65 Attack Damage

• 20 Ability Haste

• 9% Omnivamp

  • Cleave: "Attacks and abilities deal (60% for Melee champions / 30% for Ranged Champions) physical damage to other enemies within 350 units of the target hit."

  • Carnivorous: "Gain 0.5 AD and 0.1% Omnivamp whenever you kill an enemy, stacking up to 25 AD and 5% omnivamp. Lose 50% of these stacks on death."

  • "Can only hit each target once per attack or ability every 10 seconds."

  • "Cleave does not trigger on structures."

And that's all. For more on the game, check our section dedicated to League of Legends news, guides, updates, tips, and more.

Featured image courtesy of Riot Games.