A big shakeup inspired by games like Heroes of the Storm
Riot Games has shaken up League of Legends many times in the past on a mechanical level, but now it’s time to alter the way it approaches crafting, items, and the meta-game of leveling. As part of the pre-season patch 7.22, the entire rune (stat) system has been overhauled, which brings a heap of Champion and item balancing with it, leveling is now uncapped, loot boxes are more prominent, and IP boosts have been removed entirely from the game.
So let’s break this down and highlight some of the big takeaways. First off, IP, the in-game currency (compared to RP, the premium currency you need to purchase, which still exists) is gone. Now the earned currency is just merged into Blue Essence (BE), which can be used to purchase items and Champions (but not most skins directly, that still takes RP).
You can also level up indefinitely past the previous cap of 30 and earn rewards, unlocking loot chests along the way (just like Heroes of the Storm). So in other words, other than the rune system that does alter gameplay, none of this matters if you don’t have any intention of spending money on League. You can still earn Champions for free with Blue Essence, and if you have a legacy account, you’ll unlock 5000 essence after your first game, which is almost enough to buy a new Champion for 6300.
I’m mixed on the changes, but we need more time to see how they settle in. I do like the idea of earning more than before through leveling, and that the new rune system is a lot more user friendly than before.
Patch 7.22 Notes [League of Legends]
