The strategic card game set in the League of Legends universe and the free collectible card game that is trending right now, Legends of Runeterra, is continuously updating and innovating to provide the best experiences for players. After a period of being teased by Riot Games, the Rise of Shurima – the latest and largest expansion to date has officially launched today (March 4, 2021).
NEW REGION, CHAMPIONS, CARDS, AND FEATURES
It’s time to revive your empire. The Rise of Shurima expansion brings players 110 new cards, including 9 champion cards and 1 new region: Shurima – a land known as a vast, mysterious, ancient, and brutal desert, which was once the most powerful empire in Runeterra but has long since fallen.
THE SHURIMA REGION
In the Rise of Shurima expansion, players can witness a formidable Shurima rising again. The expansion revolves around the themes of Ascension and Necessity. The power of the Sun Disc can significantly amplify the abilities of Shurima’s Ascended champions… but only when it has been restored.
NEW FEATURES
Among the 110 new collectible cards in the Rise of Shurima, 3 new features have been introduced, contributing to refreshing the meta and diversifying gameplay: Countdown, Prediction, and Renown.
9 NEW CHAMPIONS
The champion collection now includes 9 new champions for players to choose from and build their own gameplay alongside familiar champions in the League of Legends universe.
Azir – the Emperor of Shurima, who summoned the mighty and loyal Sand Soldiers to protect the empire’s fortress. As an Ascended champion, at level 2, Azir will replace the player’s deck with the Emperor’s Deck – a deck filled with powerful cards that can overwhelm any enemy.
Nasus – the powerful Ascended champion. Nasus’s strength grows over time, gaining stats with each enemy he eliminates. At level 3, Nasus curses the enemy battlefield, rendering them too weak to pose a threat to this champion.
Renekton – this brutal Butcher of the Desert is empowered when he challenges an opponent. As an Ascended champion, Renekton can level up twice with the help of the restored Sun Disc landmark, and nothing can stop his power, even during defense turns.
Sivir – Sivir strikes quickly and powerfully with spell resistance. This passive makes the female champion a persistent threat on the board. Sivir supports her allies by sharing her attributes across the board when attacking.
Taliyah – is the best support champion for Landmark cards, with the ability to replicate landmarks on the board and deal strong damage to both the opponent’s defense and Nexus.
Kindred – the embodiment of death. Any enemy unit marked by Kindred will be eliminated as soon as the round ends.
Lissandra – with Frozen Tomb guardians, Lissandra can create a Vengeance spell card in hand, capable of annihilating the opponent’s entire deck when attacking.
Jarvan IV – Jarvan IV charges into battle upon hearing your call. By sacrificing his own resources when attacking, Jarvan IV directly joins the battlefield from the player’s hand.
LeBlanc – a cunning manipulator, LeBlanc has the ability to mimic spell cards to unleash mysterious finishing blows. When the Renown feature is activated, LeBlanc’s spells become more threatening than ever.
NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
NEW LAB: UNITED FRONT 2V2 PVP
Heimerdinger has re-experimented with the United Front Lab, upgrading it to a 2v2 team battle.
Just like PvP United Front, each player will be assigned a champion at the start of the match, allowing players to determine the decks they will bring into battle, but both players share the board and units, and must coordinate to win.
Players can team up with friends or random teammates, but in any case, communication is essential to optimize the match. Use the experimental P.I.N.G system by dragging special emotes onto the board to suggest attacks, defenses, high-fives to your “teammate” and much more!
To learn more about the United Front 2V2 PVP Lab, you can check here.
RISE OF SHURIMA EVENT TICKET
Join matches to collect Sun Discs and unlock many exciting rewards, including Shurima’s spirit beast, emote packs, card backs, prism cards, and countless other rewards.
Purchase an event ticket before March 16, 2021, to receive an exclusive mission with rewards of 10 Sun Discs and a Rare Prism Chest.
The event ends at 11:00 AM on March 31, 2021 (Pacific Time), which is 1:00 AM on April 1, 2021, Vietnam Time.
CHAMPION MASTERY FEATURE
Patch 2.3 also introduces a new feature, quite familiar to League of Legends players. This is the Champion Mastery feature, allowing players to increase their mastery level and unlock special card frames to showcase their skills! Learn more about the Champion Mastery feature here.
NEW SEASON BEGINS
A new season has begun, and the Riot Games team and the publisher VNG will strive further to bring the best tournaments for players. According to information from the official Legends of Runeterra website, the upcoming changes related to the Seasonal Tournament in April include:
– In the Qualifying Round, we will increase the number of rounds from 5 to 9.
– Reduce the time of all matches from 75 minutes to 60 minutes.
– Move both the Qualifying Round and the Playoff Round to Saturday.
Regarding the Showdown mode:
– The standard BO3 Ban & Pick will be the only format at this time.
– The Showdown rounds will be reduced to 4 wins (previously 7).
– The maximum amount of Ultimate Glory that can be collected will be reduced to 4 (previously 5).
– The Final Showdown will be reduced to 5 wins (previously 7).
– The Final Showdown will take place a week before, starting on Saturday and lasting the entire week.
Our goal in building the HTR competition system is to create a pathway to becoming a professional player for gamers. While we are still working on developing this system, we are aiming towards the idea of a player’s competitive journey beginning through Ranked Matches, experimenting in Showdowns, participating in Seasonal Tournaments, asserting themselves in community events, and reaching the pinnacle in the World Championship.
For more details about the future tournament system of Legends of Runeterra, you can read more here.
