League of Legendshas a new champion entering the Summoner’s Rift, and her inclusion speaks to the sense of experimentation that Riot is embracing for the future. Spirit Blossoms is the second season arc in the currentLeague of Legendsgame, building up from the “Welcome to Noxus” arc that players dove into earlier this year. It’s been an exciting development for the game, which has introduced a new layer of narrative intrigue to the world of Runeterra while the company has also been expanding in unique ways.
It’s been a great new showcase for the MOBA, as well as the perfect opportunity to introduce new champions like Yunara, the Shrine Maiden of ancient Ionia.Members of the press (including Screen Rant) visited Riot Studios in Los Angelesto try out Yunara on the new variant of ARAM, as well as discussthe impact ofArcaneand the future ofLeague of Legendswith the game’s Executive Producer, Paul Bellezza.
Yunara Highlights The Power And Heart Of Spirit Blossom
Meet The Devoted Shrine Maiden
The newest addition to theLeague of Legendsroster is Yunara, a powerful new ADC who pulls from the lore of Ionia to embody the Spirit Blossom storyline. Established in-universe as an ancient hero of the mystical nation who has been reawakened in the present day, Yunara offers a fresh perspective on the world. Yunara is specifically designed for bottom lane play. League of Legends Game Designer Max Perlman told members of the press that the character is defined by the “ebb and flow of power. Playing Yunara is all about picking your moments and understanding when you are strong.”
The core dynamic at play with Yunara is her unique way of charging up her attacks, which are a series of orbs she commands for range attacks. Thanks to her ability, Cultivation of Spirit, Yunara stacks Unleash with every attack. When she gains enough stacks, she can activate the ability to increase her attack speed, bonus damage, and unlock splash damage. All of Yunara’s attacks are rooted in maneuverability and damage output, with the sudden bursts of damage with Arc of Judgment or sudden mobility with Kanmei’s Steps making her a very dangerous fighter.
(Passive) Vow to the First Lands
Yunara’s critical strikes deal extra magic damage.
(Q) Cultivation of Spirit
Yunara gains a stack of Unleash with every attack, plus an extra one when she hits a champion or lands a crit. At max stacks, Yunara can activate her Q to gain attack speed, bonus damage on hit, and will deal splash damage in a small area with each attack. This ability is automatically activated while Yunara is Transcended.
(W) Arc of Judgment / Arc of Ruin
Yunara sends a swirling prayer bead out, which damages and slows enemies as it travels. At its endpoint, it lingers and expands for a moment, continuing to damage enemies who don’t get out of the way. While Transcended instead of a swirling prayer bead, she fires a beam of spirit magic that slows and deals damage in a line.
(E) Kanmei’s Steps / Untouchable Shadows
Yunara gains a quick burst of move speed to chase down enemies, reposition, or dodge skillshots. While Transcended, she instead dashes.
(R) Transcend One’s Self
Yunara taps into her full power, entering a transcendent state for several seconds that enhances all of her basic abilities for the duration
When Yunara accesses her Ultimate, Transcend One’s Self, she enters a new state that enhances all of her abilities and upgrades her spells. Described jokingly as “going Super Saiyan” by the game developers, this mode allows Yunara to shred through defenses with ease. After getting my hands on the character,I can attest to Yunara’s speed on the field and dangerous potential. While she can be isolated, her natural maneuverability (thanks to Kanmei’s Steps) can keep her moving even amid dangerous situations.
Yunara is also a fitting addition to the world of Runeterra, especially as Season 2 of the online play continues to highlight the mystical land of Ionia. Yunara is established as a legendary hero who was awakened centuries after she was trapped in the Spirit Realm. This gives her a unique perspective, effectively bringing the “Hero out of their Time” trope to the fantastical realm. It’ll be interesting to see where Yunara ends up going into the future of the game, especially after the developers teased her perspective on other regions coming into play.
Why League Of Legends Needed To Embrace Spirit Blossom
League Of Legends Is Always Evolving In New Ways — And Riot Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way
Launching almost twenty years ago,League of Legendshas evolved into one of the foundational games of the era. Over time, the game has undergone numerous changes to balance characters and keep players on their toes.This has resulted in plenty of fun tweaks, such as the new changes to ARAM made to accommodate the Spirit Blossom season update. According to Bellezza, that experimentation has been an interesting game of push and pull, leading to the new Spirit Blossom-inspired ARAM map “Koeshin’s Crossing” and mini-games like the 2D brawler, “Battle of Koeshin.”
“It feels nice to be in a space that feels like it’s evolving and changing,” Bellezza explained. “That was the whole idea behind seasons. What if we tried, truly, for the first time, making everything cohesive? Not only the map, but the experience and storytelling around the game. The narratives, the mini-games, skins, all of that. What happens if you make it all thematically in harmony with one another? The good news is that players seem to like it and have responded to it. We’re getting good feedback. But there are caveats. For Noxus, that region’s quite heavy metal.”
“For some players, they love it. For others, it’s a lot.The whole idea was to mix it up so we can go from space to space and make sure the vibe changes. Spirit Blossom, even just returning to the Spirit Realm and Ionia, was a chance to show we can give [players] a different tone. Even from the color palette and musical tone, it’s about finding out what feels like too much and what is beginning to feel like enough. I think over time, we’ll tune that accordingly and get better.Let’s see how far we can push it.”
The Ending Of Arcane And The Future Of Riot
The Future Of Riot Goes Far Beyond League Of Legends
League of Legendshas been in a very exciting place lately. While the game has only become more globally recognized in the eSports space, it’s also expanded in some fascinating ways. Online spin-offs likeWild Rift,Team Tactics,and solo games from the Riot Forge banner were clever spin-offs that expanded the world of Runeterra, but the studio is still finding new ways to reinvent the lore in new mediums. Recently,that’s included a new venture into the TCG spacewiththe infectiously funRiftboundand the massive success of their highly acclaimed animated adaptation,Arcane.
Reflecting on seeing that show reach its finale, Bellezza recalled how “it was absolutely emotional.” Bellezaa noted that theArcaneExecutive Producers Christian Linke and Alex Yee had worked at Riot prior to getting the show going, explaining that"the synergies of what the game and the show can be together were very much rooted from a deep understanding of it… it felt like none of us could have predicted anything like this. We are watching an expression of the game with these characters that have grown to love, not just from playing but from watching their arcs."
While Bellezaa couldn’t tease much about the ambitions of the animation team at Riot beyond the ending ofArcane— save that “when the time comes, Christian and the animation crew will reveal more” — he remains focused on the growth ofLeague of Legends. This includes extensions of the arcs set up inArcane, which have been continued through the lore of the game and new animated cinematics. This way, the impact and growth brought on byArcanecan be reflected into the game that inspired it in the first place.
By focusing onLeague of Legendsand building on it in new ways (such as the season model and expanded focus on different regions),the core game can help direct the path forward for the franchise as a whole. “We’re very much in harmony with what other games and what other media creators at Riot are doing, to make sure that we don’t step on each other’s toes. We can help be in lockstep with each other… It’s harmonious that way.”
Reflecting on the future of Riot and where he sees the company going forward, Bellezza revealed that an important part of the studio’s future relies on a centralized group called IP Strategy. “A lot of their job is to be the keepers of the canon.When another game contributes to the core canon, we can take that information into a central group,and then it gets disseminated back to us on League of Legends. Each game has an advisor and they’re always in communication… everyone is co-creating the IP at the same time.”
Given the important place thatLeague of Legendshas in the ever-tumultuous gaming space, all of this invention and enthusiasm is particularly heartening and exciting to see. “It’s all in good faith and in good spirits,” Bellaza said as he described the environment at Riot and the state ofLOL’s future. “We have been able to make it work… we learned a lot about how to verify that the game experiences can reflect the feeling and tone of what’s happening in other media. That’s a new muscle that we’ve gained.I’m optimistic and excited for the future.”
