League of Legends reveals Nautilus

Every few weeks, League of Legends developer Riot Games likes to keep things fresh by introducing a new Champion to the game. This week, new Champion known as Nautilus, the Titan of the Depths will be making his way to the League. This imposing new champion from the depths of the ocean floor is a fun and satisfying tank that gets a new initiation mechanic and a ton of soft crowd control.

In addition to this, Nautilus' has multiple abilities that lay down area of effect damage, disrupt multiple enemies, and keep him alive. Riot has also released a new spotlight video breaking down the best strategy on how to use Nautilus. 

Ziggs, the Hexsplosives Expert Arrives in LoL

A lot of new game mechanics have gone into the devleopment of Riot Games' latest champion, Ziggs, the Hexsplosives Expert. With some cool features like the ability to bounce his bombs along the ground or to knock himself away with explosives, Ziggs looks - dare I say it? - like he's going to be one of the best new AP carries around. Check out Riot's latest Champion Spotlight to see Ziggs in action, and stay tuned next week for our Buyer's Guide League of Legends, featuring this explosive character.

League of Legends Updates Co-op vs AI Matches

Every player that picks up League of Legends always remembers the first few matches they played against the AI in co-op mode. For some, it was a quick graduation to regular matches, and for others it was a safe and casual haven. No matter which group you fall in, you've played against one of these 14 bots at some point.

Now Riot Games has taken this feature, and they've ramped it up significantly. The new co-op vs AI game mode has up to 40 of the game's champions as well as the ability to play on the Dominion game mode. But an increased roster and gametype isn't all that is in store with this new update. LoL's AI has recieved a significant boost, as Bots will now use "predictive targeting" to avoid towers more often, while acting more like a human overall. Check out the updated and added bots after the jump.

A New Champion in LoL: Sejuani, The Winter's Wrath

A new Champion has arrived, and she's not alone... Sejuani, the Winter's Wrath, is a revolutionary champion for League of Legends as she will be the first ever warrior mounted on a faithful steed! Astride on her terrifying giant boar, Sejuani will serve as a primary tank that can move around with maximum force and impact.

For further spotlight on this new Champion check our her spotlight video!

Riot Games stands against SOPA

Riot Games CEO and co-founder Brandon "Ryze" Beck has posted on the League of Legends forum today stating Riot Games' position against the "Stop Online Piracy Act" better known as SOPA. In his official forum post he calls the bill "a misguided attempt to curb the illegal piracy of copyrighted content (like movies, music, and games)."

Stating that SOPA "goes far beyond simply addressing piracy" he discusses ways that this bill will effect League of Legend players like:

  • Killing video game streaming.
  • Threatening independent content creation.
  • Attacks the League of Legends community.
  • As well as other harmful effects.

He then invites everyone to help take a stand by writing your congressperson today and voicing your opposition to this misguided and harmful legislation. To read the entire post, be sure to check out the official League of Legends forums.

Riot Games' CEO makes Forbes' "30 under 30" list

Riot Games would be proud! Forbes' just released their annual "30 under 30" list of influential people in each field, and in the category of entertainment, you can see Riot Games CEO Brandon Beck! It's amazing to think of the incredible gains League of Legends and Riot Games have made in the industry, especially considering they were just an ambitious new company a mere two and a half years ago.

Either way, congratulations Riot Games and Brandon Beck on this accomplishment!

An interview with League of Legends' Travis George

The Riot Games staff is always a whirlwind of activity, with constantly shifting goals and projects that inevitably pick up more momentum as they go along. It's hard to believe that it was only two and a half (well, a little bit less) years ago when League of Legends and Riot Games were the new kids on the block, eager to carve a place for themselves in the industry. Now League of Legends is pretty much the face of the microtransaction & MOBA industry, and they've been making incredible gains within the eSports community. To bring in another year of League of Legends and last month's launch of Season Two, I decided to catch up with Riot Games to talk a little about the past of League of Legends and what might be on the horizon for future projects. Read on!

A Buyer's Guide to League of Legends: Shyvana!

I'm a very picky player when it comes to choosing a champion in League of Legends. Not only do I require my character to be aesthetically pleasing, but he, she, or it also needs to be mechanically coherent with my eccentric and aggressive playstyle. Unfortunately, since the release of Skarner, I haven't really taken to any of Riot's more recent champions. Talon is undeniably powerful, but I wasn't a big fan of his squishiness; Riven is a great concept on paper, but her sword swings are clunky in execution (I was looking more for something like Pandamonium from Heroes of Newerth); Xerath is fun, but his safe playstyle can get a little tedious; and while Graves is fun, his mega-popularity has turned me into a hipster - he's simply too mainstream for my tastes. Riot's newest champion, Shyvana the Half-Dragon, however, is just right for me.

Ranked Teams are coming to League of Legends

Ranked Teams are coming to League of Legends! And... that's about all I got. With Season Two rounding the corner, Rio Games has revealed that players will be able to join together under one unified team name, tag, and ELO rating, as they collectively push for that glorious 1100 ELO rating (yeah!). Ranked team queues will be reset (obviously) with the start of Season Two, although Solo / Duo queue ratings will not be affected by this change.

Who wants to be part of team "Pwyff and Friends?"

League of Legends: The Shyvana Patch is live!

Shyvana is landing in League of Legends! In this latest patch from Riot, in addition to the release of Shyvana, the Half-Dragon, players can expect some small nerfs to Graves, Caitlyn and Talon (yes!), while Wukong and Olaf will be receiving some nice buffs to help them out. Also in this patch are some medium-sized Dominion changes, with the most important being a change to the respawn timer adjustments, a 3% nerf to Crystal Scar's persistent armor penetration buff, and a boost in personal score rating for point capture assists. You can read the full patch notes on the League of Legends website, and we'll try to have a Buyer's Guide to League of Legends up early next week!