Red Post Collection: An Update on Arcane, /dev: Kicking Off Dr. Mundo's VGU, TFT Galaxies Pass II & More

Posted on at 9:14 AM by Aznbeat
Today's red post collection includes updates on the Arcane animated series, a new /dev blog on Dr. Mundo's champion update, TFT Galaxies Pass II + Immortal  Creatures Little Legends now available, new stories and info on the Universe, and more!
Continue reading for more information!


Table of Contents


An Update on Arcane

Here's an update from Ghostcrawler on the development of the Arcane animated series - "Creative Development and Production during a Pandemic."
"Hey Everyone, 
Ghostcrawler here from Riot Creative Development and IP. Hope everyone is staying healthy and safe during these strange times. I’m here with some not so great news to share, so I’ll get right to it. 
*Sigh* due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we unfortunately have to delay the worldwide release of our first animated series, Arcane, to 2021. 
Everyone here at Riot is bummed. We were really looking forward to bringing you the show this year, but we need to balance our excitement for the story with the safety and well-being of our teams and partners. Our revised plan is to release Arcane in 2021, so stay tuned to our channels for more specific updates as we get closer. 
Creative development and production is hard, especially in a world where you can’t see your coworkers IRL. We have video meetings now, which help, but they are no substitute for being in a room where we can really get the creative energy flowing. Combine these issues, along with the technical difficulties of production at the international scale, and the problem becomes a lot bigger. Props to our amazing creative partner, Fortiche, who has continued to do everything they can to keep moving Arcane forward. 
That being said, overall, we are pretty happy with what Riot has been able to deliver to you this year, despite the pandemic. We’ve just shipped VALORANT, our first FPS game in a new IP, alongside Legends of Runeterra, our first new multi-platform game. Hats off to the amazing teams working on these games. We really do hope you’ll give them a try. 
We try to be as transparent with you as possible. I know this news is probably disappointing. We are disappointed. But Arcane is shaping up to be an amazing story and one we'll share with you as soon as we can."

/dev: Kicking Off Dr. Mundo's VGU

With the announcement of Dr. Mundo as the next champion update, here's a dev blog from the team with some early information - "The champion update that goes where it pleases."
"As we mentioned in the recent Champion Roadmap, Dr. Mundo is up next for a VGU in 2021. We shared a lot of work-in-progress during Fiddle’s and Voli’s VGU, and we plan to do the same for Mundo. Our hope is that by showing the direction and plans for VGUs early, we can get more feedback from you all about what’s working well and what we can improve on. This approach has gone well so far—both in regards to the feedback we’ve received and the reception from you all—so today we want to share an early look at our work on Mundo’s update. 
Let’s start by talking a little bit about why we chose Dr. Mundo for a VGU and what our goals are. 
Honestly, one of the main reasons we wanted to update Dr. Mundo is because of how dated his visuals have become—Mundo sticks out like a sore thumb in the current roster of champions. We felt like there was a lot of potential to really upgrade Mundo’s visuals and theme to not only look better, but to fit in better with how League's visual style has evolved over the years. 
We also think there’s room for gameplay improvements to Mundo’s kit. He has a lot that currently works well for him, like his super-tank regeneration and the ability to constantly chuck cleavers—both of which you can expect to stay, in some form or another, after his update. 
Another major goal for Mundo’s gameplay is to keep him a very simple champion. We want to build more mastery into his kit, but not the kind of mastery that will suddenly require you to have lightning fast reflexes, so expect his kit complexity to stay pretty similar. 
With these goals in mind, let’s hear what Dr. Mundo’s lead gameplay designer, concept artist, and narrative writer have been exploring so far. 
A Medical License to Kill 
Glenn “Twin Enso” Anderson, Gameplay Designer: 
Most League players probably have a memory (or several) of blasting outrageous amounts of damage into a Dr. Mundo, then watching as he goes on to kill your carry and walk out with more health than he started. The extreme tankiness and regeneration are definitely things we believe are core to the Doctor’s identity, and ultimately when you play him you should feel like taking damage is a problem for other champions. This early in the process, we wanted to explore a variety of things we could do to ham up this experience even more. 
Our main goals are to 1) give opponents more counterplay options against Mundo, 2) increase Mundo’s gameplay variance beyond landing cleavers, and 3) bring Mundo into the modern era of League without sacrificing his overall simplicity. We haven’t landed on the final direction for his kit yet, but here’s a few of the things we’ve tried so far. 
The first iteration we tested had Dr. Mundo gain one max health every time he was hit, and we soon after tried other versions of Mundo gaining max health by welcoming incoming damage. After a number of tests, it became clear that this was too much of an incentive for bad decision making. Players would often overcommit, intentionally position poorly, or seek out really bad trades, so we pivoted slightly to Mundo converting his defensive stats into, you guessed it, more health.  
After a couple items his health bar became... an absolute unit.
However, with such a ridiculous amount of health, the champions and items that were strong against Mundo became even stronger, and those that were weak became even weaker. This created even more polarized games than current Dr. Mundo, so ultimately we decided to stop pursuing this route. 
Also, let me explain that little line, because it’s not the execute threshold for Elder Dragon buff. We also tried giving Dr. Mundo really high health regeneration all the time, but some of the damage he took would lower his max health. The line is showing his “current” maximum health, which would only recover on fountain or on death. However, this contradicted the regeneration fantasy by making players feel punished for taking poke damage instead of protected from it, which is not a feeling we want for a masochistic tank. It also led to some stress and confusion around when to fight, when to recall, and generally managing your max health. Overall it was too much for poor Mundo’s brain to think about, so we moved on to some simpler abilities. 
Outside of giga health regeneration, we thought about other tools you’d expect from a Zaunite mutant-freak. We tried a few things (like not-so-surgical embedding and ripping out his cleavers), but the one that we tested the most was a chain-reacting corpse explosion. 
While fun, ultimately this ability felt too zoning-oriented and overall “magey” for what you’d expect from a ripped melee top laner. Mundo having multiple tools to avoid going into melee didn’t fit the character that he is visually, nor did it really encourage the type of gameplay we want Mundo to have. 
We’re still in a phase where everything is super crazy and experimental… kind of like Mundo. While none of these early explorations have felt quite right, our muscly purple MD will still be one of League’s marquee megatanks. We’re super excited to share these early explorations with you, to see where his gameplay goes, and about all the totally legitimate medical knowledge we’ll pick up along the way. 
Throwing Cleavers against a Wall 
Like Fiddlesticks, Dr. Mundo was one of my first loves in League (a trend is emerging). There’s nothing quite like the rush of wading through your foes without a care in the world as their carries cry for someone to save them. 
We started out with a big exploration, plumbing the depths of Zaun for directions revolving around what Mundo is and what Mundo could be. This is my favourite part of design because we aren’t yet focused on answering questions, only to ask, and even though this kind of wild dreaming isn’t always practical, it can lead to unexpected sparks that inspire a brighter future. 
Ultimately the visual fantasies that are at his core are clear: DOCTOR and... MUNDO. The “Doctor” theme could be approached in many ways and all of them would be an improvement, so I’m really excited there. “Mundo,” on the other hand, is that quality of just beingMundo. Some would say it’s indescribable, others pure purple, but I’d eyeball it as being an unkillable regenerating freak-machine that maybe doesn’t have the cleanest grip on reality.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: BIOMENANCE MUNDO, EXPERIMENT MUNDO, OGRE MUNDO, JUICED UP MUNDO
Tone is something we are discussing a lot. Some say Mundo is a horrific serial killer, others a lovable dope, some even tell me he’s quite handsome. We think finding the right juxtaposition between the comedy and the menace of Mundo will be key. It’s going to be a wild ride, and I’m sure the design will go exactly where it wants to. 
Doctor? Mundo 
John “JohnODyin” O’Bryan, Narrative Writer: 
Reworking Mundo has been a unique experience from the start. Often when we rework old champs, they’re in such bad shape that some of our changes end up being pretty drastic. On day one of this rework, we all kind of agreed that we like Mundo. So does much of the world. Obviously that didn’t mean he couldn’t be improved (especially visually), but everyone in the room felt he filled a unique space in our champ roster—one that we didn’t want to abandon entirely. The idea of an unstoppable psycho who can’t be hurt, combined with the whole “doctor” angle, is a goldmine that we wanted to dig into. 
SO THE QUESTION THEN BECAME, “HOW DO WE MAKE HIM MORE SUCCESSFUL AT FULFILLING THE FANTASY OF BEING AN UNKILLABLE PSYCHO DOCTOR?” 
The next question I asked was, “Exactly how stupid do we want him to be?” We thought about making him an actual doctor, perhaps someone who went mad through his own medicine, but that put him in the same crazy scientist space as Singed. 
So we began to experiment with his role as a man who is not a doctor at all, but someone who thinks he’s a doctor and is too stupid to know he isn’t. We realized that while we have no shortage of crazy champs—Ziggs, Jinx, and Kled, to name a few—how many do we really have who are flat-out dumb? Maybe Trundle? (And even he’s supposed to be smart for a troll.) We also realized the dumb thing works really well for a guy who’s supposedly unaware of what is happening to his own body. 
No matter where Mundo goes, it’s been fun exploring the different potential avenues for his character. 
What’s Next? 
We’re planning to release Dr. Mundo in 2021, so you can expect the next /dev blog towards the end of the year, once we enter full production. 
As always, let us know what you think: What excites you? What terrifies you? Why is Mundo the handsomest purple doctor of all time? We’ll be reading through your thoughts and feedback, as we want all of you to help us make the best Mundo possible."

TFT: Galaxies Pass II + Immortal Creatures Little Legends now available!

Following the large updates in 10.12, the TFT Galaxies II Pass is now live! Head on over to the TFT tab in-client to check out the new free and premium rewards to be earned by playing TFT.

Galaxies Pass II kicked off on June 10th, 2020 at 11:00 AM PT and runs through September 14th, 2020 at 11:00 AM PT.

More information on the pass, including a detailed look at rewards, can be found here:

Along with the pass the three new Immortal Creatures Little Legends - Bellswayer, Lightcharger, and Nixie - are all available in the shop. You can snag one variant directly or the rest through eggs.

Here's a preview video of the new Immortal Creatures Little Legends in-game:

For a look at each of the in-game assets for Immortal Creatures variants + the two new arenas & new boons offered in the Pass II, check out our 10.12 PBE coverage!

~~~~~

Likewise, info on the TFT Summer 2020 ranked rewards and distribution can be found here - including Victorious Silverwing and Victorious Furyhorn!


Universe Update

 The Universe has been updated with new stories and information!
"Of all the tales of the old Freljord that have somehow endured into the modern age, there is one—and one alone—that can chill the blood of even the hardiest Iceborn. 
The Frostguard do not tell it. Many of them do not even know it, in full. 
By decree of the Ice Witch Lissandra herself, to perpetuate this forbidden legend is heresy against the true faith, and carries the penalty of death for any who speak it aloud. In all the vast libraries of the Frostguard Citadel, only a single written account remains—and that was penned by her most trusted scribe, many thousands of years ago. Few indeed are those individuals across Runeterra who know the truth behind the legend, and Lissandra can count on the fingers of one hand those who were there in person and might dare to contradict her… 
It was in the final, dark days of the War of the Three Sisters that Avarosa and Serylda finally marched their warriors up into the mountains, to face Lissandra before the walls of her own fortress. They would not serve the otherworldly masters that she had pledged them to. This would be an end to it. 
The Ice Witch gestured to the armies they led, the great alliance that had finally brought these wild lands to heel. The mortal Iceborn were all but immune to the winter’s chill. The troll kings had roamed far across the tundra, amassing tremendous wealth from their conquests. Even the magnificent and terrible Balestriders, twisted far beyond their original form, moved now at the command of the Three. 
All of this, Lissandra reminded her sisters, was because of the bargain she had made with the masters of the realm below—the beings she knew as Watchers. It was they who had revealed to her the primal secrets of the world. It was they who would have the final victory. 
And it was then, at the height of this bitter confrontation, that the Watchers finally came to Runeterra. 
The ground split open, swallowing thousands of warriors into the abyss beneath it, before the first of the dread things heaved itself up into existence. It was new to the material realm, bewildered by such notions as form and constancy, and began immediately to rail against them. In a foul riot of unchecked metamorphosis, it sprouted horns, and patches of fur, and its colossal tentacular limbs grew into jointed humanoid arms with fingers that clawed the bare rock of the mountainsides. Worst of all, other Watchers were following closely in its wake, wracked by horrifying transformations of their own. 
It might be fair to assume there was a battle, that the Iceborn rallied behind Avarosa and Serylda to fight back the darkness—but in truth, it was Lissandra who ended it. She saw these abominations now for what they were, and knew what had to be done. 
Summoning every last iota of the ancient magic around her, including that of her allies, she sacrificed everything to seal the rift-between-realms with True Ice, entombing the Watchers within it. Vast plumes of freezing vapor howled through the chasm, and those mortal warriors who managed to escape were driven to insanity by what they had witnessed. 
This, then, is not only the legend of how Lissandra saved the world from destruction, but also the only first-hand account of the martyrdom of Avarosa and Serylda. 
And may the Three have mercy upon all who read it."
"A hulking figure trudged through the waist-deep snow of the canyon, lumbering uphill with a purposeful gait that dared the blizzard to stop him. He left a deep trench in his wake, heavy clawed feet ripping up the loose shale beneath the snow with every step. Howling winds billowed his patchwork cloak of stitched-together hides, and the figure pulled it tighter around his body. 
Even among trollkind, Trundle was huge; his muscles like rocks rolling beneath thick blue skin that was the texture of leather left out under the desert sun. Not that Trundle had ever seen a desert, but he knew what one was. 
The Ice Witch had told him about a place beyond the southern mountains where the sun burned you red, and the snow was like little bits of gritty rock that got all up in your nethers and didn’t melt. 
Sounded a bit far-fetched to Trundle, and what was the point of snow that didn’t melt?"

[Read the full story here!]

So I was walking through this little plaza off the library district in Nashramae—super dusty, flagstones older than empires, and usually pretty quiet. Having just out-negotiated those dumb human merchants in the Grand Marketplace, I was feeling good. I’d been all “You want how much for that teapot?!” and “There’s no way that’s an authentic Ascended-age mace with that iconography!” 
But a whole day around mortals was enough for me. If I had to hear another cheery “Water and shade to you!” greeting, I was gonna get heated. 
Anyway, I’d almost gotten my cart full of treasure to my stall, thinking how great it’d be to get back in my junkyard, when whammo! I was flat on my backside."

[Read the whole store here!]


Miscellaneous

"Explore Runeterra as you never have before with an interactive fifth edition adventure! Start your journey in the scoundrel's paradise of Bilgewater, where everything is for sale and fortune favors the bold. 
Explore Now for free! - https://dndbeyond.link/DToB"



"Testing Mid lane 10.13:

-Mid lane spawns a cannon every 3 >>> 4 waves for the first 15 min (after it's normal)
-Mid minions move slightly slower to the lane (reducing clear and roam potential)

Still evaluating these. The goal is to bring mid economy back to s9 level not below."
He added these would be moved back to after the Worlds patch:
[1] Feedback on the Mid lane changes has been extremely useful. Thank you all.
Our updated plan is to move these to after worlds patch. More info in the thread.
(1/4)

[2] With the extra time we can:

1. Strike the right balance with mid lane roaming and influence
2. Build in long term systems that let us adjust position power more easily (avoid a situation like last preseason where we wanted to buff top but had to buff all solo lanes)
(2/4)

[3] Our reasoning for the pivot is to avoid disrupting the pro game too significantly late in the season.

Also, draining resources from mid while not increasing roams was going to be hard to accomplish with simple fast changes. These goals push against each other.
(3/4)

[4] Side note, I'm a big fan of exposing our work to such a large audience even when it's still not fully solidified.

There is no sharper tool for us to check if we're on the right track than shining the light of day on it. Lucky to have an engaged community, might as well use it.

  • [TFT] When asked about the 3* of the Astro Molediver Little Legend, Teej on twitter noted:
"Hey! 3* Astro Molediver isn't lost in space I promise! We are working on a way for players to get a 3* Astro Moldeiver, but it was not earn able in Act 1 of Galaxies Pass+" 
"The League of Legends Lab Team welcomes you to our first Art Blast. 
You might be wondering what the League of Legends Lab team is. “League Labs” is the group of creative folks who brought events like Urf and Nexus Blitz to life as well as conducting research and development for new game modes and pipeline improvements. We also made Team Fight Tactics and today we are focusing on TFT’s Set 3 and TFT mobile creation. I am very excited to share with you some of the team’s goals, thought process and techniques we used to bring Set 3 to you. 
Set 3 content was a collaboration of multiple disciplines from concept, environment and VFX to Tech Art, UI and Sound. We enjoyed creating the art, sound, and visual effects for Set 3 and we hope you are enjoying playing it! 
Here to tell us more about the making of the boards and TFT mobile is two of the lead artists on the project Marcus Lull and Sebastian Reeve"

Other Games

"Surprise! Don’t lie, you didn’t think you’d get patch notes this week. 
These are lighter, sure, but Patch 1.01 continues our effort to improve performance, this time focused on a smoother combat experience as well as additional support for high spec machines. 
Our new mode, Spike Rush, gets an injection of new Orb types to play with. 
For example, a Golden Gun Orb that lets you one-shot anybody with the quickness. 
Also, Sage gets a nerf. Promise we’re not picking on healers."

Reminders

  • The FPX skins are now in the store and will be available until June 11th!

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